How Much Does a Repainted Car Depreciate in Value?
2 Answers
Car repainting can depreciate the value by 10-15%. Below is relevant information about depreciation due to repainting:1. Depreciation range: Generally, a repainted car will have a price difference of 10-15% compared to one with original factory paint. If the repainting job is poor, the difference may be even higher. If the repainting was due to accident-related bodywork, the depreciation could be even more significant. Repainting any part of the car will cause depreciation, and the exact value should be assessed based on the actual condition of the vehicle's paint.2. Depends on the repair area: The larger the repainted area, the higher the depreciation rate. For new cars, repainted areas due to bodywork often suffer from subpar craftsmanship. Even if the paint initially appears identical to the factory finish, it is prone to oxidation and discoloration over time—for example, white paint may turn yellow. This not only affects the car's aesthetics but also leads to further depreciation.3. Difference between factory paint and repaint: Factory paint and repaint differ significantly in application methods. Modern factory paint achieves consistent indicators such as viscosity, resulting in high-quality finishes. Repaints, on the other hand, are manually applied in inferior environments. The biggest difference is that repaints lack an electrophoretic layer, consisting only of a base color layer and clear coat. This leads to issues like color mismatch and severe paint aging over time.
I've just handled dozens of touch-up painted cars, and honestly, the depreciation range really varies. It all depends on the touch-up area and craftsmanship. A small scratch touch-up on the rear door might only deduct 500 yuan, but repainting the entire hood is a different story—used car dealers will knock off at least 3,000 yuan. Nowadays, they use electronic paint thickness gauges for inspection; even slightly thicker paint can be flagged as accident damage. I once saw a Lexus get its price slashed by 20,000 yuan just for a fender touch-up. Location is key—touch-ups on bumpers hardly affect residual value, but a roof touch-up hits the price particularly hard.
