How to Check If a Car Has Been Repainted (DIY Guide)
Whether you’re buying a used car or just curious about your own, knowing whether a car has been repainted can tell you a lot about its history. Resprays aren’t always a bad thing—but they can sometimes hide accident repairs or body filler. This guide gives you a straightforward, hands-on method to figure it out for yourself.
What You Need Before You Start
To carry out a proper inspection, you’ll want a few basic tools. A magnet or an affordable paint depth gauge will help with panel analysis. A torchlight (or your phone’s flashlight) will help spot paint inconsistencies. You’ll also want a microfibre cloth for cleaning any dusty spots before checking. If you want to go further, a cheap UV torch can help detect differences in the clear coat.
Start with a Visual Inspection
Begin by walking around the car in good daylight. Look at the car from different angles to catch inconsistencies. Metallic paints like silver or grey are especially telling—panels that have been resprayed often reflect light differently. You’re looking for subtle differences in colour between panels, which might suggest a panel has been painted separately. Also, look for variations in the texture of the paint. Factory paint tends to have a fine, even texture (often called “orange peel”), whereas resprays can sometimes appear flatter or rougher.
Feel the Panel Edges and Gaps
Run your fingers gently along door edges, inside wheel arches, and the bottom edges of panels. If you notice rough tape lines, paint on rubber seals, or unusual textures, that’s a sign that masking tape was used during a repaint. These areas are often missed during resprays and can give away a non-factory job quickly.
Check with a Magnet or Paint Depth Gauge
There are two simple tools you can use here: a magnetic depth gauge and a digital paint thickness gauge.
A magnetic depth gauge is perfect for quickly spotting filler. It works by placing the magnet against the panel and measuring how much resistance there is when you pull it away. Filler isn’t magnetic—so if the magnet lifts off too easily, there’s likely filler underneath. This tool is quick, cheap, and a great way to find non-metal repairs on steel bodywork.
A digital paint thickness gauge, on the other hand, is ideal for checking the overall paint depth in microns. Use it to spot changes in thickness from one panel to the next. A sudden jump in numbers could mean a panel has been repainted. Factory paint usually reads between 100–180 microns. Repaints are often 200+, and filler repairs can go 300 microns and beyond.
Where should you check? Focus on panels that are harder to replace—like rear quarters, roof pillars, and sills. These parts aren’t easily swapped like doors or bumpers. So, if you find filler here, it could point to a more serious repair that wasn’t just cosmetic.
Look for Overspray in Hidden Areas
Overspray is one of the clearest signs of a repaint, especially if it wasn’t done professionally. Open the fuel cap, doors, and boot and examine the hidden areas around edges and seals. You might find tiny paint flecks on rubber seals, plastic trims, or even behind badges. These are places that body shops often fail to mask properly.
Inspect for Masking Mistakes
Repainted cars often reveal themselves in the small details. Check for paint on screw heads or bolts—these are typically unpainted from the factory. Run your light across the trim and badges. If you notice tiny paint ridges, uneven lines, or faded marks where masking tape once was, you’re likely looking at a resprayed section.
Try Using a UV Torch (Optional But Effective)
If you want to take things a step further, use a UV torch. In a dim garage or at night, shine it across the paint surface. Factory-applied clear coat tends to glow consistently under UV light, while repainted areas often appear dull, patchy, or irregular. It’s not 100% foolproof, but it can be a very useful final check.
Know What It Means
What we’re really looking for is the extent of any previous damage. The key sign is filler—and not just its thickness, but how far it spreads. Long, wide patches of filler can be a sign of serious past repairs.
It’s not uncommon to find small amounts of filler, and it’s also normal for entire panels, like a door to be repainted just to fix a minor scratch. But when that filler runs across multiple panels or large surface areas, it usually tells a bigger story.
Take It With You
To make inspections easier, we’ve put together a printable car paint inspection checklist. It includes space for recording panel conditions, depth readings, and other notes. It’s perfect for test drives or pre-purchase viewings.
This guide gives you an easy way to check any car’s paintwork like a pro. If you’d like us to cover other DIY inspection tips, like spotting accident damage or signs of clocking, let us know!