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How do I repair keyed car scratches?

My ex and I had a bad breakup. Recently, I went to get in my car and noticed that it was keyed. I want to repair the damage without taking my car to an auto body shop if possible. How do I go about repairing keyed car scratches?

avatar
Eric Schad · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Sorry to hear about your acrimonious breakup, but things will get better. The good news is that repairing keyed car scratches is simple. All you need is:
  • 2,000-grit sandpaper
  • Water
  • Hand buffer
  • Scratch remover
  • Gloss booster
Once you have these items, follow these steps to repair a keyed car scratch:
  • Dip 2,000-grit sandpaper in water.
  • Lightly sand around the scratch for about 20 seconds in back-and-forth motions—not in a circular motion.
  • Rinse off the area and repeat until the scratches are less visible.
  • Apply scratch remover to the affected area.
  • Use an automatic buffer or buff the area by hand.
  • Reapply the scratch remover and buff again as necessary.
  • Use a gloss booster on the area, following the instructions on the bottle.
  • Buff the area again.
Hopefully, this repairs the keyed car scratches. If it doesn’t, the scratch is probably too deep and you may need to take your car to the auto body shop.
Since you’re concerned about these scratches on your car, chances are you really care about your vehicle. That’s why you should get great
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