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Behind the Detail, Matte Car Care, Tips

Matte Scratches and What to Do!

Posted on by James Detmer

Last Updated June 7, 2023

Every so often I get an email from a concerned matte car owner asking about minor scratches in their paint—most of the time only visible from certain angles. If they had glossy paint the answer would be simple: a light hand polishing. But, as we’ve covered before, matte paint should not be polished. When it comes to the pros and cons of matte car paint, this is certainly one of the cons. Read on for a more detailed look at matte paint scratches and learn why proper maintenance is so key.

Do not polish matte paint

Polishing matte paint will gradually reverse the surface’s ability to scatter light and appear non-reflective. The car’s finish will quickly become uneven and blotchy due to irreversible damage to the matte clear coat. If you don’t have a matte clear coat, well, just consider that you’re polishing a single stage paint (in other words: you’d be removing the paint). Regardless of what traditional (glossy) car care says, do not polish your matte car, truck, or motorcycle.

Making the scratches less visible

While most matte paint scratches will be so minor that you really have to examine the car to see them, that doesn’t mean you should just live with it. Sure, you could and be perfectly, but given that matte car aren’t exactly cheap, the majority of owners ask me about fixing the problem. My answer to them traditionally comes in two parts:

Cover it up: In testing, we’ve had success covering up minor scratches (I’m talking hairline… the most common) by thoroughly cleaning and protecting the area with Dr. Beasley’s Matte Paint Cleanser and Matte Paint Coating. Often scratches are caused by small rocks (or even your pant leg brushing up against your car) that gently slice into the clear coat and create a small white-looking mark. This small, but visible imperfection is what may have caught your eye in the first place. By cleaning and protecting, we’ve found the mark becomes much less visible.

Touch it up: Aside from repainting the panel, your last resort is acquiring touch-up paint from your dealership. The dealer or manufacturer can provide you with matte touch-up paint that will match the rest of your car almost perfectly while successfully eliminating the scratch from sight. Most of the time these are applied with a very fine artist’s brush, and in some cases your dealer’s service department (or even a local detail shop) can do it for you. Again, short of repainting the panel or affected area, this is the only other non-invasive technique to completely remove scratches from matte paint.

So, if your matte car gets a scratch, don’t freak out. Come here first and send us a photo—the solution might be easier than your mind may trick you into believing. And remember, the best solution is proactively protecting your finish from the elements with a nanotechnology-based matte paint coating.

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35 thoughts on “Matte Scratches and What to Do!”

  1. Mike G says:

    Hello, I got to my bike and noticed this hairline scratch? Honestly I’m not entirely sure what it is… Like the paint rubbed off or something randomly. Any ideas on how I could treat it? Your advice would be greatly appreciate it. It’s very minor, but it’s driving me quite insane.

    • Ian Poisson says:

      Hello Mike! I have the exact same bike, Night Rod Special with this black demin (matte).

      I also have similar sratch and wonder how to repair!!!!

      Really appreciate to have your feedback on how you manage it!

      Thanks in advance

      Ian P

      • Mike G says:

        Sadly it doesn’t look like there is much you can do other then getting the entire part repainted or buying a new one. The concern with either of these options is that the color on that part might not match the rest of the bike anymore, so you might need to repaint to replace more than you need.

        They do sell touch up paint, but I wouldn’t touch it up, it almost always draws the eye to the area and looks worse than the scratch unless it is a very large scratch.

        • Ian Poisson says:

          Hello Mike,

          Thank you very much for your feedback.
          In case I am lucky by finding solution other than repainted all the part, buying new one, or having visible touch up, I let you know.

          Ian

  2. Nathan says:

    Could you please elaborate on the “Cover it Up” part? Are you saying just use your Matte Body Wash and your Matte Paint Sealant?

