# How true isit that a cars brakes will rust and then pit if it is not driven more than 2times a week? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 24, 2015, 6:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-true-isit-that-a-cars-brakes-will-rust-and-then-pit-if-it-is-not-driven-more-than-2times-a-week/91798 "2015-11-24T06:50:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-true-isit-that-a-cars-brakes-will-rust-and-then-pit-if-it-is-not-driven-more-than-2times-a-week/91798/21 "2015-11-26T20:59:04Z")
I’ve heard this phenomenon called “lot rot.” I bought a used 2007 Chrysler Town and Country a few years ago. It had been on the lot for a good while and maybe not driven more than a few yards within the lot. During my test drive the brakes felt rough/grainy/grabby. After more concerted driving and firm braking it was all better. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 8:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-true-isit-that-a-cars-brakes-will-rust-and-then-pit-if-it-is-not-driven-more-than-2times-a-week/91798/22 "2015-11-27T08:56:59Z")
I find it funny, all the advice to get the car washed frequently to get the salt off. The dirty secret of car washes is that they recycle there rinse water, only using fresh water for the final rinse. Then, how do you get the car home without getting salt all over it? Even if it is a dry day, our streets are covered with salt water fron the snow piles at the curbs. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 10:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-true-isit-that-a-cars-brakes-will-rust-and-then-pit-if-it-is-not-driven-more-than-2times-a-week/91798/23 "2015-11-27T10:05:53Z")
Not all car washes recycle water, a number of vehicles at work and personally owned, rust lockup can be one day, a coupe of weeks or never. ---
**Author:** ![sgtrock21](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sgtrock21/32/246_2.png) [@sgtrock21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sgtrock21)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 10:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-true-isit-that-a-cars-brakes-will-rust-and-then-pit-if-it-is-not-driven-more-than-2times-a-week/91798/24 "2015-11-27T10:13:32Z")
common sense answer: I had a “spare” car that was not being driven much. I noticed the rotors had acquired a light but even coating of rust. I just drove it forward and backward across the large empty lot across the road about a dozen times while lightly “dragging” the brakes. The rotors where “shiny” with no pitting. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-true-isit-that-a-cars-brakes-will-rust-and-then-pit-if-it-is-not-driven-more-than-2times-a-week/91798/25 "2015-11-27T19:23:09Z")
@“the same mountainbike” is exactly right in his first paragraph. The rust is there, you just can’t see it. Pitting is advanced rust and won’t occur unless you let the Highlander sit for a lot longer than a couple of days. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-true-isit-that-a-cars-brakes-will-rust-and-then-pit-if-it-is-not-driven-more-than-2times-a-week/91798.md?page=1)