A minor scratch on your car isn't just annoying, it could potentially expose your paint or the metal beneath to the elements and lower the resale value of your vehicle. The good news is that most nicks and scuffs are fixable—provided you have the right tools and know-how.
Prompt car scratch repair is crucial, as delaying it will expose the paint or metal underneath to the elements and create further issues down the road. If you plan to sell or trade your car in the future, doing proper scratch repair is especially important. Bodywork problems, however small, may impact the trade-in estimate you receive.
In this article, you will learn more about the types of car scratches and how they typically happen, as well as how to fix scratches on a car.
As soon as an automobile leaves the dealership lot, it's prone to get gouged or nicked in some form or another. Here are five everyday reasons this happens:
Keeping your ride clean can help preserve its appearance and overall upkeep. A visit to the automatic car wash is quick and easy, but not all establishments are equal. For example, a company may be using ill-maintained brushes that trap dirt and cause car scratch damage as they run along the exterior.
Anytime you're driving behind another motorist, there's potential for small pebbles and stones to be kicked up by the offending vehicle's tires and onto your bumper, hood and even roof, which can leave behind unsightly rock chips. You can't do much to prevent this, other than to leave some space and avoid directly following large trucks wherever possible.
Whether it's rubbing up against the fender with a coat zipper or missing the keyhole while trying to unlock the door, accidents happen. The good news is such mishaps are often simple to remedy.
It's gut-wrenching to discover that someone has purposely taken a sharp object (like a key) and scraped the paint on your vehicle. Unfortunately, this kind of damage is usually quite severe and expensive to repair. If you do face this kind of damage, the Synchrony Car Care credit card can help with six months promotional financing available on purchases of $199 or more.
Getting into any manner of fender bender is going to leave scratches. Unless the contact is truly minor, a professional body shop will certainly have to get involved. New driver? Check out our tips on how to keep you and others safe on the road.
Before going into fix-it mode, get to know the four primary methods for how to repair car scratch damage:
For minor car scratches or surface blemishes—left by fingernails around door handles, for instance—buffing is an easy and inexpensive solution. Simply wash and dry the car, apply liquid scratch remover (which costs about $10) or another rubbing compound to a clean microfiber towel and rub against the affected section in a back-and-forth motion for about 60 seconds. Let dry and buff off excess with another towel.
A professional detailing job can make your vehicle look shiny and new, both inside and out. The pros have different polishes, pads and polishing machines at their disposal—all of which are quick and efficient at removing a thin top layer of the clear coat where a superficial car scratch is, thus leveling the area and leaving it blemish-free.
If you can feel the scratch by running a fingernail across it, a car scratch repair kit (which costs about $20 to $30) from an auto supply or repair shop may be needed. Though the contents may differ by brand, generally there will be smooth putty to fill in the cavity, a liquid leveler to remove excess putty, clear coat applicator and ultrafine sandpaper to wet-sand off any uneven lacquer.
If the car scratches are deep or plentiful, seeing the local body shop may be the right choice. While it's the most expensive option (costs vary by project and business), such a service involves stripping away the existing paint and applying a fresh coat.
Finding the right remedy to repair a scratch depends on the type and depth of the car scratch damage. Is it a surface scuff, or does it expose the metal of the vehicle? The factory finish on modern vehicles is comprised of three layers:
- A clear coat of lacquer adds protection against UV rays and oxidation.
- A base semi-gloss color coat which may contain a more expensive flake or pearlescence on premium models.
- A primer sprayed on bare metal panels is designed to make the area uniform and ready for the subsequent application.
Knowing the layers of your car paint will help you determine the correct approach to take. If a scratch hasn't penetrated down to the color coat, for example, you shouldn't feel any indentation by gently gliding the back of your knuckle over the blemish.
Clear coat is the glossy, protective layer on top of your car's paint. Its job is to protect the paint. Unfortunately, that means clear coat scratches and marks are common, since this layer is the armor between your car's paint and the world. It's meant to take a hit now and then. When the clear coat gets scratched, light reflects off it differently, meaning these marks are sometimes very visible and other times tough to see.
