# Mysterious scratches on my car **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [April 28, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-scratches-on-my-car/13393 "2008-04-28T23:38:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scratcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@scratcher](https://community.cartalk.com/u/scratcher)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-scratches-on-my-car/13393/1 "2008-04-28T23:38:37Z")
I have a Lexus ES330. Out of the blue, scratches began appearing on the trunk of my car. I had not put anything on the trunk which might have scratched it. Next, they appeared on the rear passenger door, then on the front.We thought at first it was an animal, but the car was kept in a garage. I changed car washes, thinking that was it, but the scratches keep appearing. We asked the dealer if it could be the paint job- of course they said no. Has anyone heard of something like this happening? My husband thinks it’s either me or a ghost scratching our car! Help!! ---
**Author:** ![admitted\_amateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@admitted\_amateur](https://community.cartalk.com/u/admitted_amateur)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 11:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-scratches-on-my-car/13393/2 "2008-04-28T23:43:16Z")
Can you post a photo? ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-scratches-on-my-car/13393/3 "2008-04-28T23:45:35Z")
Have you used any “brush type” car washes? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-scratches-on-my-car/13393/4 "2008-04-28T23:49:50Z")
“We asked the dealer if it could be the paint job- of course they said no.” If the paint was chipping off or flaking off, I would agree that the quality of the paint job was suspect. However, I have never heard of “self-scratching” paint. My best guess is that this is likely occurring in parking lots of supermarkets and malls. That is why I park as far away from other cars as I can, and as a result, I rarely get any scratches on my car. However, my friends, who insist on parking as close as possible to the store, always wind up with scratches and dings from shopping carts and from the doors of other cars parked too closely. And, then, there is also the possibility of vandalism by jealous people. ---
**Author:** ![alives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@alives](https://community.cartalk.com/u/alives)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 12:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-scratches-on-my-car/13393/5 "2008-04-29T00:08:42Z")
I don’t know what the scratches are, but my friend’s Toyota Camray has mysterious scratches around the door handle. I thought it might be from keys scratching it, but she uses a remote keyless entry. I’ve watched her open the door, and there’s nothing that seems to do the scratching in this particular place. ---
**Author:** ![Scudder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scudder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scudder)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-scratches-on-my-car/13393/6 "2008-04-29T00:38:45Z")
Any critters in your area ? Cats, squirrels, rocky racoon and his buddies throwing a late night party on your trunk deck ? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-scratches-on-my-car/13393/7 "2008-04-29T04:13:35Z")
If it is a new car, they probably used glaze on the paint to enhance the appearance. Glaze fills all the little imperfections but wears off again with the weather and car washes. You need to wax it it or possibly it needs to be polished first and then waxed. ---
**Author:** ![grampy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a9adbd/32.png) [@grampy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/grampy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 12:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-scratches-on-my-car/13393/8 "2008-04-29T12:51:40Z")
After this winter i found minute scratches all over my new car from what i suspect was snow brushes. Also,scratches around door handles caused by finger nails when lifting the door handles. For the most part,waxing the car improved the finish.