How to Find the Right Touch Up Paint Code For Your Car (2024)

What’s a paint code?

When your vehicle was manufactured, it was coated with an extremely precise paint color from the carmaker. From one vehicle that rolls off the assembly line to another, and even one model year to another, the color remains consistent. That color is represented by a paint code, identifying it as the right hue to match your car.

If you use any other color than one with the same paint code, it’s almost a guarantee that it will be noticeable. Even among black cars, there are dozens of variations including metal flake content and underlying tones. Always use a paint code for touch up paint or your results won’t be quite what you expect.

How to find your car’s paint code

When you need paint to repair a small area on your vehicle, purchase it according to the paint code. You’ll find paint codes for cars in a couple of locations on your car, and there are ways to find it otherwise too.

Driver’s door label

When you open the driver’s door, a rectangular label is affixed either to the door edge or the B pillar. Along with the VIN and important information like GVWR, it often has the vehicle paint code printed on it. Look for an abbreviation like ‘EXT PNT’ or an identifier like ‘BODY COLOR CODE’, although sometimes the paint code isn’t so clearly identified. It can be between two and five digits.

Underhood label

For some cars, a label under the hood may contain paint code information too. This label could either be a sticker or riveted placard, and the details vary by make. Again, the color code might be clearly identified or it might have an abbreviation like ‘CC’, but in other cases, the code is simply stamped or printed with no other marks to indicate what it is.

This label can be difficult to read on some older cars since age and heat can deteriorate the printing on it. Or, grease and paint might be covering it.

Window sticker

If you’ve purchased your vehicle new, the Monroney sticker, or window sticker, might’ve been saved and stored with your owner’s manual. This sticker has your vehicle build information on it, and the paint code is often part of that info, but most often it has the paint color description instead.

Additional Automotive Paint Resources

10 Best Car Touch-Up Paint Products for Those Pesky Scratches Check out our list of the top touch-up paint to handle those pesky scratches on your vehcile. Read More
How to Touch Up Your Car’s Paint Job Got a scratch on your car that you could really do without? Learn how to touch up your paint job. Read More
How to Get Tar, Sap, Bugs, and Other Caked-on Dirt Off Your Car’s Paint Got some gunk on your vehicle that just won’t come off? Find out how to remove it. Read More

How to match your car’s paint

If you can’t find the paint code on your car, you can also get the paint code by VIN. Either use the manufacturer’s website or call your selling dealer to retrieve the paint code using the VIN. Once you have the paint code, you can find the right match for your vehicle at AutoZone with ease.

Or, if you know the color description rather than the paint code, you can search that way. While it leaves room for error, there’s a good chance you’ll come across the correct variation.

What to do when you can’t find the right touch up paint

Some colors, especially on classic and vintage cars, are no longer manufactured in off-the-shelf touch-up paint pens. If that’s true for your vehicle, you aren’t out of luck – it just takes an extra step. You might need to take a part off of your car and bring it to an automotive paint supplier for them to color match it, just like you’d do with paint for your home. Some discontinued paint codes might actually match a color another manufacturer uses, or it might have been assigned a different, more current code.

But if your code of car touch up paint doesn’t exist, it can be custom mixed by an automotive paint supplier too. It might be costly, and the results often aren’t guaranteed.

Or, if an exact match isn’t important to you and you’re more interested in making sure the metal doesn’t rust underneath, choose a universal touch up paint color and get the job done.

Looking for touch up paint to match your car? Shop at AutoZone. Our associates can help you find the correct match in-store, or shop online with your paint code to get the right color for your touch-ups.

How to Find the Right Touch Up Paint Code For Your Car (2024)

FAQs

How to Find the Right Touch Up Paint Code For Your Car? ›

Either use the manufacturer's website or call your selling dealer to retrieve the paint code using the VIN. Once you have the paint code, you can find the right match for your vehicle at AutoZone with ease. Or, if you know the color description rather than the paint code, you can search that way.

How do I find the paint code for my car? ›

Find your vehicle's paint code located on your vehicle's doorjamb label. The exterior paint code will be labeled as EXT PNT followed by two characters. Note: Older vehicles may have more than two characters.

How do you match touch up paint? ›

4 Ways to Match Paint Colors for Touchups
  1. Take a picture.
  2. Use an app.
  3. Buy a color-sensing device.
  4. Cut out a portion of the wall.
Aug 27, 2021

Can you get the paint code from a VIN? ›

Because your VIN acts as your car's fingerprint, you can use it to search for your car's paint code through other platforms. You can call your dealer, give them your VIN, and ask for the paint code. Another option is searching for paint codes online using your VIN.

How to find the exact color of your car? ›

Car color codes are most easily found on your vehicle information sticker, usually located on your dash, in the trunk, or inside your door jamb.

How do I match my car paint code? ›

Either use the manufacturer's website or call your selling dealer to retrieve the paint code using the VIN. Once you have the paint code, you can find the right match for your vehicle at AutoZone with ease. Or, if you know the color description rather than the paint code, you can search that way.

How to color match car paint without code? ›

If obtaining a sample to color-match at your local paint store isn't an option, you can utilize the latest in color-matching apps to match your paint as closely as possible. Use a color-matching tool like the Nix Mini 2 or Datacolor ColorReader EZ.

Can you find the paint code by registration? ›

Yes, you can find your car's Color online using our service. By entering your vehicle's registration number, our system retrieves the exact Color from official databases. Is the car Color check free? Yes, our car Color check is free, providing you with the essential information needed for accurate paint matching.

How to find paint code by VIN Toyota? ›

When looking at the VIN sticker on your Tacoma, it isn't always easy to spot the color code at first. But Toyota has made it as straightforward as possible by placing the code on the left-hand side of the tag right underneath the bar code.

How do I know what color to paint my car? ›

Factors That Can Influence Your Car Color Choice
  1. Personal Taste. When selecting a car color, the buyer's personal choice is likely the single most important factor. ...
  2. Maintenance. Maintaining the color of your car might be difficult. ...
  3. Heat Absorption. Metal is a great conductor of heat. ...
  4. Cost. ...
  5. Resale Value.
Sep 7, 2022

What are the different levels of Maaco paint jobs? ›

At Maaco, we offer three paint packages tailored to your specific needs and budget concerns: Basic, Preferred, and Premium.

How does Maaco prep a car for paint? ›

Our packages include standard prep to remove nicks and scratches (excluding the 20/20) and hand sanding to provide a mechanical bond for the new finish, but do not include a provision for repairing cracks, peeling or cracking paint, and delaminating clear coat.

How do I find my car paint code online? ›

Find your paint code by reg

Most car owners can find their paint code on our website using their vehicle registration number. Just type it into the colour matched car paint box and click search. Your results will confirm the exact make, model, year and basic colour of your car - for example, black.

Where is the paint code normally located on a car? ›

All modern vehicles will have their paint code on the bodywork somewhere, most commonly located on the door jamb, door frame or door hinge.

Do cars have a paint code? ›

Your car's colour code will be stamped on its build/VIN plate. Here, you will find all the information on your vehicle, including its engine, transmission code, axle code, VIN number, and colour code.

How do I find the paint code on my Ford VIN? ›

VIN tags contain a lot of information and numerous abbreviated headings. The paint code will be located underneath the barcode and may be prefixed by “EXT PNT,” which stands for exterior paint.

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