# Parking on grass **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [September 2, 2007, 2:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020 "2007-09-02T02:04:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psmithbeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a587f6/32.png) [@psmithbeft](https://community.cartalk.com/u/psmithbeft)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 2:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/1 "2007-09-02T02:04:55Z")
Is it true that parking on the grass will rust away the body of the vehicle? Only a portion of my vehicle is over the grass and it is moved every day. ---
**Author:** ![Kendahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Kendahl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Kendahl)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/2 "2007-09-02T03:46:15Z")
First time I’ve heard that one. I park on grass for 10 hours a day five days a week because the area is shaded and keeps my car out of the sun. Rust is caused by salt on winter roads in northern states or by salt air if you live on a seacoast. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 3:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/3 "2007-09-02T03:55:51Z")
The only way I’m aware of that grass or weeds will cause body rust is in the case of cars that are parked for extended periods and the grass is allowed to grow deep and becomes wet from rain or dew. On mowed grass and a vehicle that is used every day, never seen or heard of a case of rust caused by that. ---
**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 1:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/4 "2007-09-02T13:07:34Z")
This is a bit of conventional wisdom left over from a previous generation. It was probably true. Hard to tell; abandoned cars outdoors tended to rust away no matter what their parked surface happened to be. For a modern car used daily I would disregard the warning as myth. Long-term storage is best accomplished indoors, of course. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 1:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/5 "2007-09-02T13:08:41Z")
No, there’s no truth to this. Park the car anywhere you choose and don’t worry. I’ve been parking my vehicles on grass for more than 20 years with no problems. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/6 "2007-09-02T13:33:31Z")
[b]This is true if a vehicle parked over grass for an extended period of time. As the ground moisture evaporates under the vehicle, this moisture starts to corrode various components under the vehicle. This is why it’s a good idea to put down some sort of vapor barrier on the grass where the vehicle will be parked for an extended period of time. Unfortunately doing this kills the grass. Tester[/b] ---
**Author:** ![ChrisTruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@ChrisTruck](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ChrisTruck)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/7 "2007-09-02T13:45:15Z")
This is absolutely true. Parking on grass, dirt or gravel for extended periods will rust out your car much faster than parking on pavement, unless the ground happens to be very dry. ---
**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/8 "2007-09-05T22:45:43Z")
I have never seen any data, but I am content to believe that parking on grass every night will cause more moisture to accumulate on the under side of the car if there is not significant wind. This could easily cause more corrosion. ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 1:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/9 "2007-09-06T01:24:41Z")
I will be more worried about fire. If the grass is tall and hits the hot muffler then it might catch fire. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/10 "2007-09-06T03:11:50Z")
> Rust is caused by salt on winter roads in northern states or by salt air if you live on a seacoast. WHAT?!? Rust is caused by three things coming in contact; iron (steel), water and oxygen. Salt only accelerates the process. ---
**Author:** ![John\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@John\_King](https://community.cartalk.com/u/John_King)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/11 "2019-06-02T17:08:30Z")
Here is the better reason why you should be very cautious about parking on grass, especially in very dry weather! Your catalytic converter. > **[Hot Vehicles Parked on Grass can Trigger Wildfires](https://www.keyt.com/news/local-news/hot-vehicles-parked-on-grass-can-trigger-wildfires/65412343)** > > CalFire urging residents to keep vehicles maintained during wildfire season. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-on-grass/4020/12 "2019-06-02T20:32:33Z")
If a sheet of plywood is left on the ground all day in my area it will be damp when flipped over. But I would imagine that if a car is driven every day and parked on a well manicured lawn there wouldn’t be much of a problem.