How long can a car be left?

[cluckcluck]

Imagine you "disappeared" for a certain length of time. Then you returned to your car.
Flat tyres and battery aside, how long could it be left that when you got in, it would actually start and drive properly still?

[Spare tyre]

my current jimny had been sat for 2.5 years after a messy divorce

apart from clearing the moss from key areas nothing else was required

did whiff a bit mind

[Dbest92]

You hear of classic cars being left for decades and just requiring fresh fuel and a charge of the battery, whether they actually move is a different story

[boroandy87]

I would imagine it would depend on the type of storage.

Outside, not very long. Maybe a year or 2.

Inside.... depends. If it was stored in a warm dry area then id imagine a considerable length of time as seals wouldn't expand and contrast therefore not perishing etc

[Motorrad]

My Mother leaves the 306 diesel I gave her for upwards of 6 months at a time. Turns the key when she gets back to it and drives it for 2-3 weeks. Never checks anything and it performs faultlessly. Only time it gets serviced or the tyre pressures/fluid checked is when I'm back in that area of the UK. So a couple of times a year.

[RobinBanks]

Dbest92 said:

You hear of classic cars being left for decades and just requiring fresh fuel and a charge of the battery, whether they actually move is a different story

The only time I've done this with any success was with an automatic Jaguar XJ6. Every time we tried to put it into drive it revved for a moment and stalled. It was a carburettor issue.