Tar is a sticky, black substance that can be difficult to remove from your car’s paint.
There are many products out there that claim to remove tar, but which one is the best? To find out, we have compiled this exhaustive buying guide for you!
The article contains reviews on the top 7 best tar remover for car paint and a guide on how to choose the perfect remover without falling for the wrong product.
So, without any further ado, let’s get started.
Our 7 Best Tar Remover for Car Paint Picks:
Here are the detailed reviews-
1. CARPRO TarX Tar & Adhesive Remover – 500mL Spray Bottle
Widely used by professionals and aftermarket enthusiasts worldwide, the CARPRO TarX Tar & Adhesive Remover – 500mL Spray Bottle comes first because of its excellent and timely response to most types of tar buildup on tires and surfaces.
This heavy-duty cleaner works beautifully for cleaning car parts and several contaminants like tar, leftover adhesive, and even disgusting bug splatter (we wouldn’t blame you if you made somebody else do that, though).
It’s also made to have a super-fast reaction time, so you won’t have to wait hours after application to clean it off.
It’s more expensive than the other tar cleaners on this list, but if reviews are anything to go by, we’d say it’s definitely worth the investment to make your cleaning life that much easier.
Benefits:
- A few sprays of this tar remover are enough to remove crusty tar spots.
- Citrus-based nature means you can clean tires without worrying about damaging them.
- Long shelf life of 2 years prevents you from having to purchase the product repeatedly.
Drawbacks:
- The product will leave hard-to-remove spots on paint protection film, so ensure you don’t spray any on surfaces coated with PFP.
2. Turtle Wax 50595 Power Foam Bug & Tar Remover – 16 oz
Turtle Wax doesn’t have the best track record, but anybody who’s driven more than five miles will recognize the usefulness of the Turtle Wax 50595 Power Foam Bug & Tar Remover.
For one, unlike many Turtle Wax’s products, this bug and tar remover is completely aerosol-based foam and completely non-oily at that. It won’t leave mystifying streak marks on your windshield (and yes, you can clean glass surfaces with this cleaner, too!).
According to our research, it works well for most types of crusted tar, but where it shines is removing all those nasty insects that dry on your car’s front. The aerosol spray’s unique spray pattern also makes it easy to cover large spots in one go or apply a tiny bit of foam to clean a single area.
Benefits:
- More affordable than most foam-based bug and tar removers.
- Letting the foam sit for a minute removes bugs crusted on the windshield for months.
- It doesn’t need anything more than a cheap microfiber pad to clean off the product.
Drawbacks:
- The product isn’t practical for removing tree sap at all and usually will have no effect on sap that has been allowed to dry.
3. Gtechniq W7 Tar and Glue Remover 500ml
You might think it’s nothing more than a tar cleaner, but in reality, the Gtechniq W7 Tar and Glue Remover 500ml stands as one of the best overall cleaning solutions on this list. Whether it’s sap, tar, or glue residue from stickers, this full-strength cleaner can get rid of it with ease.
It reacts with the surface fast, which means you don’t need to leave it on for more than a couple of minutes. Out of the products we checked out for this list, the W7 tar remover is probably the fastest and can remove road tar within minutes.
A neat little feature of the Gtechniq W7 Tar Remover is that you can apply it on top of any Gtechniq coating, wax, or sealant without damaging it, offering unmatched convenience as long as you use Gtechniq products.
Note, though, that it’s not fit for application on PPF or wrapped vehicles.
Benefits:
- W7 Tar Remover works equally well for removing both sap and leftover adhesive.
- The 500ml bottle will easily last you an entire year, if not more.
- The no-nonsense nozzle sprays the product evenly and doesn’t get damaged.
Drawbacks:
- Tar remover creates brown runoff that can stain your driveway.
4. Griot’s Garage 10982 Bug and Smudge Remover 22oz
Griot’s Garage says their products are the best because they love what they do, and this Bug and Smudge Remover certainly doesn’t say otherwise.
The Griot’s Garage 10982 Bug and Smudge Remover is a heavy-duty gunk remover that works on most of the nasties you’re likely to get on your car. Oils, road grime that won’t wash off, Tar, and scuff all easily wash off after a few applications of this remover.
Unlike the CARPRO TarX Tar Remover, You can apply this Griot’s Garage tar remover on all surfaces without creating hard-to-remove marks on them. On top of being an effective tar remover, it also functions really well as a general cleaning product.
Plus, it also cleans tree sap well, which is a significant problem with many tar cleaners today.
Benefits:
- Removes heavy oil as well as it does sap, tar, and other gunk
- A 30-second wait is more than enough for the tar remover to take effect
- You can use this tar remover on all exterior surfaces without damaging them
- Shipped in foil-sealed bottles with regular caps to prevent leakage
Drawbacks:
- Spraying near rubber seals can create streak marks on the rubber
5. Chemical Guys CWS_104_64 Concentrated Bug and Tar Remover
We’ve all had that moment when we just got a new coat of paint on our car, but our excitement is ruined by the borderline coating of disgusting bugs on our windshield.
The Chemical Guys Tar Remover are made precisely for those situations when you need an easy-to-apply cleaner that can melt stuff like that right off.
