Car vandals have a particularly heinous method of causing the right amount of auto damage. It’s not enough to stop your car from working, but enough cosmetic damage can result in up to $2000 in repair shop costs to have it fixed.
There’s no worse feeling than returning to your car only to find a long, deep scratch on the panel. The perpetrator is the jagged teeth of a key that has dug into the paint and metal.
Fortunately, insurance companies often come prepared for claims on car incidents that weren’t your fault. At the same time, it’s essential that you know and research your options for the most cost-effective resolution to fix your keyed car.
What to Do If Your Car Has Been Keyed
Keying a car is an act of vandalism and, therefore, a crime. When discovering someone keyed your car, it helps to think of it as a crime scene. Everything is evidence to file a car insurance claim with the insurance company.
Here’s a more detailed guide on what to do after discovering your keyed car:
- Personally document your car’s damage. Take photos, videos, and any witness testimony in the area during the vandalism. Nearby businesses and establishments may have security footage of the incident as well. Everything you collect can be applied to the police report and car insurance claim.
- Contact your insurance company. Your decision to file a claim doesn’t have to be final. Your insurance agent or car insurance company should still be called and notified. They will ask about or inspect the keyed car; they should be supplied with the documentation you took earlier. It also helps to have an alibi since vandalism is a regular strategy for insurance fraud.
- File a police report. Similarly, the police should be contacted and briefed on your keyed car, such as when and where it happened, along with the documentation. This will build a legal case against the vandal who keyed your car in court once they have been found and identified.
- Find a body shop to fix your keyed car. Suppose you’re not a regular to a reliable body shop. In that case, your insurance company will direct you to top-performing repair shops closest to your location. A mechanic will have a look at your keyed car, and you’ll receive a quote for the repair cost.
- Pick up your fixed car and pay the deductible**.** When paying your repair bill on your keyed car, your insurance company will do one of two things. They may directly pay the mechanic for their services. You will pay your comprehensive deductible upon picking up your repaired car from the shop. Or, your insurance company will send you a check for the repairs, and you then pay it to the car mechanic.
Will Car Insurance Cover My Keyed Car?
Comprehensive insurance covers damage done to your car that you had no part or fault in causing, such as vandalism.
Keying is one of the many methods used to scratch and damage cars. Vehicles have been reported to have tires slashed, windows broken, and brutal dents.
Comprehensive insurance is there for those times of repair. Comprehensive insurance allows you to lessen the repair cost of the keyed car scratch by filing a car insurance claim with your insurer. You must pay the comprehensive deductible to fix your keyed car.
Does filing a claim for a keyed car impact my auto insurance premium?
Your insurance rates are subject to increase after filing a car insurance claim about a keyed car scratch. Your rates are also more likely to grow if another or multiple claims were filed in the recent past.
Your insurance premium may be less impacted than a car collision and covered by collision insurance. Insurance companies generally raise rates when claims are repeatedly made.
When would I want to file a claim for my scratched car?
The comprehensive deductible must be paid to the insurance company to fix the keyed car scratch.
Comprehensive car insurance claims are less likely to increase your insurance rates than a collision claim would. At that point, it may be worth looking into filing a claim, but only if you don’t have any recent other claims since that can also cause some rate increase.
When considering filing a car insurance claim, you should always keep your deductible in mind, which varies based on the client. Ideally, you want the amount you claim for the damages to be less than your deductible. However, the severity of the claim depends on the severity of the keyed car damage. It’s best to have a professional look at your car when in doubt.
How much does it cost to repair a keyed car?
The severity of a key mark is based on how long the vandal dragged it across the vehicle’s panels and how hard they were pressing down. In short, length and depth because the scratch may stretch through multiple panels and paint layers where the actual damage is done.
There are varying ways a keyed car scratch can impact your car and wallet:
- Scratched clear coat. The protective clear coat is the first layer of paint on a car. If the scratch doesn’t penetrate the paint beneath it. Then, it can easily be buffed out DIY style or taken to a repair shop for a minimal fee of $150.
- Scratched paint. The key scratched beyond the clear coat and hit the paint. At this point, a visit to the body repair shop is necessary. They have to reapply the clear coat, which can cost up to $1000. The cost can vary based on the vehicle’s color since some paint colors are harder to find than others.
- Scratched primer and metal. The key has scratched as deep as it can into the car’s body. The silver metal and primer are visible and have to be repaired and reapplied, costing upwards of $1500, with $800 as the minimum.
- Scratched multiple panels. If the scratch is long, regardless of depth, it may stretch over your car’s multiple panels (doors). Fixing an individual panel is around $500. A scratch that covers multiple panels could multiply the total cost of your keyed car repair.
Is it even worth fixing the damage on my keyed car?
Cars are keyed to cause expensive cosmetic damage. The scratches aren’t enough for the car to stop functioning. So, it’s primarily determined how you feel about the scratch or if it bothers you.
However, marks such as scratches affect your car’s resale value. That could put a damper on any plans to resell your car at the desired price in the future. Of course, if the scratch is just a little deep, you can also go the DIY route sans the professional quality at no cost.
My Keyed Car Scratch isn’t that bad; how do I fix it myself?
If your car wasn’t keyed too severely or deeply, there are many at-home remedies for paint scratches. If the scratch isn’t long and only affects the clear coat, it can easily be buffed out and polished. Clearcoat is also available for purchase, so if the need arises to reapply, it-it’s doable on a consumer level.
Deep scratch repair concerning the primer and metal is best left to the professionals. It requires a lot more paintwork and even the need for repainting.
Regardless of how the scratch gets fixed, your insurance company covers it along with other acts of vandalism with the possibility of a low rate increase. Weighing out your deductible, body shop quotes, and the severity of the scratch on your keyed car are all vital in finding the most cost-effective solution.
Keep you and your car protected with affordable car insurance from Insurance Navy. Get free cheap car insurance quotes online in just minutes. Or we’re just one call away at 888-949-6289.
