Repairing Dings and Dents

By Ron Haugen

Minor fender benders, hailstorms and shopping cart attacks commonly cause damage to your car's outer shell. These imperfections affect the appearance of the car as well as reducing its resale value. It is easy to repair most minor damage with modern technology.

The Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that up to 70 percent of all car accidents leave vehicles in drivable but damaged condition

• 30 percent are rear impact
• 29 percent are side impact
• 16 percent involve collisions with stationary items like light poles
• Collisions with animals, especially deer, impact over one million drivers in the US every year.

Repairing scratches in the car's finish can be tricky, too.

• Superficial scratches in the clear coat or base paint can be sanded and buffed out in just a few hours. Technicians then apply wax to seal in the repairs.
• Deep scratches that extend to the primer or even the metal of the car body take more time and work to repair.
• Often cars with deep scratches and creases must be repainted after repairs are done.

Repairing chipped paint is usually fast and easy.

• Repair paint chips promptly and prevent future rust problems from developing in the exposed metal areas.
• Many express chip repair shops have opened around the country, offering service in just a few hours.
• The results are nearly invisible and come at a fraction of the cost of other repairs.

A "dent" is any impact into the metal exterior of the car that causes the metal to stretch and distort from its original shape.

• Dents go inward and warp the metal outward around the edges of the dip.
• The depth of the dent determines the type of repair needed to restore the car.
• Large, shallow dents can be treated with Paintless Dent Removal (PDR) methods.
• Tiny but very deep impacts stretch the metal too far for PDR methods.
• Any cracked paint in or around a dent usually indicates the dent is too deep for a PDR repair.
• Dents in the hood, trunk, top deck and rear quarter panels of cars are usually more expensive to repair.

Paintless Dent Removal (PDR) is a fast, relatively inexpensive way to repair minor dings, dents, hail damage, scratches and imperfections.

• PDR methods repair the damage from behind, leaving the original finish of the car in great shape.
• PDR uses no paints, no fillers and no expensive auto body repair shop equipment.
• Most insurance companies, who recommend it due to the cost-saving measures, approve the procedure.
• Drivers usually get their car fixed in just a few hours
• Paintless Dent Repair is also safer for the environment.
• PDR restores cars to their original condition without owners having to worry about mismatched paint.
• Technicians do not have to sand the repaired metal
• Cars stay structurally sound with their factory finishes intact.

Experienced auto body and PDR technicians strongly advise car owners not to attempt fixing dents and ding at home with cheap "do it yourself" kits. These kits usually leave damage looking worse, costing owners hundreds of dollars to get the dents re-repaired at a body shop. Of course, if your car is older and appearance is not an issue, give a "do it yourself" kit a try.

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