This Bug and Tar Remover from Chemical Guys uses a heavy-duty formula for maximum cleaning power and doesn’t contain any harsh solvents that can damage your paint. You can use it as-is or dilute the product in a spray bottle for softer spot treatment.
Additionally, you can use this tar remover as an addition to your car wash soap. Add 1-3oz of the remover into your soap for that smooth, perfect little shine to your car’s fenders, grilles, windshield, and headlights!
Benefits:
- Works on plastic, chrome, glass, aluminum, and steel surfaces
- Washes away everything from bugs and sap to tar, grime, and adhesive
Drawbacks:
- The product isn’t heavy-duty, which means it can have trouble removing tar and bugs that have been sitting in the sun for weeks.
6. Car Gods Tar Dissolver and Glue Residue Remover 17fl Oz 500ml
The Car Gods Tar Dissolver and Glue Residue Remover is a high-grade tar remover that is recommended by thousands of car enthusiasts and professional auto garages worldwide because of its effective tar removing action.
This is a slow-acting remover in a new change, but here’s the surprise: after applying the remover, you can sit back and watch the tar melt off instead of using your own hands!
It protects your car’s surfaces by removing spots without harming your paint or other coatings and can be used as a prep for further stages of treating your car. Its ability to remove harsh contaminants in seconds makes it one of the most highly rated products on this list.
We might be fawning over this tar remover, but we’ll end by saying that if you’re okay with spending a bit, we recommend choosing this effective tar remover!
Benefits:
- Softens the hardest caked-on tar that’s been allowed to sit for months
- The cream-colored product is easy to see against most darker shades of paint.
- A thumb-size amount applied to a microfiber bonnet is enough to polish your paintwork.
Drawbacks:
- It takes more time than other tar removers here
7. Armor All Extreme Bug & Tar Remover (16 fluid ounces)
Whether you have nasty bugs splattered across the front of your car or annoying tar spots near your fender, the Armor all Extreme Bug and Tar Remover is the perfect product for getting rid of them.
It’s the perfect addition to your standard washing process for your car. Rinse the vehicle using pressure first to clean off the lightly crusted gunk, and then apply this product and clean with a lint-free microfiber bonnet to get rid of crusted tree sap along with dried insects and bird droppings.
We did notice, though, that finding this product at retailers was almost impossible. Most of the time, you’ll have to look to online sites to get this product, where it can get a little pricey.
Benefits:
- It can be used as an addition to your typical car washing process like the Car Gods Tar Dissolver
- A soft dishrag or towel works just as well, meaning you don’t have to sink money behind microfiber bonnets.
Drawbacks:
- Like the Chemical Guys CWS_104_64 Concentrated Bug and Tar Remover, this product also has trouble dealing with heavier tar spots. You’ll have to use your nails to crack pieces of the tar.
How to Choose the Best Tar Remover for Car Paint
Now that you know what are the top products, you may want to know the process to pick them out yourself. Here’s what you need to consider-
Materials Used
The first thing to consider is the ingredients used in the product. Look for products that are more of natural substances, rather than chemicals and perfumes. Natural tar removers can be just as effective since they work slowly but surely without damaging your car’s paint.
Size
Another important factor to keep in mind while selecting a product is its size. Decide whether you want to buy a product that comes in smaller packs or one with bigger volumes.
It’s better to pick products according to your needs. Smaller bottles won’t clean a whole car and a big bottle will have leftovers after usage. So, a medium-sized bottle according to your vehicle size is what you should aim at.
Eco-Friendliness
Whether the product you are choosing is eco-friendly or not is an important thing to consider. Choose a remover that does not contain harsh chemicals and perfumes which can affect your car’s paint job in the long run.
Some products do the job pretty well but they emit harmful chemicals to the environment. We recommend staying away from those as the pollution harms everybody, including you and me!
Car Paint Compatibility
Different car paints have different requirements. Check whether the product you are choosing is compatible with your paint job or not before purchasing it.
Especially, if you have used paint wrap or paint protection film, most tar removers will damage those products.
Ease of Use
Finally, check the ease of use of the product. It is recommended to go for products that are easier to apply and remove without any hassles.
I always prefer bottles that come with a sprayer so that I don’t need to buy a separate gadget just to apply the cleaner.
And it’s better to go with a popular product than a new one as you’ll easily find the dilution ratio and other important stuff pretty easily.
Tar Remover Price
The final thing to consider is the price of the products. Remember, cheap isn’t always better! Look for products within your budget and compare their features before making any final decisions.
Final Verdict
Passing a verdict for the Best Tar Remover For Car Paint is a little challenging, not just because of the vast difference in prices these products have. A softer product won’t harm your surfaces, but it also won’t remove baked-in spots of grime.
On the other hand, a heavier product will do great for removing grime and tar but could harm your rubber surfaces.
We decided to go for a mid-grade product that offers heavy-duty products’ efficiency without any potential harm: The CARPRO TarX Tar & Adhesive Remover – 500mL Spray Bottle!
It’s a simple, no-nonsense tar remover that works in seconds and will get everything from insects to grime and tar off with relative ease. Just make sure to get a lint-free microfiber, will you?