Hello EJ, car wear and tear is the gradual reduced performance or damage to car components and parts due to normal use. Rough bumpy roads cause about 20-30 percent more damage to car suspension, chassis and tyres compared to smooth paved or corrugated roads. How much more wear and tear is inflicted on a car by rough or bumpy roads compared to smooth tarmac will depend on different circumstances and factors such as the road condition (light or extreme off-road), your driving style (fast or moderate), the age and design of your vehicle (brand new or 4WD as opposed to very old and saloon type).
The road condition where you drive significantly accounts for the wear and tear on your car. If the road surface has potholes, ditches, ruts and uneven surfaces, this will exert more stress and wear out your suspension, steering, chassis and tyres faster. On the other hand, driving on smooth roads is less stressful to the above car components, leading to slower wear and tear as the components work less hard.
Your driving style or how you drive on a rough bumpy road will determine how fast the different components of your car wear out or get damaged. If you drive aggressively or fast over rough and uneven roads, your car chassis, suspension and steering system components will fail sooner than later. Aggressive driving on good tarmac roads will not cause the extent of damage you will see on rough roads.
The age and design of your vehicle play a big part in determining how fast wear and tear is when driven on rough roads. A 15-year-old car is more likely to fail sooner than a newer car driven in the same tough conditions and will take longer than the old one to succumb to the stress of rough, uneven roads. On good smooth roads, the same parts will take much longer to exhibit failure.
The car design may also play a big role in determining whether it can survive extreme driving over rough terrain. A tough off-road vehicle with higher ground clearance, stronger chassis, chunkier wheels and four-wheel drive will be able to withstand off-road stress better than a small saloon car.
