Aaron Widmar
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Is It Really Necessary to Wax My Car?

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With all these advancements in vehicle construction, is it a waste of time to wax your car?

Car Wax Buffing polisher buffer machine
Photo: The News Wheel

Be honest: Do you actually take the time to wax your car on a regular basis? Or do you just drive it through an automatic car wash when it gets particularly dirty? Buffing your car can take a lot of work, so it begs the question: Is a thick coat of wax worth the effort, or is it just a waste of time that makes your car shiny?


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What’s the worst that could happen if you don’t wax your car?

Vehicle construction continues to change and improve. In the past, waxing your car was vital to protect it from rusting and deteriorating quickly because it was very susceptible to abrasions and deterioration. But as new vehicles use more plastic body panels, more resilient clear coats, and sometimes employ rust-resistant alloys, it seems that waxing might not be necessary to protect your car anymore. Is that true?

Any sort of wax or sealant serves to protect the car’s exterior body panels from losing their clear coat, leading to the fading and deterioration of the paint underneath. So, what’s the worst that could happen if you don’t wax your car? You have a car that’s not as bright and shiny as it used to be, but you saved hundreds of dollars and hours of your time.

If all you’re doing is rinsing your car from any dirt, salt, and gunk, the clear coat is steadily disappearing. Eventually, the paint underneath will be exposed and fade too, which could even expose the metal underneath. After many years of neglect, you could wind up with a ride covered in brittle orange rust spots.

car care paint clear coat wax protect
Photo: The News Wheel

But, that won’t happen for a while. “It is true that most modern-day paint finishes can last about three years with absolutely no maintenance,” points out Darren Priest on his website Best Auto Detailing Tips. “Most car paint will last 2-4 years without any form of washing and waxing and be just fine.”

Automotive care experts advise waxing your car regularly for one primary reason: to protect the paint. The truth is that if you don’t care about your car looking nice and retaining its resale value, you don’t need to wax your car. The body will develop faded spots, cracks, holes, and chips over time if you neglect to wax, but those are all cosmetic and rarely impact the performance of the vehicle.


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The habit that’s more important than waxing

If you’re worried about your car rusting, waxing it isn’t the most important thing you should be doing: washing and sealing the underside is. That’s where the most corrosive substances like road salt can collect and cause rapid oxidation.

Most new vehicles have plastic bumpers or cladding around the wheel wells and rocker panels to protect them from rust, so those spots aren’t prone to rust like on prior models. The most sensitive metal areas are underneath the car — but you may not think of that if the more visible parts of your car look clean.

The undercarriage may have a plastic shield underneath to protect the underside of the engine, driveshaft, main exhaust line, and metal panels from road splashes. But, salt can still reach the axles, wheels, suspension system, muffler, and other essential components, causing them to rust.

Therefore, if you don’t care about how your car looks or its resale value, waxing isn’t that important — but regularly washing its underside absolutely is.