One of our cars is 8 years old, but it still looks good and is running well. Unfortunately we noticed some blue paint scratches on it this morning (it's a white car). I know it's an older car but it's still upsetting to see.
If you notice a fresh scratch or small ding on your car, how much does it bother you? Do you try to fix it somehow or just let it go?
Post by delawarejen on Mar 30, 2015 8:36:19 GMT -5
I used to work at a mall, I park on a city street, and I park in a parking lot at work. So it's not going to stay pristine. I buy gently used cars so there's usually some damage already. It doesn't bother me. As long as it doesn't affect the ability of the car to safely move me from point A to point B, it's not a problem. Actually, one time there was a note on my car at the office from someone apologizing for hitting it. It took me an embarassingly long time to find the damage.
Edit: I would be upset if the damage appeared to be intentional (like someone keying my car), because that's vandalism. I mean accidental damage doesn't really bother me.
Until last month, we drove a car that was totaled in 2013 (when it was hit by a tree), but most of the (extensive) damage on the body had been done before then, all by hit and runs while the car was parked. That's the life of a car that lives on the streets of Manhattan. I think it helps to just look at the car as a machine that gets you efficiently to the places you need to go, and to not focus much on whether the exterior is pristine. That's what I've always done.
I will say, I get very angry when we've sustained body damage. Not so much because of the actual damage to the car (I'm pretty resigned that that will happen) but because nobody has ever left a note saying "Sorry I sideswiped your car/knocked off your mirror/etc." What the fuck is wrong with people??? (The tree gets a pass on that one.)
I remember the very first scratch I put in my new car made me cry. That didn't last long though, I think the first few hurt the most. AFter that, I kind of realize it is a car, it is going to get banged up and there isn't much you can do about it. I mostly get upset/frustrated now when I put a scratch in the car that was totally my fault because I'm stupid (I scraped a pole in a parking garage and was pretty annoyed at myself). But I try not to let it bother me too much. It is just a car.
We keep our cars pretty long and unless it will damage the car (eg. encourage rust or somethign) we don't tend to get them small things fixed. It is not worth it since they'll just keep happening.
Considering my own kids have scratched a brand new car while not being careful with their bikes in the garage (grrr)--- I am pretty non-plussed by scratches on an 8 year old vehicle.
It doesn't bother me. I mean, I *do* get a bit huffy when I can't have nice things due to other people's carelessness, but I just let it go. I currently have a side mirror that's a bit wobbly thanks to someone hitting it. But I hate my current car and I hate sinking more and more money into it, so I'd rather just deal with it until I can get something else (hopefully later this year).
Post by thatgirl2478 on Mar 30, 2015 9:00:18 GMT -5
Our car is 8 yrs old but only 4 with us. At first I usually get ticked, but after a while I just let it go. We're planning on having this car for freaking ever (it's a Honda van) and it's worth not a whole lot more than it would cost to fix, so I'm learning to live with the damage since it's cosmetic.
I get upset. My car is only a year and a half old and the first ding was from my dad and I was pissed. You can't see it b/c it's on the inside of the back door, thankfully.
My last car was 12 years old and around year 9 I started not caring.
LOLOL at getting upset at a ding or a scratch. I live in a city and have to parallel park it on the street for work. I am just happy that my mirror has never been ripped of. I had to get over those dings/scratches quickly when I bought the car new.
Post by hopenotlost on Mar 30, 2015 10:25:27 GMT -5
We bought a 2011 minivan and it was in perfect condition. The first time I saw a scratch, I got pretty upset. But then I got over it, and I'm sure there are more now. I just try to not pay attention. It happens.
Two huge trees fell on my car during hurricane sandy and I never bothered to fix the resulting dent, so obviously doesn't bother me (Full disclosure: The trees fell over very, very slowly and rested on my car, so the dent is actually not all that big, considering the size of the trees).
Having said that, I also feel no particular attachment to this car. I LOVED my last car, and probably would have been much more upset about damage to that one.
Post by crashgizmo on Mar 30, 2015 10:55:05 GMT -5
I love my car and I take really good care of it, so I tend to get a little annoyed when I see a scratch or dent. I recently scraped a painted curb which left paint marks on the bumper and I hate looking at it, but I won't lose sleep over it.
