Kia Sportage: Exterior care / Underbody maintenance

Road salt and other corrosive chemicals are used in cold weather states to melt snow and prevent ice accumulation. If these chemicals are not regularly removed, they will corrode the vehicle underbody and over time damage fuel lines, the fuel tank retention system, the vehicle suspension, the exhaust system, and even the body frame. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has warned all vehicle owners of all brands of the need to take the following steps:

• Wash the undercarriage of your vehicle regularly during the winter and whenever your vehicle has been exposed to such salts or chemicals.
• Do a thorough washing of the undercarriage at the end of the winter.
• Use professional service technicians or governmental inspection stations to annually inspect for corrosion.
• Immediately seek an inspection of your vehicle if you become visually aware of corrosion flaking or scaling or if you become aware of a change in vehicle performance, such as soft or spongey brakes, fluids leaking, impairment of directional control, suspension noises or rattling metal straps.