How Much to Fix a Keyed Car Costs and Repair Options

Discovering your car has been keyed is incredibly frustrating and disheartening. You’re left staring at the intentional paint damage, wondering how much this act of vandalism will cost to fix. The uncertainty about repair costs can be as stressful as the damage itself.

The cost to fix a keyed car can range from $50 for a simple DIY touch-up kit to over $2,500 for extensive damage requiring multiple panels to be resprayed. Most professional repairs for a single keyed panel fall between $250 and $1,000, depending entirely on the depth of the scratch and the type of your car’s paint.

Based on real-world cost data and industry standard rates, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know. You will learn how to assess the damage yourself and understand the exact repair options available. This will empower you to make the best financial decision for your situation.

Key Facts

• Cost Depends on Depth: The final repair price is determined by how many layers of paint the key has penetrated, from the clear coat down to the bare metal.
• Insurance Coverage: A keyed car is considered vandalism, which is covered under the comprehensive portion of most auto insurance policies.
• Deductible Matters: Filing an insurance claim is often only financially viable if the repair cost significantly exceeds your insurance deductible, demonstrating the need for accurate estimates.
• DIY Is for Minor Damage: DIY touch-up kits, which cost under $100, are only effective on very shallow scratches that have not gone through the top clear coat layer.
• Labor Drives Price: The high cost of professional repairs is driven by the intensive labor required to properly prep, sand, color-match, and blend the new paint for an invisible fix.

How Much Does It Cost to Fix a Keyed Car?

The cost to fix a keyed car ranges from under $100 for a DIY kit to over $1,500 for a professional panel respray. The final price hinges on the scratch depth, your car’s color, and the number of damaged panels. Based on 2025 average repair costs, professional paint correction for moderate scratches typically costs between $200 and $600 per panel, while a full respray for deep damage starts around $800.

Discovering your car has been keyed is a frustrating experience. Your first question is almost always, “How much is this going to cost me?” The answer isn’t a single number; it’s a spectrum that depends entirely on the damage severity. To give you a clear picture, we’ve broken down the potential costs based on the three primary levels of damage and the corresponding repair methods. This table provides a realistic estimate of the keyed car paint cost you can expect.

Damage Level	DIY Repair (Touch-up Kit)	Professional Paint Correction	Professional Body Shop (Respray)
Shallow (Clear Coat)	$30 – $80	$150 – $400 per panel	Not required
Moderate (Into Paint/Primer)	$50 – $150 (results may vary)	$400 – $800 per panel	$600 – $1,200 per panel
Deep (To Bare Metal)	Not recommended	Not effective	$800 – $2,000+ per panel

These price ranges introduce key concepts like the clear coat, primer, and even the choice between a professional paint correction specialist and a full auto body shop. Understanding how to identify which level of damage you have is the critical next step to accurately estimating your repair cost.

How Do You Assess Key Scratch Depth to Estimate Cost?

To check a key scratch’s depth, use the fingernail test: gently run your fingernail over the scratch. If it doesn’t catch, it’s a minor clear coat scratch. If your nail catches, the damage is deeper, likely into the color coat or primer, and will require a more complex and expensive repair. This simple diagnostic method is a reliable way to self-assess the damage and determine which cost bracket from the table above applies to you.

Understanding this test requires knowing a little about your car’s paint, which is a multi-layered system designed for protection and appearance. From our experience, most people are surprised to learn that automotive paint isn’t just one layer of color. It is typically a two-stage paint system with distinct layers, each serving a specific function. A professional would use a paint thickness gauge for precise measurement, but you can get a very good idea of the severity on your own.

What Is the Fingernail Test for Car Scratches?

