Most of us know a couple of car owners who are obsessed with the conditions of their cars. These are the type of people who would freak out if their cars received even a small scratch. While you may not have to be obsessed about the condition of your car's exterior, it's important to realize that scratches are not as insignificant as some car owners assume them to be.

Even a single scratch to the exterior of your car can have a number of unfortunate consequences.

Scratches Can Reduce Aesthetic Appeal

Aesthetic appeal is important to many car owners, and for some, it's the most important thing. Unfortunately, all it takes to hurt the aesthetics of your car is a single scratch. Scratches can stand out from the otherwise perfect exterior, making it an eyesore. Both you and other people looking at your car will find it hard to ignore the scratches.

Scratches Can Hurt Retail Value

This can be seen as a consequence of the reduced aesthetic appeal of your car. Scratches to the exterior of the car can hurt the resale value in a few ways. For starters, the buyer's initial impression of the vehicle may not be as positive as it would have been.

The scratches may also give the buyer the impression that the whole vehicle wasn't being properly taken care of. This will make them question the condition of the more important parts of the car. If the buyer feels that they have to repaint the car due to the scratches, they will also factor in this cost when giving their offer.

Scratches Can Facilitate Corrosion

Many car owners think of the paintwork from an aesthetic point of view. However, paint actually plays an important role in the preservation of the metals used on your vehicle. Many car bodies still feature metals that can suffer corrosion when exposed to air.

Paint serves as a seal that keeps these metals from getting exposed. However, a deep scratch can expose the surface of the metal, or even a subsurface, to the elements. This creates a point from which rust can start to form. Rust doesn't just hurt the aesthetics of the exterior, it can also affect moving parts such as hinges.

If your car has recently suffered a significant scratch, it's a good idea to visit an auto body repair shop such as Westside Fender/Body & Refinishing to find out what your options are.