It is pothole-dodging time here in central North Carolina and will remain that way through late March. I've been extra-careful looking for potholes with our 2005 S-Type 3.0, but I hit a fairly nasty one last night in the darkness with the left front wheel. No outwardly visible damage, but who really knows for sure?

My 1999 Dodge Ram 1500-series pickup just shakes off all but the deepest potholes with no problem, and even my wife's 2004 Lexus RX330 does a pretty good job of staying in alignment throughout pothole season. But what about these S-Types with their fancy suspension components that apparently don't allow just the bushings to be replaced? Does even the slightest pothole bounce tend to throw off the alignment, and if so, how can I tell quickly before my tires' treadwear patterns are affected?