Most paint damage on a daily-driven car does not come from the road. It comes from car parks: door edges tapping the car alongside, trolleys, and bumper scuffs while parking.
Door edges
The edge of a door is a thin strip of paint over a folded metal seam. When it catches the car next to you, both cars lose. The damage is small but it goes straight to metal, and it rusts.
Edge guards are a strip of moulding that takes the impact. They are unglamorous and effective, and on a family car with children opening their own doors they pay for themselves quickly.
Door faces and trolleys
Side moulding strips protect the widest part of the door, which is what a trolley or an opening door meets. On cars that originally came with plastic side rubbing strips, this is exactly what the manufacturer was doing.
Bumper protection
The rear bumper top edge gets scuffed by loading, and the corners by parking. A boot lip protector handles loading damage. For parking, sensors and cameras help more than any trim, but a corner protector is worth it in tight city parking.
Where to park, honestly
- Choose an end bay so only one side is exposed
- Avoid parking next to large vehicles with heavy doors
- Avoid bays adjacent to trolley bays
- Park slightly wide within the bay if space allows, rather than central
These habits prevent more damage than any product, and cost nothing.
What to do if someone damages your car
Car park damage is frequently a hit and run, and the practical position is unsatisfying but worth knowing.
- Photograph the damage and the surrounding area immediately
- Look for CCTV coverage and ask the site operator promptly, as footage is overwritten quickly
- Check for witnesses, including nearby shop staff
- Report to the police if the other party left without leaving details
- Tell your insurer even if you do not intend to claim
Whether to claim depends on the excess and the effect on your no-claims discount. For a small scuff it is frequently cheaper to pay for a mobile repair than to lose several years of discount.
Mobile smart repair
For bumper scuffs and small dents, mobile repairers work at your home or workplace and cost a fraction of a body shop. The results on a bumper corner or a scuffed arch are usually very good, because they are blending into a small area.
Where they are less suitable is damage crossing a panel edge, damage on a metallic or pearlescent colour over a large area, or anything involving a crease in metal, which needs proper panel work.
Preventing the damage you cause yourself
- Fit door edge guards before the first chip, not after
- Use parking sensors and cameras rather than trusting judgement
- In tight spaces, fold the mirrors, which are expensive and vulnerable
- Be careful with the boot lid on a low garage ceiling
- Watch the front spoiler on high kerbs and car park stops
Frequently asked questions
Do door edge guards look bad?
Colour-matched or clear versions are barely visible at a distance. Chrome ones stand out considerably more.
Will a bumper protector stop a parking sensor working?
It can if it covers a sensor. Fit it clear of the sensor faces and test the system afterwards.
