Dent Repair – Hire an Expert or Do it Yourself?

Probably the most common dent you can get is from another car parked next to you. You neighbor opens their door to wide and your car gets damaged. Don’t get too upset, because it doesn’t take a very hard knock to pop a little dent. They may not have even noticed.

Other common ways you might have gotten it are from debris hitting your car at high speeds, such as rocks or gravel that get kicked up on the road, hail stones, and other falling or thrown objects. If the debris is thrown or falls with enough force, it can even cause a crack or chip the paint, which means repair is significantly more complicated. They are also possible from resting heavy objects against or on top of the car, so be gentle.

Should I bother getting it fixed?

Professional mending is very expensive and often people don’t think it’s worth the money. It does take only moments for a body shop to pop out a couple of superficial dents, but cracks, folds, and paint damage will take considerably longer.

A minor ding is probably best left ignored and can be fixed later before a sale or as more are acquired. However, large ones and those that are creased or show signs of damaged should be fixed immediately. Leaving these problems can result in large areas of damage or further cracking of the body.

Can I fix it myself?

Sometimes yes, but it also depends on how brave you are. If you’re not good at DIY projects, this might not be the place to start to learn. You can greatly damage the car with many of the common methods used, which is why you’ll just want to bring it to the professionals. Small dings on the doors or hood can often be popped out with your hands or a rubber mallet and small block of wood used on the opposite side to where the problem is.

Plungers can work on doors and there are kits, which work similarly by creating suction, can be purchased at most auto stores. If you have paint damage, unless you are experienced or plan on tackling the task of matching your factory job, you probably want to bring it to a specialist.

How much will it cost?

The repair isn’t going to be cheap, but if you shop around you certainly can find a reasonable price. Contact a few different companies. Some specialize in paintless repair, which is usually a lot more affordable than those that will require paint and possibly even body work.

Paintless repairs will depend on the size of the ding, but usually the cost hovers near the area of $200 to $400. Changes that requires some body work can cost upwards of $1,000, at which point you might want to get your insurance involved to cut down on costs.