How to Repair Scratches on Car Interior?

[MacChristian]

First, use sandpaper to sand the scratched area. Start by using a dedicated car interior cleaner and a powerful car interior cleaner to remove stains and oil wax from the original leather surface. Apply a car interior plastic refurbishing primer and let it air dry to enhance the adhesion of the plastic paint. Pour the car interior plastic refurbishing paint into a cleaned spray gun and spray it evenly on the plastic material scratches. Finally, let it dry.

[DelLeo]

Just helped a friend with this recently – minor surface scratches can actually be fixed yourself. For small scratches on plastic parts, I’ve had good results using an interior repair paste: first, clean the scratched area with a damp cloth, then apply a pea-sized amount of the paste onto a nano sponge and gently buff in circular motions for about a minute until the surface regains its shine. For piano black trim scratches on the dashboard, you can buy a scratch repair pen set on Taobao for around 30 RMB – choose a matching color, apply it, wait ten minutes, then polish with a microfiber cloth to make the scratches disappear. For leather seats, I recommend using an oil-based leather conditioner – apply a small amount with a cotton swab to the scratch and let it dry in the shade; the color will blend in. Always test the product in an inconspicuous area first to avoid making color differences more noticeable.

[VanAvery]

I'm in the car detailing business, and there's a proper way to handle deep scratches on leather interiors. For noticeable indentations you can feel with your fingers, use a leather filler: after cleaning, apply filler with a toothpick to level the cracks, then use a scraper to smooth out any excess. Wait two hours for it to fully cure, then lightly sand with 800-grit wet sandpaper using water. Finally, apply three thin coats of leather repair paint with a sponge, allowing 20 minutes between each coat and drying with a hairdryer on cool setting. For high-friction areas like the steering wheel, it's recommended to add an extra layer of leather color fixative to prevent fading. Avoid using chemical cleaners on the repaired area for 48 hours, or all your hard work will be undone.

[DiLeila]

Here's a folk remedy for plastic scratches: the heat repair method. Set a heat gun to around 60°C (just hot enough to feel slightly uncomfortable when holding your hand nearby), hold it 20cm away from the scratch, and move it back and forth for about thirty seconds. The plastic will expand with heat, causing shallow scratches to naturally rebound. While heating, quickly press the surrounding area with a pure cotton glove for results comparable to professional repair. Note: Avoid using this method on areas with electronic components like the dashboard! I've personally tried it on the gear shift panel—after heating, applying some dashboard wax made it look as good as new.

[LouisDella]

Covering flaws is easier than repairing. Buy a roll of 3M interior color change film and apply it yourself—matte black works best for the dashboard. Leave 3mm extra when cutting, use a heat gun while applying, and push bubbles from the center to the edges with a squeegee. For patterned wood trim, touch-up paint often causes color mismatch—better to buy matching replacement covers online, as aftermarket parts cost just around 100 yuan. Scratches on fabric door panels are simpler—foam cleaner brushed twice usually fades them.