Wash your car frequently. Merely brushing up against a dirty car can mark the finish. Also, road oils and dirt cause paint deterioration when left on too long.

Check your trim moldings occasionally to make sure they are tight. Many trim pieces are held on with glue, or double-sided tape. They deteriorate and lose their adhesiveness over time.

Plastic clips can break, and metal clips can rust. Pay particular attention to the passenger side of your car. Most of us get in and out of the driver door several times a day, and see damage as it occurs, but we don't always look carefully at the passenger side.

Don't drag vacuum hoses, garden hoses, or gas hoses over the top of your vehicle. This can cause scratches or scuffs on the edges of body panels.

Wash gas stains from around the fuel filler door as quickly as possible.

Avoid sitting on, standing on, or leaning against your vehicle.

Avoid setting grocery bags or other items on your vehicle. This is perhaps the most common cause of surface scratches on the hood, roof or trunk.

Most "door dings" and dents happen in parking lots, Here's how you can avoid them:
Park next to four-door cars. Their doors are shorter than those on two-door models, so passengers are less likely to hit adjacent vehicles when opening their doors.

Park between compact cars. The smaller the cars, the larger the space in between them.

Park next to a new vehicle. New car owners are usually much more careful. Don't park next to rusted, dirty, or damaged vehicles. These owners don't care about their vehicle - and probably don't care about yours.

Don't park at the unprotected end of a row. Poor visibility at parking lot intersections leads to numerous accidents.

Avoid parking near poles. You won't back or turn into a pole that you forgot was there.