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An affordable car scratch remover that is safe for all paint finishes.

A car scratch remover meant for moderate and deep scratches.

A popular product that comes with the liquid and a scrubber.

A removal kit that comes with two liquids and two scrubbers.

A car scratch remover that removes scratches and restores paint.

Every car likely has a scratch or two on it from getting dinged in a parking lot or scraped by the garage door when pulling in. With a car scratch remover, you can treat those spots and make your car look new again. Up next, we’ll dissect and compare the five best car scratch removers.

First, our review team compiled information on all the most popular car scratch removers on Amazon. Then, we narrowed down the top five contenders and purchased each product to test in person.

Fortunately for the purposes of our review, one of our team members had scraped their car against a cement pillar in a parking garage prior to testing. The scrape was large enough to test out all five products. There were scrapes on the door and the corner of the front bumper.

For each product below, we’ll cover the overall customer experience according to online reviews, explain what comes with the product, and share our findings from our scratch removal test. We also considered the following factors when reviewing each product:

Before testing, we thoroughly washed the scratches on the car to get rid of any dust or residue from the cement pillar. We then used a cordless drill and a single type of polishing pad to test each of the products (except for the 3M Scratch Removal System, which came with pads).

Be aware that many of the scratches on our test car were very deep. DIY car scratch removal products are only meant to resurface the top layer of clear coat, not fill in deep scratches. You’ll see that some scratches are still visible after the test. However, the products removed most if not all of the smaller scratches on the vehicle.

Meguiar’s car scratch remover takes first place because of its versatility and affordability. It removes all kinds of paint imperfections, including scratches and swirls. You can also apply it to any paint finish using your hands, a polisher, or a buffer.

The product costs about half of what the other brands are charging. It even comes in an eight-ounce bottle, meaning you will have enough product to remove several scratches.

This product ships with a bottle of Meguiar’s car scratch removal compound by itself.

We found Meguiar’s was easy to work with, and it removed all of the small scratches in this area of the car. We tested it in the central area of the photo above. You can see that there are significantly fewer scratches on the door and that the remaining scratches are less noticeable. Again, many of the scratches on our test vehicle were too deep for DIY car scratch products to cure.

More than 3,400 Amazon customers have reviewed this product, giving it an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5.

Customers are pleased with how well it removes shallow and moderate scratches. They even say it leaves cars polished, which suggests that it contains some wax to match the rest of the car’s shine. However, some Amazon customers complain about how difficult this product is to remove after you’re done buffing it into the scratch.

This is the only car scratch remover that advertises its ability to treat both moderate and deep scratches in the paint. This means you should be able to remove everything from a small ding to a deep key scratch with this product.

This car scratch remover comes in a 16.0-ounce bottle, which is double or more than double the size of the other products in this review. This allows you to treat all the scratches around your car in one step and save the rest for future scratches.

This product ships with a bottle of Chemical Guys scratch remover only.

We found the scratch remover product from Chemical Guys to be very effective. In the image above, you can see that it took care of almost all the scratches except for the very deep ones. It worked so well that it revealed a dent in the door that wasn’t visible before.

However, be sure to use this product with adequate ventilation. We found that the Chemical Guys VSS Scratch & Swirl Remover had the most pungent chemical smell of all the products.

This product has an average score of 4.5 stars based on more than 6,200 Amazon customer reviews. This is above the Amazon average for similar products.

Customers say the product is easy to use, especially if you watch the company’s tutorial videos on YouTube. They say it removes moderate scratches well and greatly diminishes the appearance of deeper ones. Some customers complain that the product doesn’t help with swirls and may make them worse.

This is one of two car scratch remover kits in this review. It comes with a bottle of liquid and a buffer pad. The application process is easy and only requires putting some liquid on the pad and buffing it into the scratch.

In addition to removing the scratches on any paint finish or color, it restores the paint, making the paint job look shiny and new again.

Inside the package was the Carfidant scratch remover compound along with a buffing pad. The pad didn’t have a drill attachment, however.

We found that the Carfidant Ultimate Scratch & Swirl Remover removed most of the scratches fairly well. This product also left a nice shine on the surface of the car. That said, you can see that the product wasn’t able to get out every scratch. Most of these scratches penetrated the layer of paint below the clear coat.

Carfidant’s car scratch remover has a rating of 4 stars from over 36,000 Amazon customers.

Users say this product works like the company says it will by removing light scratches and scuff marks. Some customers even say it exceeded their expectations and lightened or removed deeper scratches that they thought would require professional work. There are some complaints that the polish only lasts until the car gets wet. After that, the scratch purportedly reappears.

This kit is a little more complicated than the Carfidant one, but it gives you all the necessary tools and detailed instructions to walk you through the process. It comes with scratch remover liquid, a rubbing compound, two scrubbers, sandpaper, and a buffer attachment.

This kit is ideal for light damage and will remove scratches, scuffs, and other marks on the paint’s surface.

The 3M system includes all the parts listed above and is very user-friendly, with individual packets of the compounds and multiple buffing pads. The system also includes a velcro attachment for you to use a power drill with each buffer.

Above, you can see that the 3M Scratch Removal System did a pretty good job of clearing up the surface scratches and making deep scratches less noticeable.