The fingernail test is a universally used method by both DIYers and professionals for a quick, tactile assessment of scratch depth. It’s the first step in diagnosing paintwork damage. Here is how to perform it correctly:

1. Clean the Area: First, wash and dry the scratched area to remove any dirt or debris that could give you a false reading.
2. Run Your Nail Across: Gently run the tip of your fingernail perpendicular to the scratch. Do not press hard; you are just feeling for an edge.
3. Analyze the Feeling:
   • No Catch: If your nail glides smoothly over the scratch without catching or dipping into a groove, the damage is very shallow. This indicates a Level 1 scratch, confined to the clear coat.
   • A Slight Catch: If your nail snags or catches in the groove, the scratch has broken through the clear coat. This signifies a more significant Level 2 or Level 3 scratch that has reached the color basecoat, primer, or even the metal.

This simple, tactile feedback is the most reliable way to perform an initial assessment without special tools. It tells you whether a simple buffing procedure might work or if you need to prepare for a more involved and costly repair.

What Are the 3 Levels of Key Scratch Damage?

Your car’s paint has four main layers: the top clear coat, the basecoat (the color), the primer, and the bare sheet metal. The cost and method of repair are dictated by which of these layers the key has penetrated.

• Level 1: Shallow Clear Coat Scratch
  This is the best-case scenario. The scratch is only in the top protective layer. It often looks like a light, white-colored line on your paint. Your fingernail will not catch on it. This type of damage can usually be fixed by a professional detailer using a polishing buffing compound, or sometimes by a high-quality DIY kit.

• Level 2: Scratch Into Paint or Primer
  This is a moderate scratch where your fingernail will catch. The damage has gone through the clear coat and into the color basecoat or the grey/white primer layer underneath. This scratch is too deep to be simply buffed out. It will require touch up paint to fill the groove and restore the color, a process best handled by a paint correction specialist or a skilled DIYer.

• Level 3: Deep Scratch to Bare Metal
  This is the most severe and expensive type of keyed to the metal damage. You will see the shiny silver of the metal panel at the bottom of the scratch. This damage requires immediate attention because the exposed metal will begin to rust. A simple touch-up is not enough. This requires a professional auto body shop to sand, prime, and respray the entire panel to prevent rust and ensure a proper finish.

What Are The Repair Options For a Keyed Car and Their Costs?

The three main repair options for a keyed car are a DIY touch-up kit for minor scratches (under $100), professional paint correction for moderate scratches ($200-$800), and a full panel respray at a body shop for deep scratches ($800+). The best choice depends on the scratch depth you identified, your budget, and your quality expectations.

Now that you’ve assessed the damage, it’s time to decide on a course of action. This is the core decision-making phase where you weigh the trade-offs between cost, effort, and the final result. We will break down the three primary repair pathways: doing it yourself, hiring a mobile detailer or paint correction specialist, or taking it to a traditional auto body shop.

How Do You Fix a Minor Keyed Car Scratch at Home (DIY)?

A DIY repair is the cheapest way to fix a keyed car and is best suited for Level 1 clear coat scratches. Our hands-on experience shows that success with a DIY car scratch kit depends heavily on using a quality product and patience.

• Pros: ✅ Very low cost (under $100). ✅ Can be done in an afternoon. ✅ Prevents shallow scratches from worsening.
• Cons: ❌ Very difficult to get a perfect, invisible result. ❌ High risk of paint matching issues or making the area look worse. ❌ Ineffective on anything deeper than a surface level scratch.

If you decide to proceed, here is the basic process:
1. Purchase the Right Kit: Order a touch up paint kit that matches your car’s exact OEM paint code. Do not use a generic color.
2. Clean and Degrease: Thoroughly wash the area and wipe it down with a degreaser or isopropyl alcohol to ensure the new paint will adhere properly.
3. Apply Paint Carefully: Use a very fine-tipped applicator (like a toothpick or the fine brush in the kit) to apply a thin layer of paint only inside the scratch. Less is more.
4. Level the Paint: After the paint dries, use the kit’s leveling solution or a very fine-grit (3000+) sandpaper very gently to smooth the new paint flush with the surrounding surface.
5. Polish and Wax: Use a polishing compound to blend the repair and remove any sanding marks. Finish with a coat of wax to protect the new paint.

