KEARNY MESA (KGTV) — Car repair shops are seeing a surge in heat-related calls this summer, from overheating engines to failing air conditioners.
Ray Frey, founder and CEO of Ray Frey Auto Center in Kearny Mesa, said the extreme heat is causing chaos on the roads.
"Never seen it this hot, but the heat during the summer does create more air conditioning work, more overheating jobs, more tire sales," Frey said.
Frey said the most common problems his shop is seeing right now are tied directly to the heat.
"Cars overheating due to coolant fans, radiator leaks, air conditioning jobs, those are the most common problems that we see right now," Frey said.
He said drivers who keep up with regular maintenance tend to avoid the worst of it.
"Usually the people that do their maintenance and their regular scheduled services don't have a problem," Frey said.
Frey said that in cooler weather, drivers can get by with an AC system that isn't performing at its best. But when temperatures hit 100 degrees, rolling down the windows isn't enough.
"We get a lot of air conditioning jobs this time of the year just because when it's 100 degrees outside. When it's 100 degrees outside and the car can't keep up with it, they seem to come in and get a service on them," Frey said.
In the winter, Frey's shop typically handles one AC unit fix per week. In the summer, that number jumps to 3 to 5 fixes a day.
With temperatures expected to stay high through the weekend, Frey said his shop and others like it will remain busy. He advises drivers to have their air conditioning and tires checked and to monitor their fluid levels.
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