Not all key marks are created equal. Some are just a light graze in the clear coat—the top layer of paint that protects the color beneath. If you run your fingernail over it and it doesn’t catch, you’re in luck. That’s a surface scratch and often fixable with some polish or a compound.
If your nail catches in the groove, the scratch went deeper—into the color or even the primer. And if you see bare metal? Uh-oh. That’s the serious stuff, because rust is a lazy but persistent jerk that will move in if you don’t act fast. A pro repair is your friend here.
