AKRON, Ohio — With winter driving comes road salt, and there is no way to avoid it.
Road salt not only makes your car dirty, but it can also damage the outside and hidden areas.
According to AAA, de-icing chemicals are a major contributor to rust damage on vehicles and can cost Americans billions of dollars in repairs, with the average cost of repair around $500.
When salt gets on a vehicle that has a couple of dings and scratches, it corrodes the metal and eats it away. This causes the metal to break down, become brittle and very weak.
Bruce Cureton, the owner of Beacon Collison Center, has years of experience dealing with rust.
"You’ll start to see salt damage in probably five, six, seven years; it really depends on how exposed it is," Cureton said.
The damage salt can do to your car also depends on your preventative measures and how you take care of your vehicle.
Some go-to methods are a wax coating to reduce scratches or a rust-prevention spray. Rust is not only on the surface, it can hide under surfaces too.
"That can become a safety issue as far as driving the vehicle," Cureton said. "If you were in an accident, would it perform correctly? Would it protect you?"
Cureton said, when rust shows up, you can repair it or replace it, but that all depends on the make and model of your car and if it’s worth it.
To make sure you will not need to repair or replace because of the salt, Cureton suggest you wash your car at least once a week and check often for salt or rust damage underneath your car.
