De-icer ruins cars

This is in response to the question of whether de-icing ruins brake calipers and many other components on the underside of vehicles. 

I have a 2007 Subaru with 84,000 miles, and I’ve already replaced brake calipers twice and the universal joint once. The entire underside of the car is coated in rust. My mechanic states that these are now common repair items for his customers regardless of the make and model of the vehicle.

And yes, my gas mileage, which was once 30 to 32 mpg, is now 22 to 25 mpg. I went through the same exercise as others, checking the plugs, the compression, etc.

I feel that the application of de-icing is excessive. I’m sure that there are safety concerns in the maintenance of our roads in the winter, but I have to wonder what evidence has been gathered to justify the use of de-icing chemicals with respect to safety.

Have we seen a decrease in the number of accidents and corresponding injuries? If the evidence is not there, I would say that we should eliminate the application of de-icing chemicals. 

From a personal perspective, I have incurred extra expenses in fuel and vehicle repairs, and I suspect a shorter lifespan for my car as well. And I do not feel any safer on the road. 

Simple solutions to safe winter driving include good tires, defensive driving and slowing down. As for the winter road maintenance, timely snow removal and a little gravel at intersections would suffice.

If we happen to have a black ice situation, which does not happen very often, then some de-icing can be justified. Other than that, I don’t feel that the application of de-icing is doing me any favors.

Joe Grabowski

West Glacier