When Do You Need Professional Paint Correction vs. a Full Respray?

For Level 2 and Level 3 scratches, professional help is necessary for a quality result. However, there’s a crucial difference between a detailer who performs paint correction and a body shop that does a respray. Understanding this distinction, a nuance many guides miss, can save you hundreds of dollars.

• Professional Paint Correction: This is performed by a paint correction specialist or high-end auto detailer. The process involves carefully sanding and polishing the area to remove a micro-layer of the clear coat, effectively leveling the surface and making shallow to moderate scratches disappear. It preserves your factory paint.

• Auto Body Shop Respray: This is for deep scratches that are keyed to the metal. The process involves sanding the panel down to bare metal, applying new primer, color basecoat, and clear coat with an HVLP spray gun in a controlled booth. The goal is to replace the damaged paint section entirely.

Here is a clear breakdown to help you choose:

Feature	Professional Paint Correction	Auto Body Shop Respray
Process	Removes a micro-layer of clear coat	Sands down, primes, and applies new paint
Best For	Scratches in clear coat/top of color coat	Scratches down to primer or bare metal
Cost	$200 – $800	$800 – $2,000+
Goal	Restore and preserve original paint	Replace damaged paint section

Pro Tip: Always start with the least aggressive option. Get an estimate from a reputable paint correction specialist before going straight to a body shop. They will tell you honestly if the scratch is too deep for them to fix.

Should You File an Insurance Claim for a Keyed Car?

You should only file an insurance claim for a keyed car if the total repair estimate is much higher than your comprehensive deductible (e.g., repair is $2,000 and deductible is $500). For minor damage, paying out-of-pocket is usually cheaper in the long run as it avoids a claim on your record and a potential premium increase.

Keying is an act of vandalism, and this type of damage is covered under the comprehensive coverage portion of your auto insurance policy, not collision. Before you call your agent, you need to do a simple cost-benefit analysis.

Your deductible is the amount of money you have to pay out-of-pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in. If your car insurance deductible is $500 and the repair estimate from a body shop is $900, you would pay the first $500, and your insurance would pay the remaining $400.

The Break-Even Calculation:

If (Repair Cost – Your Deductible) is less than the potential premium increase over the next 3-5 years, it’s not worth filing a claim.

Filing a claim, even for a no-fault incident like vandalism, can sometimes cause your insurance premium to go up at your next renewal. For a small claim of a few hundred dollars, the long-term cost of the higher premium can easily exceed the amount the insurance company paid out. This is why for most single-panel key scratches, it’s financially wiser to pay for the keyed car paint cost yourself. However, if multiple panels are keyed (keyed all the way around), the repair cost can easily run into thousands of dollars, making a claim the logical choice.

A crucial first step before an insurance claim is to file a police report. Your insurance provider will almost certainly require a police report number to process a vandalism claim.

FAQs About how much is it to fix a keyed car

Should I report a keyed car to the police?

Yes, you should always file a police report for a keyed car, even if you don’t plan to file an insurance claim. A police report officially documents the act of vandalism, which is required by most insurance companies to process a comprehensive claim and can be useful if a suspect is identified.

Will a keyed car scratch rust?

Yes, a keyed car scratch will rust if it has penetrated through the paint and primer layers to expose the bare metal. The clear coat and primer exist to protect the metal from moisture and oxygen. Once the metal is exposed, rust can begin to form in a matter of days, especially in humid climates.

Can you just buff out a key scratch?

You can only buff out a key scratch if it is very shallow and only in the top clear coat layer. If your fingernail does not catch on the scratch, a professional detailer can likely remove it with compound and a polisher. If the scratch is deep, buffing will not work and may even damage the surrounding paint.

How long does it take to fix a keyed car?

