Common Types of Exterior Damage

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From the shopping trolly that dented your car in the parking lot, to the brutal hail storm that ruptured your vehicle, many types of exterior damages can stop your car from working properly.

You may have heard of the basic tricks for preserving your car exteriors such as don’t drive harshly or always park your car in a safe spot, but it goes much deeper than that.

It’s important to understand the different types of car exterior damage because you’ll need to deal with them based on their own causes and issues.

That’s why in this blog, you’ll discover the 5 common types of exterior damage and how you can avoid them from happening in the future.

What Are the 5 Common Types of Car Exterior Damage?

Your car is one of your most important investments and its dependability suffers if it isn’t maintained well.

Without further ado, let’s explore the 5 common types of exterior damage-

Scratches and scuffs

Cars get scratched when something with sharp edges such as rocks, keys, etc. rubs against them and when these damages are more brutal in nature, it also causes scuffs.

These damages can either be light, minor, or severe in nature. Either way, they are clearly visible on the top coat of paint and need to be treated with a cleansing agent that isn’t harsh in nature.

Note: Use polish to lighten the effect of scratches and keep your car away from harsh materials. You can also treat scuffs with touch-up paint, sanding, priming, car waxing, and toothpaste because it works great for uneven surfaces.

Dents

When cars go through an extreme level of damage, it alters their shape and this can be clearly seen with dents in car exteriors.

The various kinds of car dents are multi-point, creased, round, sharp, deep, and wrinkled. All of them have the ability to break into the metal of your car, worsen its workability, and cause wearing out of the car’s internal parts too.

Tip: Use heat to pop out the dent on your car’s exterior at a distance for about 20-30 seconds. The temperature changes to reverse the effects of car dents.

Paint Damage

This is the most visible form of damage to car exteriors and it means that the top layer of paint on your car has either eroded, chipped, faded, etc. It also makes it harder to hide any previous flaws your car had and they become more visible.

Paint damage occurs in various forms such as fading, chips, scratches, oxidation, and even through bad sun exposure. This ruins the appearance of your car and leads to rusting in the long term.

You can repair car paint damage by treating the affected area with methods like sanding and buffing. Then, as a final step, apply a fresh coat of paint and make it match the existing color of your car.

Rust and Corrosion

When the damage on your car is so brutal that it penetrates its body and even peels the paint off, it means that rust and corrosion have set into its surface.

Rusting and corrosion in cars can happen naturally due to climate conditions such as humidity which trap moisture inside the body of the car.

The different kinds of rust that may show up on your car are scale, surface, and structural rust. While corrosion is of 4 common types such as crevice, atmospheric, pitting, and galvanic corrosion.

Tip: Make sure to regularly wash your car and wax it. This helps remove substances like road salts or other hard debris that cause rusting and corrosion.

Glass Damage

This kind of damage compels cracks or breakage of the car windshield, rear, and side windows. It’s important to note that extreme weather changes, hard debris such as rocks on the road, and collisions can all easily cause glass damage.

To learn the perfect way to treat glass damage, it helps to know about its different types. Those are cracks, scratches, chips, and even the complete shattering of glass in your car.

As the shattering of glass can produce shards with sharp edges, it's important to take protective measures such as wearing gloves, protective jackets, etc, to prevent any injuries from taking place.

Note: Don’t leave glass damage on your car exteriors untreated for long periods as it can expand due to weather changes and break the structural integrity of your car.

How to prevent car exterior damage?

The key ways in which you can avoid car exterior damage altogether are-

• Always park your car in a safe spot like a garage or indoor parking. This helps to keep your car away from any weather changes such as sun damage, rain, hail, etc.
• Don’t park too close to objects with sharp edges as it can result in dents, scratches, and car exterior damages of other nature.
• Have a car washing schedule that can help remove dirt substances that can contaminate and damage the paint on the car exteriors.
• Steer clear of unpaved, bad, or damaged roads as they can lead to wheel scratches on your car and stop it from driving smoothly.
• Install mud flaps or other accessories on your car to protect its exteriors from various road hazards.
• Avoid driving your car if the engine oil is not filled as it causes workability issues and can damage your car in a bad way.
• Use clay bars to remove any sort of pollutants from the surface of the car by rubbing it softly with a liquid solution that has sufficient lubrication.
• You can also wax your car to give it an extra layer of protection and keep the paint on its exterior clean and shiny like new.
• Don’t forget the undercarriage of your car as it consists of all the dirt that was accumulated from the road while driving. By cleaning it with a hose, you can pave the way for a healthy car that works for a long time.
• Check the air pressure of your wheels and make sure they are filled up at the right levels to prevent any potential flattening issues that can cause damage to exteriors.

The maintenance of a vehicle is the key ingredient for making it work for a long time. By following the 10 tips mentioned above, you can almost ensure that your car exterior will be preserved for a long time.

What should you do if your car has exterior damage?

The first step you need to take if your car already has exterior damage is to be mindful when you take it out on the road by keeping a safe distance between your vehicle and other cars. Park your car in places that help it stay away from any external damage.

Another step should be to use specialized kits or matching car paint to touch up the surface of your car. You can opt for professional services that help in getting the job done better depending on the kind of damage.

For instance, if you have dents on your car’s exterior, go for a paintless dent repair that can bring the metal structure of your car back in shape without the need for extra tools such as brushes, sanding tools, etc.

But in a car where rust has already developed, simple DIY hacks such as using a razor blade or sanding paper can help you scrape out the rust from the surface and a rust inhibitor can be used to complete the job.

What if you ignore car exterior issues?

While some car issues may seem minor, they are not supposed to be ignored as they can ruin your car’s workability and drop your car’s performance as time passes by. Not only does this make your car look bad, but it also lowers its resale value.

Therefore, it helps when you take a proactive approach to repairing and regularly maintaining your car. These practices can be used to extend its longevity and you can stay away from expensive and unwanted repairs.

By attending to car repairs and catching car issues as soon as they arise or in their early stages, car owners can maintain a safe and good-looking vehicle that gives them value for their money.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the top 5 most common types of damages that car exteriors experience are scratches, scuffs, rust, and corrosion to car glass, paint and other surfaces. They are not to be ignored if you want a long-lasting car.

That’s why, there are some ways you can repair and even prevent damage to your car exterior. It helps to regularly wash and use car wax for any kind of paint chipping or scratches.

Additionally, this also protects the surface of your car from harsh sunlight, snow, rain, and other harsh weather conditions.

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