Will a New Car Depreciate After Touch-Up Painting?
2 Answers
Generally, a new car will experience some depreciation after touch-up painting. Here are the impacts of touch-up painting on a vehicle: Large-area touch-up painting: Extensive touch-up painting can affect the vehicle's resale value. For older cars, touch-up painting is often unavoidable, and whether it's the original factory paint becomes less significant—even a full-body repaint may have minimal impact on the used car price. However, for nearly new cars, a well-maintained original paint job can retain 10% or more of its value compared to a repainted car in used car evaluations. Original factory paint: The original paint offers the best performance in terms of color tone, film thickness, color difference, gloss, corrosion resistance, and uniform fading. In contrast, touch-up paint typically only includes "partial mid-coat + color coat + clear coat" and tends to age faster than factory paint. To avoid color discrepancies, even minor scratches often require sanding and repainting the entire panel.
As an automotive expert, I must say that repainting a new car can indeed lead to depreciation, but it depends on the circumstances. Factory paint has unique coatings, and aftermarket paint jobs often result in color mismatches or uneven thickness. If the repainting is done by a professional 4S dealership using original formulas and equipment, minor touch-ups won't cause significant depreciation. However, extensive repainting or poor-quality work may lead used car buyers to suspect prior accidents, significantly reducing the vehicle's value. My advice: assess scratches on a new car first—minor damage can be treated with DIY repair kits, while major issues should be addressed by reputable shops to prevent further problems. Maintaining transparent repair records and providing proof when selling can mitigate depreciation risks. Remember, part of a new car's value lies in its pristine factory paint—aftermarket work always raises concerns about hidden issues.