We park on a tiny street in a major city. It usually doesn't phase me and I don't repair unless I have to.
The last time I really freaked out over this was when someone basically tore off the side of our back bumper and gouged the side of my car without leaving a note. My issue was not just the damage but the confusion of how the damage occurred. If you hit the bumper first, why didn't you then adjust your angle to avoid RUNNING INTO THE SIDE OF MY CAR as you continued down the street? Eventually they must have adjusted because my side mirror stayed intact. I don't know, maybe they were backing into the spot behind me and just really misjudged? It's a mystery that haunts me to this day.
As others have said, the first one hurts the worst.
I got my first ding on my new Forester in the Target parking lot. HUGE ding of red paint on my silver driver's door and there was a red Mustang parked next to me with silver paint on the edge of the passenger door.
6 months later, some idiot took a pellet gun and shot down the driver's side of my car and pocked up every single panel on my car. So I got the ding fixed when the pock marks were dealt with.
We park our car on the street 24/7. We expect scratches. Dents are a different story, but the paint scratches are part of city living when you don't have a garage, so I barely even notice them now.
Depends on which car. On the accord, I'd be upset but it's already gotten a number of dents and dings. Poor thing.
On the m6, I'd be pissed. On day 2 of my first m6 (black), I parked waaaay out in an open parking lot and of course a crappy old mini van HAD to park right beside me...there were literally hundreds of spaces open. I went back and there was a 1" long scratch on the side mirror, silver like the van. H left a note on her car. Bitch called up yelling and screaming and saying she didn't do it. Uh but you were the ONLY car parked anywhere near us, right beside us in fact, and we were only gone for 10 min.
We park our car on the street 24/7. We expect scratches. Dents are a different story, but the paint scratches are part of city living when you don't have a garage, so I barely even notice them now.
Speaking of garages, this is part of how I rationalized going for a new car even though scratches and dents are sure to happen.
The garage in my building is $600+ a month. Parking on the street is free and, miraculously, just about as convenient as parking in a garage. I always find a spot easily when I get home from work.
So I figure that unless and until I get dinged to the tune of $7200 a year, I'm better off taking the risk of street parking and should be okay with mild to moderate damage.
(This is ignoring the fact that garage attendants also cause damage, but at any rate...)
8 years old? No. My car was bought in 2006 and I'm kind of annoyed at the paint that's peeling off the front, but a hardly noticeable scratch? I am way beyond that.
But my dad used to park his 1992 minivan (circa 1999-2000) at the end of the freaking grocery store parking lot to try to avoid it being dented. I said, "Dad, your car is 7 years old." "Yeah, but it doesn't have any dents yet!"
We park our car on the street 24/7. We expect scratches. Dents are a different story, but the paint scratches are part of city living when you don't have a garage, so I barely even notice them now.
Speaking of garages, this is part of how I rationalized going for a new car even though scratches and dents are sure to happen.
The garage in my building is $600+ a month. Parking on the street is free and, miraculously, just about as convenient as parking in a garage. I always find a spot easily when I get home from work.
So I figure that unless and until I get dinged to the tune of $7200 a year, I'm better off taking the risk of street parking and should be okay with mild to moderate damage.
(This is ignoring the fact that garage attendants also cause damage, but at any rate...)
When we garaged our car in Manhattan, the valet did all the parking, it was terrible how beat up it looked. I think our current parking situation is less dangerous to our vehicle than the NYC garage was.
I wish we had a reasonable on-street option when we lived there. We were on the UWS, but there was never parking anywhere near us. That's wonderful you have space near you after work!
Post by Norticprincess on Mar 30, 2015 15:20:55 GMT -5
I was annoyed the first time it happened in the garage at the hospital. No note. The next two times. Omg leave a damn note. The first two I could see they might not have noticed. The third time there was paint transfer and a mild dent on two doors. You know you did this wtf just driving off. I got the paint off. The dent is still slightly viable. DH is supposed to buy me the door bumpers that will pretty much cover it. ($300 vs body work on two doors). If the car is covered in salt/dirt you can't see it.