Anyone else have issues with their CD player/transport not playing slightly damaged CD's?

If your CDP is not new then perhaps it needs lens cleaning (lens cleaning CD).  Inner diameter scuffs are worse being closer.  If nothing works, then you can rip CD and record CD-R.

Unfortunately I have found there to be a considerable difference between the tracking ability of various CD players.

One of the very best in my experience was a Technics SL-PG480A from the late 90s.

We used to have this horribly scratched (all over the face) best of Motown 2CD box at this studio where I did some voluntary work and it always made me smile when the Technics CD player was able to sail right through.

I wasn't smiling as much when my much vaunted UK tuned midrange Sony deck couldn't do the same. Yet the Samsung drive on my Dell PC could still rip it.

In my experience car CD players and those on midi systems are usually worse.

I have read that one of the earliest audiophile CD players from Cambridge actually featured a readout that would illustrate the amount of error correction in real time.

It's a pity that more manufacturers didn't include that feature. Maybe their health and safety departments figured all that constant uncertainty wouldn't be good for our sanity!

Anyway, in your case it could be worth taking off the lid and giving the laser a very gentle clean with a soft bristled artist paint brush - NO COTTON BUDS.

If you want to use some isopropyl alcohol then you should finish with a wipe of the same brush damped with some distilled/ purified (boiled) water afterwards.

If it's a case of fading laser power then have a look online to see if you can boost it for now via one of its neighbouring pots.

I'm sure Cambridge would be happy to advise. Don't be shy, most manufacturers in my experience have been great in sharing out advice.

Agree with kijanki. Try cleaning the lens. There certainly are differenced in transport tracking sensitivity though.