I Don’t Drive My Car Always; Will It Still Cause Damage?

If you are not driving your car daily or taking it for a spin around town, you might think general maintenance like oil changes or tire rotations is unnecessary. In fact, you might even think your vehicle will always be in great shape whenever you need to drive it.  

However, not driving your car for a while can still cause some serious damage. Here are some of the damages caused by not regularly driving your car.

Vehicle Tire Rot, Tire rot is a serious issue for your tires

And while they may appear safe to drive on at first, they can be dangerous. You can get dry rot on your tires for a number of reasons, but let’s focus on the topic at hand – leaving your tires unused can be just as bad as driving them under-inflated.

Decreased Battery Life, While it may not be your first thought

Leaving your battery unused can also cause it to drain slowly. If the battery goes completely dead – and stays completely dead for too long – you may not be able to jumpstart it or recharge it. This means replacing your battery altogether.

Vehicle Rust and Corrosion

You may not be consciously aware of how much metal is still exposed on your car. Leaving your car outside can cause the undercarriage of the car to rust, weakening the car’s structure and causing some hard-to-repair damage.

Paint and Vehicle Body Damage

While paint and body damage is only a concern for people who leave their undriven cars outside or in semi-open places, there’s still a chance of this happening in a car garage.

Leaving your car in bare sunlight day after day can expose the car to more harmful UV rays than it otherwise might avoid. Harmful rays from the sun can cause a clear coat over your car’s paint to oxidize and begin to fail. This leaves peeling spots around your car that can only be salvaged by repainting.

Vehicle Brake Failure

Whether you leave your car for a few days or a few months, you’ve probably started noticing rust around the rotors. While a quick drive after leaving your car sit for a day or two can dust most of the rust off and get your brakes back into shape, the longer the brake pads and rotors are exposed to rust and corrosion, the harder they are to repair.

Moisture can sneak into the brake lines and cause issues pressurizing the brake fluid. There isn’t much you can do to avoid this except store your car in as dry an environment as possible.

Conclusion

While some of these major damages can be avoided just by storing your car in your garage or undercover, starting your car up is still beneficial and letting the battery work. Circulating the oil and other fluids can be beneficial to your vehicle and other mechanical components and keep your car in better shape.