How Much Is That Scratch on My Car Really Costing Me?

We’ve all done it, haven’t we? Grazed the edge of the garage, dinged something in the parking lot. I know I’ve racked up a scratch on my car or two before.

Not all scratches carry the same costs. Some deal surface-level damage, and a mechanic can fix them fairly cheaply. Others can seriously hurt the overall car value.

Keep reading to learn about the effects of scratches on your car and the ways you can address them.

How Much Does a Scratch on My Car Cost Me?

Even a small scratch on a car can have a high cost. The type of scratch you have can fall into one of three categories: scuff, primer, and deep paint. Car paint has  many layers  of different thicknesses, making each scratch different.

Scuffs, Shallow Scratches, Clear Coat Damage

These represent the least severe type of damage to a car. A shallow scratch only affects the topmost layer of the paint. People differentiate these types of scratches by how long the scratch extends.

Fixing either type of shallow scratch costs less than $300, unless the scratch goes across a large chunk of the body. A small scuff might go for as little as $50. This might seem like a high cost to repair for such a small thing, but later on, we’ll go over why even a small scratch should be a priority fix.

Paint Scratches

This type of scratch goes a little way into the paint, without fully penetrating it. This requires new paint as well as a new clear coat in the area. Some people call these primer scratches.

The cost to repair these can go as high as $1000, depending on the part of the vehicle to which they happen. A primer scratch requires a full repaint of the part regardless of its size, since the whole piece will almost always need to be repainted to as many layers as were lost.

Deep Scratches

If you can see bare metal or plastic, you have a deep scratch. These get pricey fast. A deep scratch can be thousands of dollars’ worth of repainting.

The good news: paint holds up better than you think. Most scratches won’t get this deep. Deep scratches often come from  a collision.

What Happens If I Don’t Fix It?

Don’t give in to the temptation to put off repairing a scratch, especially if it goes to the bare metal. Exposed metal can begin rusting as quickly as a few days after the incident. This compromises both the value of your car and its overall structural integrity.

Don’t Take Chances With Your Car

If you got home and noticed, “Oh, my window is broken,” you’d try to fix it as soon as possible, right? Treat your car with the same level of urgency the next time you find yourself saying, “Oh, there’s a scratch on my car.”

Whether you’ve got a shallow scratch or a deep gouge from an accident, we can help with your  auto body repair  needs. Don’t wait. Call us today.