So, you’ve acquired a new scratch on your car.
No matter the cause, paint scratches are annoying, inconvenient, and they don’t look very good. Most of us will have a few here and there throughout our lives.
Paint scratches can be large or small, and range from surface scratches to very deep ones – but no matter the size, it’s a good idea to repair your scratch quickly.
You might be thinking, “It’s just a small scratch, and my car isn’t new. Why should I bother fixing it?”
There are several reasons why getting your scratches fixed right away is important to the integrity of your vehicle – today we will discuss six of them:
1. Prevent Further Damage
Your scratch might start out small and seemingly harmless. However, even a small scratch can have some big negative impacts on your vehicle.
A scratch can lead to rust setting in. This begins where the paint was first stripped, and only spreads from there.
Rust can wreak havoc on your vehicle’s frame, essentially eating into the metal and continuing the damage.
A great way to avoid rust and the damage it brings, is to be aware of any scratches on your car and get them fixed immediately.
Fixing your scratches will also help prevent the paint from peeling and exposing larger areas to moisture and rust issues
2. Avoid Loss Of Value
Whether you are planning on selling your car or not, keeping the value of your vehicle as high as possible is always a wise idea. Fixing paint scratches when they occur is one easy way to do that.
If you have scratches on your car, the value of it will very likely decrease. This means you won’t be able to get as much money for it if you do at some point decide to sell it or trade it in.
Many people eventually sell their vehicles, so think ahead and be as prepared as possible by keeping your car scratch free.
Keeping your car looking nice and without any scratches is a great way to maintain it’s value.
3. Address Underlying Issues
Another important thing to consider when you have a scratch is that there could be more damage than what you initially see.
“Many people are unaware that modern vehicles have flexible bumper covers. This means that after a front or rear-end collision, even if your bumper may appear intact, it’s most likely hiding bent metal beneath it.
These types of damages can lead to the instability of your vehicle, which may cause issues down the road.”
Get your scratch fixed when it occurs, and ask your technician to check and make sure there are no other potential problems that you hadn’t noticed.
4. Stop Potential Paint Wrinkling
If you leave a scratch unrepaired for a long time, there is a chance that the areas around it could begin to have issues.
The surrounding paint might begin to wrinkle or whither with time and exposure to the environment.
If your paint does wrinkle it leaves more room for peeling and that dreaded rust.
In hot climates this is especially a concern, as the sun really expedites issues with the paint wrinkling once damage is present.
5. Help Keep A Good Reputation
We all want to have a good reputation and keeping your car looking nice is one way to do this.
As Big Sky Collision Center says,
“Even if the scratch wasn’t your fault, if you leave it as it is, those who see it won’t be able to help but get the impression that you either don’t know how to care for your possessions, or maybe you just don’t care enough to keep your things in order.
Others might be okay with it, leaving neighbors to think what they will. But you’ll never know when having a good reputation (or in this case, having a not-so-good reputation) will come in handy.”
Scratches make your car look a lot less presentable. So one way to help keep your reputation in good standing is to fix any scratches new or old on your vehicle.
6. Save Money In The Long Run
We all love saving money right? Well getting your scratches fixed right away can help you save big in the long run.
I know you may be thinking that fixing your vehicles scratches might cost more than it is worth.
However, avoiding repairing the scratches you have could very well cost you a lot more in the end.
Fixing your scratches while they are small and don’t have rust does not cost very much at all compared to the damage you may have to address later on when rust, peeling, and rot occur.
Save yourself some money by getting your car scratches repaired right when they happen!
For a FREE estimate on your scratch repair click here to contact Pristine Dent Repair!