The system has you start by wetting the area and then sanding the scratch with the pad to build up a slurry. After that, you buff it with the purple compounding pad and rubbing compound. Finally, you buff the area with the black polishing pad and scratch remover compound. The whole process was fairly simple, and the clear instructions that came with the kit made it easy.

This product has an average rating of 4.2 stars from about 1,700 customers on Amazon.

Customers like this product because it comes with sandpaper and scrubbing pads instead of just the liquid. They say it requires a bit of scrubbing, but it greatly reduces the appearance of scratches and scuff marks. Some customers note that their kit only came with the liquid and they had to contact Amazon and wait for the rest of the supplies to arrive before using it.

This mini 4.0-ounce bottle is perfect for the car owner who only needs to treat a few spots. It treats scratches along with other imperfections, such as swirls, water spots, and oxidations.

This product is also wax- and filler-free, meaning you can treat the spot once and not have to worry about the repair fading with time.

This product comes with a bottle of Shine Armor.

Ouch. This part of the vehicle suffered the deepest scratches from the cement post, and the Shine Armor scratch remover had its work cut out for it. You can see that the gouge actually goes through all layers of clear coat and paint to reach the metal underneath.

Overall, Shine Armor Revive Scratch Repair & Swirl Remover did a great job getting rid of small and moderate scratches on the vehicle. For some reason, the actual fluid was the easiest to work with and squeeze onto the buffing pad. It’s possible that the smaller bottle makes it easier to handle.

This product carries a score of 3.8 stars from more than 12,300 Amazon customers.

Customers say that this product removes minor scratches and that deeper scratches are only visible if you look closely. They report that it works best when used with Shine Armor’s Fortify Quick Coat. Some customers say it’s too expensive, especially compared to other car scratch removers that are more effective.

All the products we tested did what they advertised: They removed light to moderate scratches in the finish of the vehicle. Most of the products clearly state that they are not made to fill in deep scratches or scratches that you can feel with your fingernails.

Here’s a before shot of the entire door:

And here’s what that door looked like after we tested the different products:

Did the products get rid of all the scratches? No. But, did they work as expected? Yes, they did. The car certainly looks much better than it did before. If you don’t need to fix very deep scratches, any of the products in our review could do the trick for your car. Overall, though, we recommend Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze Ultra-Cut Compound as the best car scratch remover.

Keep these factors in mind as you begin your search for the right car scratch remover.

Car scratch removers come in three types:

If you are only treating one scratch, you won’t need much product, so you can buy the smallest bottle possible. However, if you have several scratches around your car, you will want to purchase a larger bottle. Also keep in mind that the product is liquid, meaning that if you don’t use it all at once, it may dry before you need to use it again.

Car scratch removers may or may not contain wax or silicone. A remover without wax or silicone will be runnier, but the results will last a lot longer. A remover with wax or silicone is thicker, making it easier to fill in the scratch. However, the product will fade over time, meaning you will have to reapply. You’ll want to decide which you prefer before looking into products.

Each car scratch remover will have different application instructions. You’ll want to review these instructions thoroughly beforehand so you have the proper tools to apply the product to your car. It’s common for manufacturers to recommend cleaning the area before applying the repair kit, so you may want to also consider a car wash soap.

Most removers require microfiber towels or sponges, and some even require sandpaper for deeper scratches. You can also buy a kit so you don’t have to worry about finding the right supplies.

Our top picks for paint scratch removers are:

All of them work for general car care or as part of an automotive detailing kit.

The paint job of a car is typically made up of three layers. The bottom layer acts as a primer for the second layer, which contains the color. The final layer on top is a clear coat that makes your car look shiny. At-home car scratch removers typically only work on scratches on the first two layers. This is because most removers are abrasive compounds that melt the paint around the scratch, which is then used to fill in the scratch. If you have a major scratch that goes all the way down to the metal, we recommend sending your car to a professional. They will have better equipment to tackle the scratch and will be able to touch up the paint instead of just melting the paint around it.

Here is a step-by-step process to follow:

Yes. Washing and waxing your car regularly could prevent scratches since wax acts as a protective layer against light blemishes.

Oxidation happens when your car’s paint is exposed to intense heat and sunlight. It leaves swirls, faded areas, and white spots on your paint. You can prevent this from happening by regularly waxing your car, parking it in the shade, and using a car cover. If you start to see oxidation on your car’s paint, you can use a car scratch remover to treat it.

Scratch and swirl marks are more prominent on black cars than they are on cars of any other color. However, a standard abrasive car scratch remover may not work on a black car because each layer of paint will be a different color, preventing you from melting the paint layers and blending them into the scratch. If you own a black car, you’ll want to purchase a scratch remover kit specifically designed for a black car that contains wax. The Carfidant Black Car Scratch Remover is a good choice, with nearly 12,000 Amazon customers rating it 3.8 stars.

Our review team found some repair kits could handle both fine scratches and deeper damage to the car’s surfaces, and most worked to lessen light scratches. For best results, customers should follow instructions from the manufacturer and have the necessary materials like a microfiber cloth for a car wash beforehand.

When addressing deep scratches on a car’s finish, we found that Chemical Guys VSS Scratch & Swirl Remover worked effectively on deep scratches. If the scratch is too deep for a polishing compound to completely cover up, a professional body repair shop may be the next best option.

*Data accurate at time of publication.

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