What Are the 5 Main Causes of Fading Auto Paint?

As a body shop in Chicago specializing in paint jobs and exterior repairs, we know a lot about what can cause auto paint to lose its luster. We’ve compiled a list of the main causes of fading auto paint so that you can be proactive in protecting your vehicle’s exterior.

Sunlight

Without a doubt, one of the main causes of fading auto paint is the thing we see and encounter every day, the sun. The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can inflict damage on a vehicle’s exterior over time, as they cause the paint to oxidize and fade.

Always park in a garage or an area with a shaded cover if you can. If you don’t have a garage, consider investing in a car cover—they’re affordable and do the job of keeping your vehicle out of the sun.

Salt

Salt and paint don’t mix well, so ideally, you’d keep it off your vehicle as much as possible. Ocean salt can be challenging if you live near the beach. How do you protect your car from the air?

You can’t eliminate the salt from the air, but you can provide a tougher shield for your vehicle with a coat of carnauba wax or paint protection film. A protective coating is essential to prevent salt from the air—or the road if you live in a colder area—from sticking to and eroding your car’s paint.

Scratchy Brushes

You want to get the dirt, dust, and salt off your vehicle’s exterior, but you’ll want to avoid those quick, drive-through carwashes. The coarse bristles of an automated carwash are great for scraping off dirt, but they can also strip away your vehicle’s protective coating.

Pro-Tip: Handwash your vehicle and dry it off with a microfiber cloth or chamois to preserve its paint job.

Abrasive Cleaners

One of the most common mistakes in caring for a vehicle is washing the exterior with dish soap. It can clean pots and pans, so it’s suitable for your car, right? Wrong.

Dish soap contains harmful chemicals that can strip away the protective coating on your vehicle and fade the paint. Always use a cleaning detergent designed for cars. You can find them at practically any auto store.

Air Pollution

Salt isn’t the only thing in the air that can harm your vehicle’s exterior. Air pollution is another common cause of fading paint. The exhaust from vehicles and other fossil-burning machines puts carbon in the air, which can cause scarring and oxidation within a vehicle’s exterior.

If you live in a densely populated city with lots of traffic, you might want to consider a ceramic coating or paint protection film to keep the pollution off your car’s paint.