Buying a car is a hefty investment since a good car doesn’t come cheap but it is a price most of us are willing to pay, after all the convenience of going anywhere one wants, anytime one wants is a boon. If by any chance one has damaged his precious vehicle and is now searching for how much it would cost to fix a scratch on a car, consider some points below
Is the damage really severe?
For light scratches, where the scratches are not more than 1-2 mm deep and an mm wide, there is really no need to get them repaired, such light scratches won’t hurt the resale value of your car since most second hand buyers assume used cars to have some minor scratches.
If the scratch isn’t visible from a few meters away its best to leave it as it is since average cost for repairing a car paint, even for light scratches can be quite hefty.
If the damage is severe, where is it?
- Windshield – Repairing a scratch on the windshield would cost anywhere between $100-$1400 for a common car, not the exotic ones depending on weather the windshield needs to be completely replaced or not.
- Bumper – If the dent is shallow one can repair it by himself using a hammer but if the damage is extensive and needs to be replaced the cost to fix a bumper scratch, can be anywhere between $350-$500
- Main Body – Depending upon the severity of the scratch and the car model, a full-fledged scratch repair, enameling, and repainting would cost around $300 – $3,500
Is the car insured?
If the car is not insured, the entire bill would be footed by you that can be a very expensive affair.
If the car is insured its always better to check whether the claim granted is more or less than the deductible charged. If the claim granted is less than the deductible and the damage doesn’t hinder the operation of the car, it is advisable not to go for repairs.
Anyways, one might want to forgo insurance claim for small repairs and save it for any future heavy damage. If your car is more than 10 years old and, the scratches don’t affect driving, a car scratch cost to repair is not worth it. Unless you have a strong emotional bond with the car, as the damage will only slightly depreciate the already heavily depreciated value of your car after all a car is just a convenience and nothing more.