{"id":175681,"date":"2025-07-15T01:01:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T08:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/?p=175681"},"modified":"2025-10-17T19:26:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T02:26:15","slug":"what-does-a-deep-scratch-on-a-car-look-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-deep-scratch-on-a-car-look-like\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does a Deep Scratch on a Car Look Like?"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><style>.kadence-column175681_ece2bf-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column175681_ece2bf-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column175681_ece2bf-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column175681_ece2bf-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column175681_ece2bf-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column175681_ece2bf-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column175681_ece2bf-7d{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column175681_ece2bf-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column175681_ece2bf-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column175681_ece2bf-7d inner-column-1 qk-look-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-row ultp-block-f45572  qk-main-wrap\"><div class=\"ultp-row-wrapper\"><div class=\"ultp-row-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-column ultp-block-8901ab\"><div class=\"ultp-column-wrapper\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading175681_425823-5f, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading175681_425823-5f[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading175681_425823-5f\"]{text-align:center;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading175681_425823-5f mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading175681_425823-5f[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading175681_425823-5f\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-family:Inter;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading175681_425823-5f img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading175681_425823-5f[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading175681_425823-5f\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"kt-adv-heading175681_425823-5f summary-title wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading175681_425823-5f\"><span>Summary<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Deep scratches are more pronounced and severe than the usual paint scuffs.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These scratches are serious because they can lead to rust and corrosion of the metal body.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you see a deep scratch on your car, have it addressed by a professional as soon as possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q: What Does a Deep Scratch on a Car Look Like?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A: Deep scratches on a car go beyond the surface of the paint. They aren&rsquo;t just eyesores &ndash; they indicate damage that penetrated the vehicle all the way down to the metal surface.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While regular scratches leave unsightly scuffs on the clear coat or the paint, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/basic-types-of-car-scratches-can-you-fix-them-yourself\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"deep scratches\">deep scratches<\/a> expose the primer or even the metal beneath the primer. The edges of the scratch will also be deeper and more pronounced, typically becoming sharp and jagged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"559\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/deep-scratch-on-a-car-1024x559.jpg\" alt=\"deep scratch on a car\" class=\"wp-image-184773\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Deep scratch on a car | Image Source: Richard McCuistian, Generated with AI<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are Deep Scratches Serious?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Yes, deep scratches are serious because they do more than ruin the look of a vehicle. Any scratch that exposes the metal layer of your roof, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/hood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"hood\">hood<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/fender\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"fender\">fender<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/quarter-panel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"quarter panel\">quarter panel<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/bumper-cover\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"bumper cover\">bumper cover<\/a> makes them vulnerable to rust and corrosion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the scratch isn&rsquo;t fixed, moisture and contaminants can seep into the metal and the paint, potentially destroying it. This can weaken the metal body and even turn your ride into a tetanus risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"article-search-widget\">\n<div class=\"cp-search\">\n<div align=\"center\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/image\/upload\/w_auto,dpr_auto\/carparts\/blog\/wordpress_assets\/CP_LOGO_COLOUR_RGB_Blue\" alt=\"CarParts.com\" width=\"300\" height=\"56\">\n<\/div>\n<form id=\"cpsearchform\" name=\"cpsearchform\" action=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/search\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\" accept-charset=\"character_set\" aria-label=\"search CarParts.com\">\n    <input type=\"text\" class=\"keyword\" name=\"q\" placeholder=\"Search for parts on CarParts.com\" value=\"\" aria-label=\"Search CarParts.com\"><input type=\"submit\" class=\"btn-search\" value=\"Search\" aria-label=\"Search\">\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Should You Do If You See a Deep Scratch On Your Car?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you see a deep scratch on your vehicle, it&rsquo;s best to bring your vehicle to a professional detailer or an auto shop as soon as possible. Experts can examine your vehicle and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-scratches-from-your-car-bumper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"repair the scratches\">repair the scratches<\/a> on the metal and the paint, restoring your vehicle to prime condition.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Q: What Does a Deep Scratch on a Car Look Like?&nbsp; A: Deep scratches on a car go beyond the&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-deep-scratch-on-a-car-look-like\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1651,"featured_media":184773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1034,3746,52],"tags":[1304,3488],"ppma_author":[2607,2985],"class_list":{"0":"post-175681","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-auto-repair","8":"category-car-body","9":"category-diy","10":"tag-bumper-cover-2","11":"tag-car-body-all-articles","12":"entry"},"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Does a Deep Scratch on a Car Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What does a deep scratch on a car look like? 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Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust."},{"term_id":2985,"user_id":1646,"is_guest":0,"slug":"richardmccuistian","display_name":"Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/richard-mccuistian.png","url2x":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/richard-mccuistian.png"},"author_category":"","user_url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/richardmccuistian\/","last_name":"McCuistian","first_name":"Richard","job_title":"ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician","description":"<div class=\"auth-social-links\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/richard-mccuistian-2681891b\/\" class=\"btn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"linkedin\" aria-labelledby=\"linkedin\">LinkedIn<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/McCuistian\" class=\"btn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"instagram\" aria-labelledby=\"instagram\">Youtube<\/a><\/div>\r\n\r\nRichard McCuistian grew up in Alabama learning from his father who ran an automotive repair shop. Richard has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others (published every year since May 2000). He has developed training courses and written or edited training material for companies in the U.S. Canada, and the Netherlands, and even Bulgaria. He maintained an \u201cask a mechanic\u201d website for 10 years answering questions emailed to him from all over the world.\r\n\r\nRichard has an instructional automotive YouTube channel \u201cMcCuistian\u201d with 13,500 subscribers and over 1,300 videos. Much of his professional work requires photography and videography in shop environments, but Richard also enjoys taking pictures of landscapes, skyscapes, old barns and houses, small towns. He has produced a coffee table book of digital watercolors called \u201cMemories of South Alabama\u201d created from his personal photos, along with a dozen Christian fiction short original novels and a collection of short stories, all available in Kindle or softcover format. Richard has written a 2,500-word Bible study every week for the past 20 years and uses it to teach a small group at his church every Sunday morning.\r\n\r\n<strong>Credentials:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"author-list\">\r\n<li><p>ASE Certified for more than 30 years in 10 categories, including L1 Advanced Engine Performance and Light Vehicle Diesel.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Professional Mechanic\/Technician for 25 years with experience on diesel and gasoline engines, vehicles and equipment (including hydraulics).<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Spent 5 years in fleet maintenance, 20 years in independent shops and dealerships (VW, Mazda, Renault, Jeep, Ford, Lincoln), specializing in driveability and electronics for the last 14 years of his career at the same dealership.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Senior Contributing Editor at Motor Age Magazine, first published in Motor Age in May of 2000 and every year since. He has won two International Automotive Media Awards for technical articles published in trade magazines.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Has attended hundreds of hours of automotive training from OEMs including GM, Volkswagen, Mazda, Renault, Jeep, Chrysler, as well as additional training at events like KC Vision and MACS (Mobile Air Climate Systems Association).<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Taught college level auto mechanics for 19 years.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Has written for automotive training companies (including course development work for training companies in Canada and the Netherlands) and has been hired to teach professional trade show technician courses at multiple training events in Texas and Alabama.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>While still teaching at the college level, Richard launched a new automotive program in Geneva, Alabama, setting up a dual enrollment department in a new building, organizing the shop and classroom, teaching morning classes to high school students for 2 years while still teaching at the college in the afternoon.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Richard\u2019s college program at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College worked at professional shop speed during his tenure to prepare graduates for production level work in the real world.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175681"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175681\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/184773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175681"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=175681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}