Fixing a keyed car can take anywhere from 2 hours to 5 days. A simple DIY touch-up might take an afternoon. Professional paint correction on a single panel can often be done in a day. A full respray at a body shop will take 3-5 days due to prep, painting, and curing time.

Why is fixing a keyed car so expensive?

Fixing a keyed car is expensive because it’s a labor-intensive process that requires skill and expensive materials. Repairing a deep scratch isn’t about filling it in; it’s about sanding, priming, color-matching, painting, and clear-coating the entire affected panel to achieve a seamless, durable finish that matches the factory look.

Is keying a car a felony?

Keying a car is vandalism, and whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony depends on the cost of the damage. Each state has a specific monetary threshold (e.g., $250, $1,000). If the repair cost exceeds this amount, the crime can be charged as a felony, carrying much more severe penalties.

How much does it cost to fix a keyed black car?

Fixing a keyed black car can be slightly more expensive because black paint is notoriously difficult to work with. It shows every tiny imperfection, swirl mark, and flaw in the finish. A perfect repair on black paint often requires more time for polishing and blending, which can increase labor costs by 10-20%.

Can Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) fix a key scratch?

No, Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) cannot fix a key scratch. PDR is a technique for removing dents where the paint is not broken. Since a key scratch is, by definition, damage to the paint, it is outside the scope of what PDR can accomplish.

What’s the cheapest way to fix a keyed car?

The absolute cheapest way to fix a keyed car is with a DIY touch-up paint pen or kit, costing under $50. This method is only suitable for very minor scratches and is primarily a cosmetic fix to make the damage less noticeable and prevent rust. It will not provide a flawless, professional result.

How do you find the paint code for your car?

You can find your car’s paint code on a sticker located inside the driver’s side doorjamb. It might also be in the glove box, under the hood, or in the trunk. The sticker usually lists “Paint” or “Color” followed by a specific code (e.g., NH-731P for Honda’s Crystal Black Pearl).

Key Takeaways: How Much to Fix a Keyed Car

• Cost is Tied to Depth: The single biggest factor determining cost is the scratch depth. A clear coat scratch might be under $200 to fix, while a scratch to bare metal will cost $800+ per panel.
• Three Tiers of Repair: Your options are a cheap but imperfect DIY kit (under $100), professional paint correction for a near-perfect finish on moderate scratches ($200-$800), or a full body shop respray for deep damage ($800+).
• Insurance is for Major Damage Only: Only consider filing an insurance claim if the repair cost is significantly higher than your comprehensive deductible. For most single-panel keyings, paying out-of-pocket is often the smarter financial choice.
• Assessment is Your First Step: Use the simple “fingernail test” to diagnose the damage. If your nail catches, you’ve broken through the clear coat and will likely need professional help for a good result.
• Prevention is Critical: Once repaired, consider protective measures like ceramic coatings, Paint Protection Film (PPF), or improved parking/security to prevent the frustration and expense from happening again.
• Always Get a Police Report: Even for minor damage, a police report officially documents the vandalism, which is essential if you decide to file an insurance claim later or if a pattern emerges in your area.
• Labor is the Main Expense: High repair costs are driven by the skilled labor required for proper preparation, color matching, blending, and finishing to make the repair invisible.

Final Thoughts on Fixing a Keyed Car

Discovering your car has been keyed is a deeply personal and frustrating violation. While the initial anger is understandable, the path to a solution can be methodical and manageable. The cost to fix the damage is directly proportional to its severity, making your first step a calm assessment of the scratch depth. From a sub-$100 DIY kit for a minor blemish to a professional respray for deep gouges, a solution exists for every budget and desired outcome.

Crucially, weigh the repair estimate against your insurance deductible. While it’s tempting to use the coverage you pay for, a claim for minor damage can be a long-term financial loss if it raises your premiums. For many, a professional out-of-pocket repair delivers the best balance of quality and value. By understanding your options and the costs involved, you can take back control, erase the damage, and restore the pride you have in your vehicle.

Last update on 2025-12-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API