Should Minor Scratches on a New Car Be Polished?

[MichaelDella]

Scratches can indeed be removed through polishing. Polishing involves the high-speed rotation of a polishing wheel, which can grind away the oxidized layer and dirt on the car's paint surface, effectively eliminating minor scratches. However, it's important to note the frequency of polishing. Frequent polishing can, to some extent, damage the car's paint. As the paint is continuously ground down, it becomes thinner, reducing the car's ability to maintain itself. Below is additional information on scratch polishing: 1. If a new car develops scratches, polishing is an option, especially for minor scratches. The paint can still withstand it. However, it's recommended to use wax instead, specifically abrasive wax. The special grinding particles in abrasive wax can also remove scratches, and compared to polishing, waxing is less likely to harm the new car's paint and is a more reassuring option. 2. If the scratches are deep and reach the primer or metal layer, the paint should first be repaired. After the paint has fully hardened, a detailed polishing process can be performed. New car paint is of high quality and less prone to oxidation, so regular maintenance is sufficient, and polishing isn't necessary. For older cars, typically after 3-5 years when the paint begins to age, polishing can help restore the paint's shine.

[ErinAnn]

Don’t rush to polish new car scratches. As a car enthusiast, here’s some advice: if it’s just sun swirls visible under reflection, a few minutes of hand-rubbing with scratch wax will make them disappear—I just fixed tree branch marks on my hood last month. Only deep scratches exposing primer need professional treatment; three polishes can thin the paint by a third for minor marks. New owners should keep a touch-up pen for small scratches—wait until you have 3-4 before fixing to save costs. After rainy highway drives, rinse gaps in the paint to prevent grit from causing scratches.

[AlessandraDella]

Experienced owners advise against indiscriminate polishing for minor scratches. Six months after picking up my car, some mischievous kids scratched the door, and the 4S shop directly performed a full-body polish. Now, obvious orange peel texture is visible under sunlight. The paint thickness measured by a film gauge shows about 95μm remaining, and the 4S shop said two more polishes would trigger the alarm. The most practical method is to buy a soft paste and rub it yourself, like 3M's mirror finish treatment agent, then cover it with a car cover after rubbing. A car wash shop guy quietly suggested that for exposed white scratches, just dab some nail polish, which is much better than polishing.

[CarterRose]

An experienced auto repair master shares a little secret: The original factory clear coat on a new car is about 80μm thick, and each polishing removes 5-8μm. My experience is that even two hairline scratches aren't worth going into the paint booth—just use a polishing compound wax with a sponge and rub in circles for twenty minutes to restore 90% of the finish. Remember to use white fine polish for shallow scratches; black coarse polish is for fixing old cars. If the gray primer shows, patch it immediately—rust spots can appear within three months.