This didn't happen on my old Panda MJ until just before she was P/X'd for a later model at 12 years old. This may have been down to one of two reasons.
i) We don't have that many trees near where we live.
ii) Every time I checked under the bonnet I cleared out any organic matter lying around at the base of the wipers. It didn't avoid the problem completely, but 12 years without this happening ain't bad.
Despite the advances in vehicle technology in the 44 years since I passed my test (hang on, did I just say 44 years?) I can never totally shift the idea that all cars are just a huge money pit that you stand on the edge of virtually all the time you have the thing.
With that in mind, there are certain things you can do to offset some of the future costs.
With most cars having electric power steering, these can sometimes suffer with problems derived from excessive use of full lock; something that is often used in urban areas. So avoiding this can help. This first came to light in the Vauxhall Corsa in the early nineties.
Also, when you park, at least for more than a few minutes, try and centre the steering rather than leave some lock applied. This helps when it comes to the life of tyres, steering arms and ball joints. Not driving off immediately from a cold start; a wait of 30-60 seconds or so ought to do it.
In winter, leaving it a few minutes (safety notwithstanding) before you turn on loads of electrics could help with battery life. A good one isn't entirely cheap. As above, waiting a minute or so before turning on lights and then HRW can help the battery recover slightly from a cold start, especially with diesels.
In winter we're quite keen to wash off all the salt on the bodywork, but let's not forget the underside which is perhaps even more important.
