[Shovelman]

Probably the most destructive factor is sunlight. It fades and degrades paint and interiors.

Heat is hard on rubber and plastics.

Rodents and insects have their wiles.

Rain and snow are not so bad.

Cold is ok also.

What else damages a car that is sitting still?

[F22leo]

Things falling out of trees specifically acorns. There's a lot of oak trees on my driveway and it's very annoying

[Mike F.]

Strangely, my BMWs have done very well here in the hot Sacto sun, with no garage and no covered parking where I work. (It routinely gets above 100F during the summer out here.) I've had three prior to my M240, each being my DD for at least six years and each going well over 200K miles. They've all looked good as far as sun damage goes: seats intact, no dash cracks, paint fine, etc. I am starting to see some clear coat damage on my 2006 330i, but not much. I do take pretty good care of them, but I'm nowhere near as OCD about it as many BMW enthusiasts. I think a lot of it must be due to the high quality materials BMW uses. (Stone chips OTOH.....)

[Nickies]

Originally Posted by Shovelman

Probably the most destructive factor is sunlight. It fades and degrades paint and interiors.

Heat is hard on rubber and plastics.

Rodents and insects have their wiles.

Rain and snow are not so bad.

Cold is ok also.

What else damages a car that is sitting still?

None of these are a problem if you have a maintenance care program to counter the issues. I replace my cars about every 5 years and every time they are almost perfect, inside and out.

They are hand washed and detailed every week during rain or winter season, waxed 3 times a year with the best quality products on the market, all rubber weatherstrips lubricated and interior fully detailed.

I lived in the North harsh winters as well as also harsh desert conditions for decades and the maintenance program has always been the same.

At the bottom-line, I also choose where I park going shopping and I avoid tree shade whatever I can. And yes, this is a DD...... I have a cheap car cover in the event i have to protect my paint job from droppings of any kind.

Also, I always invested in a good quality window tint job that save an interior from UV damage and provides more driving comfort.

[Shovelman]

Ok then, I'll stop worrying about it. Mine is garaged and since I am retired it does not spend every day in the sun. It already looks much better than I do.

[leftoverture]

Today's plastics and other materials are made with UV protectant that greatly delays the damage from the sun. This really helps but will not protect forever so using good quality cleaners with UV protectant is always a good idea. Especially for those of us with convertibles.