Car failures expected to increase with rising summer temperatures

With weekend high’s expected to reach 106 degrees on Sunday, make sure to keep your sunscreen handy and maybe have some preventative maintenance done on your vehicle.

Michelle Donati, a spokesperson for AAA, said that the company expects to receive 3,000 more calls in Arizona this summer than the same period last year.

“One of the reasons behind this projected increase is the growing number of older vehicles on our roadways,” Donati said.

“More than half of the cars on the road are actually aged 10 years or older.”

According to Donati, the three most common causes of roadside pick-ups are dead batteries, engine failures and blown tires.

AAA expects to receive 60,000 calls for dead batteries, 72,000 for engine failures and 20,000 calls for blown tires across the state of Arizona. These problems rarely warn normal drivers ahead of time but can be easily detected by a mechanic.

“Most roadside trouble is avoidable for vehicles of any age. So by checking these three things and having a thorough vehicle inspections, you can reduce your chances of breaking down considerably,” Donati said.

Donati said it is a good idea to have your car — old or new — checked out for the summer, especially before a long road trip.

Some issues that cause blown tires such as tread depths and tire pressure can be detected by the owner.

92.3 KTAR News’ Ali Vetnar contributed to this report.

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