Your Tesla might be more high-tech than most other cars, but it isn’t immune to scratches. Thus, it is helpful to know how much it would cost to repair scratches on your Tesla.
Let’s take an in-depth look at the costs associated with scratch repair for a Tesla. You’ll also learn how you can deal with minor scratches on your own.
As with any car, the amount you will pay to fix scratches on your Tesla will vary depending on the severity and location of the scratches. The price shouldn’t differ from other car brands, so body shops will probably charge you their usual rate. With that said, some Tesla owners have complained that body shops sometimes give them higher-than-usual quotes.
If you take your Tesla to a body shop, they can charge you as little as $150 for minor scratches and up to $2,500 for deep paint scratches. A complete scratch repair job typically costs around $3,500. The cost is so high because most body shops repaint the area surrounding the scratches.
If you’d like to find the best Tesla Tire Repair Kit Options, check out this article that we wrote.
With that said, a body shop may not always be necessary, as there is a quicker and cheaper option for repairing scratches, and it comes in the form of paintless dent repair (PDR.)
Paintless dent repair can restore a vehicle to factory-like condition more quickly and at a lower cost compared to a regular scratch repair job. The only limit it has is if the paint is chipped or cracked.
Since PDR doesn’t require re-painting, the cost is much lower (around $500 for average scratches), and it takes far less time to complete (often it can be done within a day.)
| Categories: | Full Paint Job | Paintless Dent Repair | Paint Repair Kit |
| Price | $1,000 to $3,500 | Around $500 | $60 |
| Time to fix | 2-4 days | 1-2 days | A few hours |
| Effectiveness | Can fix almost any scratch or dent | Can fix minor-medium scratches but may leave paint somewhat faded | Can only fix minor scratches |
What happens during a paintless dent repair is a long session of buffing the area surrounding the scratch or dent to redistribute the paint. The process will close off the scratches and make the damage invisible to the naked eye.
The affected areas may not be as shiny as they used to be, but you can fix it by ceramic coating your entire Tesla, which is good to do anyway.
The cost of repairing scratches on a Tesla depends on how deep the scratches are and what repair method is used. Different repair shops may also charge you different prices based on their fees.
Naturally, if the scratches are minor, it would cost far less to repair them. A few tiny scratches will usually cost less than $500, while a handful of severe scratches or dents can cost three or more times more.
The scratch repair method used for fixing your Tesla is also very important. A full re-paint to repair all scratches can cost up to $3,500. If you decide to go for a paintless repair, it would be much cheaper, but that isn’t always possible if the damage is too severe.
If you are dealing with particularly minor scratches, Tesla’s Paint Repair Kit that you can buy online for $60 may be all you need to get your car back looking like new.
The kit includes a 0.5 oz (14.17 gram) bottle of OEM paint. You can select your paint color from a drop-down menu and choose the one that matches your Tesla. It’s very simple to use and customers are surprised at how quickly and effectively it can hide scratches.
To address the scratches, you would apply the paint and the blending solution included in the kit to cover up all defects and achieve a smooth finish.
The cheaper option is to use a paint repair kit or take your Tesla for a paintless dent repair. However, if the damage is severe, you may have to do a complete paint job which is more expensive and time-consuming.
Overall, you could expect to pay anywhere between $60 and $3500 depending on the severity of the issue and the method you choose.