Lots of things can cause clear coat scratches, including road debris hitting your car, keys brushing up against the door, shopping carts bumping into your vehicle or washing too aggressively.
These small scratches can be judged by rubbing your fingernail across them. If the scratch isn't deep enough for your fingernail to catch, it's most likely a clear coat scratch. Additionally, if you can't see any metal underneath the scratch, it's probably a clear coat scratch.
Luckily, clear coat scratches are super-easy to fix because they don't penetrate deep. Here are your options for repairing clear coat scratches:
- Polish it. Apply a car polish (which costs about $20) using a microfiber cloth. Using circular motions, rub the polish over the scratch and into the surrounding body.
- Use a clear coat pen. A clear coat pen (which costs about $16) applies a thin layer of clear coat to the scratch. If you don't have a clear coat pen, you can use a small amount of clear nail polish, although the results may not be as accurate.
- Spray it. Clear coat spray (which costs about $20) can fill the scratch without the need to apply any elbow grease.
Pro tip: Be sure to use a light hand and don't polish too hard, as this could damage the clear coat.
READ MORE: A Primer on Repainting or Retouching Your Car
Paint scratches, or base coat scratches, extend down into the enamel color layer of your car's finish. If you have one or two of these scratches, you can likely repair them yourself. But if there are lots of scratches on your paint, you may want to talk to a professional at an auto body shop.
Paint scratches are often from a minor impact, like a tree branch scratching your car or from larger rocks or debris hitting it.
Paint scratches are usually easier to see than clear coat scratches. The paint may appear white or discolored, and the scratch will be visible in all lights. Still, with this type of scratch you shouldn't see any exposed metal—if you do, you have a primer scratch (which we cover below).
The basic five steps to fix paint scratch damage on a car are listed below:
- Clean the area. Start with a clean, dry car to avoid further damage.
- Apply touch-up paint. For best results, get paint that's an exact match for the color your car manufacturer used, rather than a generic color like black. Use a touch-up paint pen (which costs about $10), toothpick or small paintbrush to apply the paint. Allow it to dry completely.
- Sand it. Use 2000-grit sandpaper to lightly sand the dry paint.
- Buff it. Use a rubbing compound (which costs about $10), also known as scratch repair. Apply it with a microfiber cloth, and use circular motions to buff until you can't see the scratch any longer.
- Polish it. Polish the area with car polish (which costs about $15), using circular motions.
Pro tip: You can purchase a scratch repair kit, which varies in price but contains everything mentioned above. Your best bet is to purchase the highest quality scratch repair kit you can afford, or consult the employees of an auto parts store for the best option.
Deep scratches on a car, or primer scratches, extend down into the primer layer and often into the bare metal of your car. Repairing these scratches quickly is key because unprotected metal can rust. Since primer scratches are more intensive to repair, it's often worth considering hiring a professional.
Primer scratches are often caused by accidents or other significant impacts.
Primer scratches leave bare metal exposed, so they're typically easy to see.
Repairing primer scratches involves more sanding and buffing. Here's the process you should follow:
- Clean and dry the area. Always start with a clean work surface.
- Sand the scratch. Use 1000-grit sandpaper to sand the scratch and remove any jagged edges. Then, use 2000-grit sandpaper to smooth everything out. Wipe away any dust.
- Paint it. Apply touch-up paint using a pen, toothpick or brush. Let the paint dry completely.
- Sand it again. Use the 2000-grit paper to sand the surface.
- Buff it. Use a rubbing compound and light pressure, buffing in a circular pattern until you can't see the scratch anymore.
- Polish it. Apply car polish, using circular motions.
Keeping your car in tiptop shape on the outside is just as important as it is on the inside. Use the aforementioned tips to perform a DIY job, or know when to visit a professional car detailer or body shop so the problem doesn't get worse or potentially impact trade-in value.
The Synchrony Car Care credit card can help you pay for car repairs promptly, keeping you on the road and where you need to be. Apply now.
READ MORE: Everything You Need To Know About Car Detailing