Common Summer Car Problems in Malta (And How to Avoid Them)

Summer in Malta is brutal on cars. Pavement temperatures can climb past 60°C, the sun doesn't let up for months, and most vehicles spend long days parked in the open or crawling through tourist traffic.

Every June through September, we see the same five problems on repeat — and the good news is most of them are preventable with a quick check before the season properly kicks in.

Here's what keeps us busiest across Malta and Gozo every summer, what causes it, and what you can do to stay off the back of a tow truck.

# 1. Dead and Dying Batteries

Most people think batteries die in winter. They don't — at least not here. Heat is far harder on a car battery than cold. High temperatures evaporate the fluid inside, accelerate internal corrosion, and shorten the life of the plates. By August, we're often jump-starting cars whose batteries technically still hold some charge but can no longer deliver enough current to crank the engine. The warning signs are subtle: slow cranking when you start the car, dim headlights at idle, or electronics that act strange when the engine is off. If your battery is more than three years old and you've noticed any of those, it's borrowed time.

**What helps:** Park in shade where you can. Take longer drives occasionally so the alternator can fully charge the battery — short trips in heavy traffic actually drain it. If your battery is over four years old, get it tested before summer rather than after it strands you.If you do get caught out, our battery boost service covers Malta and Gozo, with a typical arrival of 20–30 minutes.

# 2. Tyre Blowouts on Hot Tarmac

Hot road surfaces and underinflated tyres are a bad combination. Heat causes the air inside to expand, but if the tyre is already worn, cracked, or sitting at the wrong pressure, that extra stress is what tips it from "rolling along fine" to "shredded on the side of the Coast Road." Summer is also when long drives north to Mellieħa or down to the Three Cities expose tyres to sustained heat they don't get the rest of the year. We see plenty of avoidable blowouts: tyres with cracked sidewalls, wear bars already showing, or pressures left over from winter checks. A blowout at speed is dangerous and almost always more expensive than a new tyre would have been.

**What helps:** Check pressures monthly during summer (cold, before driving). Inspect sidewalls for cracking — UV damages rubber over time. If your tread is anywhere near the legal minimum, replace the tyres before a long trip, not after one. If you've already lost a tyre, our flat tyre assistance covers roadside changes when you have a spare and recovery when you don't.

# 3. Engine Overheating

Cooling systems work harder in summer, and any weakness in the system shows up fast. We get overheating callouts most often on older cars, cars that have skipped a coolant change, and cars stuck in heavy holiday traffic with the air-con flat out. A failing thermostat, a weak water pump, or simply low coolant can take a car from fine to steaming on the side of the road in minutes. If your temperature gauge starts climbing toward the red, the safest thing to do is pull over, switch the engine off, and call for help. Driving on with an overheated engine can warp the cylinder head — a repair that costs many times more than recovery and a coolant top-up.

**What helps:** Check your coolant level when the engine is cold, before peak summer. If the level keeps dropping, you have a leak even if you can't see it. Have the cooling system inspected if your car is more than five years old and hasn't been serviced recently. If you're already overheating, don't risk further damage — call us and we'll tow you safely to your garage.

# 4. Keys Locked in the Car at the Beach

This one is almost entirely seasonal. Beach bag, towels, kids, dog, sun cream — and the keys end up on the passenger seat as the door slams shut. We get these calls every weekend through summer, particularly around Għajn Tuffieħa, Golden Bay, Pretty Bay, and the Ċirkewwa ferry car park.Modern cars make this worse. Central locking, immobilisers, and the fact that most people only carry one key fob mean a "quick swim and back" can turn into a long, hot wait if you don't know who to call.

**What helps:** Keep a spare key with someone you trust, or in a magnetic box hidden somewhere on the car (not the wheel arch — that's the first place anyone looks). If you've got a keyless car, be especially careful: it's easy to leave the fob inside without realising the doors will still lock from outside. If it does happen, our vehicle lockout service opens cars without damage. We'll have you back on the road quickly — usually 20–30 minutes from the call.

# 5. Tourist-Season Accidents

More cars on the road, more drivers unfamiliar with Maltese roads and roundabouts, and more cyclists, scooters, and pedestrians out enjoying the weather. Summer accidents on the island skew toward minor collisions — bumps in tight village streets, fender-benders at busy roundabouts, parked-car damage in resort areas — but every season we also handle more serious recoveries on the main roads. Even a low-speed collision can leave a car undriveable: a snapped suspension arm, a punctured radiator, or a wheel knocked out of alignment.

**What helps:** Drive defensively. Keep more distance than you think you need. Watch carefully at roundabouts where tourists may hesitate or take unexpected lines. And take the same care reversing in busy car parks — that's where most minor collisions actually happen. If something does go wrong, our accident recovery service handles everything from a flat-bed lift to scene clearance.

Summer Help, Around the Clock

We're 24/7 across Malta and Gozo, every day of the summer. Most callouts reach you in 20–30 minutes, with slightly longer arrival times only for harder-to-reach corners of Gozo. If you're heading out on a long drive this summer, save our number now: +356 7713 1071. Hopefully you won't need it — but if you do, we're a single call away.