Trying to sell your car can be difficult at the best of times.
Most car owners will spend a full day cleaning out trash and leftover water bottles from the passenger seat, put air in the tires, change the oil and make sure there is enough fuel in the tank for a test run.
But even if you keep your car in the best of conditions there might be a cream you use everyday that ruins your chances of a good price at auction.
The chemicals inside your SPF 50+ eat through the clear top coat on your vehicle and result in nearly impossible to remove smudges and hand prints left by well-meaning kids leaning on the bonnet or doors
According to car dealers and panel beaters alike a humble bottle of sunscreen could be causing severe damage to your car – even though it’s protecting your skin.
The chemicals inside your SPF 50+ eat through the clear top coat on your vehicle and result in nearly impossible to remove smudges and hand prints left by well-meaning kids leaning on the bonnet or doors.
Usually the only cause of action is an expensive respray.
Business manager at Christchurch’s Blackwells Mazda Andy Hallaway described to Stuff the most serious case of sunscreen damage was on a family car which had just been on a camping trip with young kids.
But even if you keep your car in the best of conditions there might be a cream you use everyday that ruins your chances of a good price at auction (stock image)
Almost $3000 was deducted off the trade-in price to cover remedial work. ‘I don’t think there was a panel other than the roof that wasn’t affected,’ Mr Hallaway said.
Sunblock damage is also a problem for rental cars – particularly if the driver’s haven’t taken out a full excess.
Car dealers also second guess purchasing a car worth over $5,000 with lotion damage because they can’t get around the cost it would take to fix it.
‘Older cars with low value anyway probably wouldn’t suffer as there are plenty of dings, stone chips etc,’ said national marketing manager at Turners car auctions Sean Wiggans.
Business manager at Christchurch’s Blackwells Mazda Andy Hallaway described to Stuff the most serious case of sunscreen damage was on a family car which had just been on a camping trip with young kids (stock image)
While the average cost of a single-coat respray totals $566 on other luxury vehicles the price can double.
But if you decide on a cheaper cut and polish to remove the marks it might only last a humble two weeks before the smudges return.
Youtube videos also promise a simple eraser and orange peel could remove long-wearing sunscreen but this isn’t a foolproof plan and may wind up being a similar fix to the cut and polish.
The best option is to make sure kids and adults alike stay clear of the car when applying sunscreen – and wipe their hands before getting inside.