The Hidden Way a Hot Garage Could Be Slowly Ruining Your Car

Believe it or not, your car will suffer damage if you leave it in a hot garage. The damage may be minimal if the garage overheats for one or two days at a time, but if, like insurance consultant E.J. Nadolny, you live in a region with a hot climate like Texas, the risk is much higher, and your insurance may not cover the damage.

“Heat damage claims on vehicles stored in a garage are more common than one would imagine,” he says. He relates the case of a policyholder who tried to recover losses after a dashboard cracked from the heat. The carrier denied the loss because this was the result of exposure over a prolonged period of time, rather than an instantaneous event.

Together with Nadolny and auto parts marketer Ryan Salata, we’ll explain how a hot garage can damage your car and what to do about it.

How Hot Does a Garage Get?

As a rule of thumb, the interior of a closed garage gets anywhere from 10 to 30 degrees hotter than the outside air. In Texas, says Nadolny, the interior of a non-ventilated garage routinely reaches 130 to 140 degrees, and in full sun in a place like southern Arizona, it could get even hotter. That’s an environment almost as hot as the sauna at my health club, which is typically between 160 and 170 degrees.

Parts of a Car Most Vulnerable to Heat

Under the hood, it’s common to find damaged rubber components, like coolant hoses and fuel lines, which dry out and crack in the heat. “Most people don’t realize that heat accelerates fluid degradation,” says Salata. “Brake fluid will absorb moisture from the environment and become less effective. Old engine oil degrades more quickly if your garage exceeds 100 degrees summer long. Hotter temperatures also cause batteries to self-discharge at a much faster rate.”

In the car’s interior, rubber, plastic and leather furnishings are especially vulnerable to heat. That includes dashboards, seat covers and door seals.

Can Heat Damage a Car That Isn’t Being Driven?

Heat is more likely to damage a car that is sitting in a hot garage for a prolonged period than one that is driven regularly. Taking the car for a spin, even on a hot day, ventilates the cabin and engine and reduces the deteriorating effects of sustained heat.

Warning Signs of Heat Affecting Your Vehicle

Besides the obvious signs of cracking and other damage to the car’s interior, you may notice performance issues when you drive the car. One possibility is spongy brakes, which is a sign that heat has degraded the brake fluid. You may also notice that the car uses more oil, because heat reduces oil viscosity and makes it more likely to slip into the combustion chamber and burn. In extreme cases, a coolant hose may spring a leak, causing the car to overheat.

FAQ

Is an attached garage better than parking outside?

The only thing worse than leaving your car in a hot garage is leaving it in the hot sun, because UV radiation quickly exacerbates the damage caused by high temperatures. An attached garage that benefits from climate control in the rest of the house is a better place to store a car than an unattached garage, and it’s definitely a better place than in an unshaded spot outside. However, if you can park your car outdoors in the shade, that’s the best option of all.

Can heat damage a car’s paint?

“Paint doesn’t enjoy heat and UV damage,” says Salata. If the car is parked in a hot garage and exposed to direct sunlight through a window, he says that outgassed moisture from the car’s interior can cause clear coat oxidation. This causes wax to fade, develop a chalky feeling and begin to crack, resulting in micro-cracks in the clear coat.

About the Experts

• E.J. Nadolny is the CEO of Canopy Insurance Texas, where he advises clients on commercial and property insurance, auto, and personal coverage.
• Ryan Salata is the marketing director at PROFORM Parts (Specialty Auto Parts USA, Inc.), which manufactures high-performance automotive aftermarket components.

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