How bad are winters on cars in Pittsburgh?

[Potential_Landlord]

Originally Posted by Mugatu

I drive an 18-year old car that has handled the winters well since I moved here in 2006. I noticed some rust on the body last year for the first time, just below the gas cap. Some suspension parts have some rust as well, but considering the age of the car it's not too bad. But it was driven in FL for the first 10 years of it's life, so I'm sure that helped it's longevity.

They use a ton of salt and other chemicals here, so the best thing you can do in the winter is go through a car wash with an undercarriage spray once a week when there is salt on the roads. Also, don't pull into a warm garage right after driving through the salt and snow. Warm temps accelerate the corrosion process. So you're better off leaving it outside in the cold until you get a chance to wash it. And it certainly helps to give your car a fresh coat of the best wax you have sometime in November to offer some paint protection before the dead of winter hits.

Good luck!

Thanks for the tips! I'm amazed too by what a difference climate makes on car bodies. My car is 9 years and does not have a hint of rust anywhere. But my in-laws' cars in Albany, NY show it at that age. Although cars do seem to hold up better than they used to. I also heard that a heated garage is the worst thing you can do to a car in the winter.

[shadowfax]

My 98 Subaru has held up just fine. I did have some rust taken care of on the wheel wells this year. As was said, wash the undercarriage regularly. We don't tend to get large amounts of snow but we do get frequent measurable snowfalls which means that the roads are being treated pretty frequently.

[Knepper3]

Yeah we also moved up from florida. My car is a 2005 and we came up in 2007. This past year was the first sign of some rust on the rear wheelwells. Not bad for a just over 10 year old car. I'll probably keep it another year and then start again. I will admit I didnt take the best car of it since moving here. I never wash the salt off in the winter but should. It still looks new otherwise though. Really I didnt think about it until the rust started under the paint. Winters arent that bad really, I love the snow and compared to anywhere north its pretty mild. Hit grove city to erie or up to buffalo and that's bad.