What to Do When a Child Scratches Your Car?
3 Answers
For hairline scratches, methods like polishing or applying a rubbing compound can usually remove them. Generally, a gentle wipe is enough to make the hairline scratches disappear. For light scratches, simply prepare a tube of toothpaste. Toothpaste is highly effective for shallow scratches that haven’t damaged the car’s primer. Moderate to deep scratches cannot be repaired by polishing. If the dent is small and no deeper than 5mm, it can be filled with putty, leveled, and then repainted. For more severe deformations, panel beating is required. Scratch repair demands relatively high technical skills from the technician.
My car got scratched by a kid, so frustrating! I've been through this before—my car was parked by the roadside and kids drew on it. Don’t lose your temper right away; stay calm and check how deep the scratch is. If it’s just a light surface scratch, I recommend using toothpaste or car wax to buff it out—it works pretty well. If it’s deeper and might have damaged the paint, then it’s a bit trickier; you can try buying a scratch repair compound online for just a few dozen bucks. Remember to take photos as evidence, then talk to the kid’s parents—keep the tone friendly since kids don’t know better, and parents usually compensate. For prevention, I suggest parking near a wall or in a corner with surveillance, avoiding play areas for kids, and maybe hanging a small sign like "Please don’t touch the car." Teaching kids to respect property is also important to avoid this happening again.
As a parent, I understand kids' curiosity and that car scratches happen often. First, assess the scratch: if it's light, washing with soapy water can fade it; if it's serious, just go to a car wash for polishing. Don't overreact—communicate gently with the child's parents. Keeping things friendly increases the chance they'll voluntarily cover the repair costs. Afterwards, I often buy scratch repair kits for minor issues—cost-effective and convenient at just a few dozen yuan. For prevention, park in safe spots like under trees or near cameras to reduce risks. Also, it's good to teach kids not to touch things randomly outside, fostering respect for public property. This protects your car and maintains neighborhood harmony.
