ROSWELL, Ga. — Auto repair shops in metro Atlanta are seeing a surge in the number of vehicles coming in with mechanical problems caused by the scorching heat wave gripping Georgia.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
That includes Roswell Auto Center on Alpharetta Highway in North Fulton County. Currently, mechanics are working on 15 vehicles with problems related to heat.
“I’d say the most common thing we see is fluid leaks, especially at this time of year in this kind of heat. Radiators going down in older vehicles, seals, hoses, stuff like that,” said manager Carl Hughes.
Hughes says on Tuesday, as temperatures soared into the mid to high 90s, a half dozen cars arrived with bad air conditioners. Batteries are also a problem during heat waves.
“A lot of people think batteries go bad in the winter. But it’s more common in the summer. It’s the heat. When batteries start going bad, they get super-hot internally and the heat kind of progresses that,” said Hughes.
TRENDING STORIES:
STORY 1
STORY 2
STORY 3
Channel 2’s Tom Regan caught up with a driver at a Roswell gas station, who says she nearly became stranded after her car overheated.
“It did overheat the other day. All the lights came on the dash. I had to switch it off. Let it sit for 20 minutes or so. I’m not trying to run it, I’m sitting still and parked somewhere. I turn it off. I’m not running the engine,” said driver Sarah Mitchell.
Another driver says his truck’s air conditioning broke down.
“You get used to it. Just keep the windows open,” said driver Charles Kline.
Hughes says the best way to avoid becoming stranded from a heat-related vehicle breakdown is to have preventative maintenance. That includes having the radiators, hoses, air conditioning and battery checked regularly.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
