What Counts as 'Fair Wear and Tear'?

What's usually accepted

Light everyday marks generally pass: very fine scratches that polish out, tiny stone chips, and normal signs of use consistent with age and mileage.

What's usually charged

Dents, scuffed or cracked bumpers, scratches through the paint, and kerbed alloys typically fall outside fair wear and get billed.

The grey area

A lot depends on size and location. A small mark on a lower panel edge might pass; the same on a bonnet might not.

Get ahead of it

Bring the car to our Grimsby workshop before you return it and we'll tell you what's likely to be charged — usually a repair costs far less than the penalty.

From the workshop

Honda Civic — front wing repair, blended into the door

A typical panel job: one damaged front wing, repaired and refinished, with the colour blended into the door so there's no hard edge for the eye to…

See the job