    • Jack E Maurer says:

      I haven’t done in black on my Harley and the previous owner washed it with a sponge with a burlough pad on the back. I was wondering if you know how I could clean up those very fine scratches. They’re not deep but you can see them under light

  3. Ian Poisson says:

    Dear Dr Beasleys. Here is my main scratches in may motorcycle tank, in black matte color (black denim). If you have any solution or suggestion, it will be highly appreciated

    • Dr. Beasley's says:

      Hi Ian,
      Thanks for reaching out to us.
      Unfortunately it looks like your scratch is fairly deep, so there isn’t much to be done as far as removing it. As you may already know, matte paint cannot be buffed or it will become permanently shiny.
      Your best option is the contact the OEM and see if you can purchase touch up paint that matches your color exactly. You can contact a body shop near you that has experience with matte paint and have them touch up the area for you.
      After the paint is touched up, you should seal the entire with Matte Paint Sealant (http://goo.gl/KQccir). If you choose not to touch your paint up, you should still seal it to prevent staining and fading. Hopefully that helps. Don’t hesitate to reach out via email ([email protected]) if you have any other questions.
      -Dr. Beasley’s Team

      • Aizat says:

        Dr. Beasley’s,
        I have accidentally buffed a small portion of my matte gray motorcycle fuel tank using a rubbing compound. Is there any way i can fix or minimize the shine cause by the rubbing compound. Appreciate your tips

  5. Timothy Henry says:

    Good Day,
    I am considering the purchase of a pre-owned vehicle that has a few road chips and sratches. The chips appear to be through the paint (down to the metal) and the scratches appear to be surface only. Please https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/50edf4e66e0b30e2524bc98fd9fe9a4038e22a166be4c9db92d9b85a37c35b04.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cfaeb6198ce339a684435183a0c74261de1bfbaf7865368c5717dc28ce72123f.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cb1bcb7a48674b7c74ca87a11f43f253763461b65e55fed34797ca3377d2a5b1.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/45c26048d5ad776dac37e4b749bdb1b8d36a3ebd80ec13173723db2964900e9c.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f20e624d71ade9e30dbae4b27dcff4dc96fbcf9a1146f338ac4fc4ca22ceee66.jpg at the attached photos and advise if/how to best address the imperfections.

    • Dr. Beasley's says:

      Hi Timothy!

      Thanks for reaching out! Nice car! If you do purchase, we recommend that you clean and coat it with our Matte Paint Body Wash and Matte Paint Coating. https://drbeasleys.mystagingwebsite.com/shop/exterior/matte-car-care.html

      The Matte Paint Coating may be able to reduce the appearance of the scratches, but the chips basically can’t be fixed. Unless you want to reach out to Mercedes to see if they can provide matte touch up paint, but even then it won’t be 100%.

      Let us know if you have more questions, and all the best with your purchase!

      -Dr. Beasley’s Team

    • Andy says:

      Hello, did you try this product and how did it turn out? I have the same paint colour with similar looking scratches. Many thanks in advance.

  6. Shay says:

    Hi there, I have a Dodge Ram rebel and recently got a scratch on the fender flare which is a flat black color, stupid me Tried to use scratch doctor on the scratch, but all it did was make it shiny and more visible. What can I do to get the wax off or what are my options to fix this. Please help!

  8. Chris Hess says:

    Hello, notice my matte black motorcycle can get buff marks and scratches pretty easy. I have a buff mark or scuff on right side of gas tank wondering how to get ride of it. I think fine particles of dirt got between my leg and gas tank, I live in neighborhood that is currently under construction. Any suggestions?

    • Dr. Beasley's says:

      Hi Ravinder,

      Can you tell us more about the mark left here? How did it arise? Without knowing what caused this blemish our first recommendation would be to use our Matte Paint Cleanser product to lift out and remove any contaminants that may be worsening the appearance.

  10. Genesis says:

    Just got my Hyundai ioniq 5 shooting star like 2 weeks ago and it was the first time washing the car with dr Beasleys kit that it came with. I did all the steps that was with the kit and when I got done washing the car and was applying the matte paint coating going around and making sure it was coated evenly and when I got to the passenger side front door. On top of the door handle was scratches that wasn’t there before washing the car. And when I saw that my heart broke since it’s a new car and it just ruined it for me. I wish I could send you the picture of what it looks like so I could get help from you guys. Thank you

  13. Paul Farrington says:

    Hi, my matt grey ionic 5 has very fine scratches from brushing past a bush, they haven’t broken the paint. Is there a product to help?

    Paul

    • Victor Espeland says:

      Hi Francois, sorry to see those scratches! The white-ish color could be contamination like paint transfer from a scuff. That can be removed with a matte-safe cleaner like Matte Paint Cleanser. If not, it may also be the underlying primer layer of paint. At that point touch-up paint would be required.

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