As you pull in, your car likely has scratches from being dinged or scraped in the parking lot or by the garage door. You can remove those scratches and restore the new look of your car with a car scratch removal product. Next, we will compare and dissect the five best car scratch removers.
Best Car Scratch Remover
Meguiars Ultra-Cut Mirror Glaze Compound: Best Overall
Meguiars Car Scratch Remover is the winner due to its affordability and versatility. It can remove all types of paint imperfections, including swirls and scratches. It can be applied to any paint finish with your hands, a buffer, or a polisher.
It costs half as much as other brands. The product comes in a sizeable eight-ounce container, so you’ll have enough to remove multiple scratches.
Key Features
- Bottle 8.0 ounces
- Removes scratches and defects.
- All paint finishes are safe to use
- Use with a dual action polisher or rotary buff
Experience the Difference
Meguiars is easy to use and removes all the minor scratches from this area of the vehicle. We tested it on the central part of the picture above. It is clear that there are fewer scratches, and the remaining ones are much less visible. Many of the scratches on our test car were too deep to be cured by DIY products.
What Customers Say
Amazon Review score: 4.66 out of 5 based on over 3,400 reviews
Meguiars Mirror Glaze Ultra Cut Compound is a popular choice for customers who are happy with the results. It is even said that the compound leaves the car polished, suggesting it contains wax to match the vehicle’s shine. Some reviewers have complained about the difficulty of removing this product after buffing it to scratch.
Confident Ultimate Scratch & Swirl Remover Kit
This is one out of two kits that we have reviewed. The kit comes with a bottle of liquid and a pad buffer. Applying is simple; you only need to put some juice on the buffer pad and buff it to the scratch.
It restores paint to make it look like new.
Our Experience
The Carfidant Ultimate Scratch & Swirl remover removed most of the scratches. The product left the surface of the vehicle looking shiny. You can still see that it didn’t remove every scratch. The majority of these scratches were in the paint layer below the clearcoat.
What Customers Say
Amazon Review score: Based on more than 36,000 ratings, 4 stars out of 5.
Carfidant Ultimate Scratch & Swirl Remover works as the company claims, removing scuff marks and light scratches. Some customers say it exceeded their expectations and removed or lightened deeper blemishes they thought would need professional help. Some customers complain that the polish stays on the car until it gets wet. The scratch is said to reappear after the car gets wet.
Shine Armor Revive Scratch & Swirl Removal Remover is also a good option.
This mini 4.0-ounce Scratch Repair and Swirl Remover bottle will be perfect for car owners who need to treat only a few areas. It also treats other imperfections, such as water spots, swirls, and oxidations.
The product is free of wax and fillers, so you only need to treat the area once.
Our Experience
Ouch. Shine Armor had its hands full, removing the scratches on this car part. The gouge can be seen to penetrate all the layers of paint and clear coat, reaching the metal beneath.
Shine Armor Revive Swirl Repair & Scratch Remover removed minor and moderate scratches from the vehicle. The fluid itself was easy to use and squeeze on the buffing pad. The smaller bottle may make it easier to use.
What Customers Say
Amazon Review score: Based on more than 12,300 ratings, 3.8 stars out of 5.
Shine Armor’s Revive Scratch Repair & Swirl Removal product is said to eliminate minor scratches. Deeper scratches can only be seen if you examine the surface closely. It works best with Shine Armor Fortify Quick Coat, according to customers. Some customers complain it is too expensive compared to more effective car scratch removers.
The Best Value for 3M Scratch Remover
The Carfidant kit is more complex, but you get all the necessary tools and instructions to guide you through. The 3M Scratch Remover System includes scratch remover liquid and rubbing compound. It also comes with two scrubbers, some sandpaper, and a buffer.
This kit is perfect for minor damage. It will remove scratches, scuffs, and other marks from the paint’s surface.
Our Experience
Above, it is clear that the 3M Scratch Removal System has done an excellent job of removing surface scratches while making deeper scratches less visible.
Start the system by wetting the area, then sanding it with the pad. This creates a slurry. Then, buff the room with the purple compounding pads and rubbing compounds. Then, polish it with the black polishing pads and scratch remover compound. The instructions included in the kit were clear and made the process easy.
What Customers Say
Amazon Review score: Based on more than 1,700 ratings, 4.2 stars out of 5
The 3M Scratch Remover System is popular with customers because it includes sandpaper and scrubbing pads instead of only liquid. It requires a little scrubbing, but they say it reduces the appearance of scratches and scuffs. Customers have reported that the kit they received only contained the liquid. They contacted Amazon to order the other supplies and use the equipment.
Chemical Guys VSS Scratch & Swirl remover is the best for deep scratches.
Chemical Guy VSS Scratch and Swirl Remover claim to be able to remove deep and moderate scratches from the paint. You should be able to remove anything from a minor to a primary key scratch.
This product comes in a 16-ounce bottle. That’s double or even more than twice the size of other products reviewed in this article. You can immediately treat all scratches on your car and keep the remaining product for future blemishes.
Our Experience
Chemical Guys’ scratch remover was very effective. You can see in the picture above that it removed almost all scratches, except for those very deep. It was so effective that it revealed an unseen dent in the door.
Use this product only with proper ventilation. The Chemical Guys VSS Scratch & Swirl Remover has the most potent chemical scent of all products.
What Customers Say
Amazon Review score: 4.5/5 based on more than 6,200 ratings
Chemical Guys VSS Scratch & Swirl remover is said to be easy to use by customers, especially if they watch the tutorial videos posted on YouTube. It is said to remove moderate scratches and reduce the appearance of deeper blemishes. Some customers claim the product does not help with swirls and can even worsen them.
Bottom Line: Car Scratch Removers
All of the products that we tested performed as advertised. They removed minor to moderate scratches from the surface of the car. Most products clearly state that they aren’t meant to fill in a deep scratch or those you can feel using your fingernails.
Here is a shot of the whole door before:
Here’s how the door looked after we tried out different products.
Does the product remove all scratches? No. Did they perform as expected? They did. The car looks better than ever. Any of the products we reviewed could be used to repair scratches on your vehicle if you do not need to fix deep scratches. Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze Ultra Cut Compound is the best product to remove car scratches.
The Buyers Guide for Car Scratch Remover
When you are looking for the best car scratch remover, keep these things in mind.
Car Scratch Removal Types
Three types of car scratch removers are available, including
- The compound is a type of scratch remover that can remove shallow and deep scratches. Read the instructions before applying the product to ensure you have the right tools.
- Polish This is not a natural car scratch remover. It’s Polish, as the name implies. This will hide any surface scratches. As with the compound, please read the label to determine the tool you need to apply it.
- Pen: Pens do not remove scratches but can touch up paint. When buying this type of paint, be sure to match it with the color of the vehicle.
Size
You will only require a little product if you treat one scratch. Therefore, buy the most miniature bottle possible. You’ll want to buy a giant bottle if you have multiple scratches on your car. Remember that this product is a liquid and will dry out if used only at a time.
Wax and Silicone Content
Wax or silicone may be present in car scratch removers. The results of a remover that does not contain silicone or wax will last much longer. The remover that contains silicone or wax is thicker and easier to apply. The product will wear off over time, and you must reapply. Before you look at products, decide what type of product you like.
Approval
You will find different instructions for each car scratch remover. It’s essential to read the instructions before applying the product. Manufacturers often recommend cleaning the affected area before applying a repair kit. Consider using a Car Wash Soap.
Some removers even require sandpaper to treat deeper scratches. Kits are available so that you don’t need to worry about the supplies.