You’ve had a tiny little dent or ding in your car for a while now. It’s unsightly but not very noticeable. Should you bother taking it in to have the dent removed? After all, it’s not hurting anything, is it?
It can be tempting to ignore those minor dents on your car, especially if they’re not glaringly obvious. After all, most people don’t budget for ‘cosmetic’ car repairs, and you probably aren’t bothered by a slight imperfection.
But you should ignore those minor dents at your peril because they can end up costing you big down the line. Here’s what you need to know about car dents and how they can worsen over time.
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Dents and Your Car’s Paint
Can dents get worse over time? Sure they can. A dent in the body of your car can damage the integrity of the paintwork, for starters. In addition, what begins as a barely-there dent can later lead to flaking, peeling paint that exposes your car’s body to the elements, which means rust and corrosion.
A damaged paint job isn’t just unsightly. The paint is what protects the body of the car from wind, rain, and sunlight that could weaken or rust your vehicle. Small patches of paint loss can quickly turn into large patches, and you definitely want to avoid this.
Most people don’t think about the structural integrity of a car’s body panels, but the truth is, your paint is the main line of defense against your car body’s deterioration. Dents can weaken that defense and leave you with a less structurally sound car as a result.
Early Dent Repair Vs. Fixing Your Paint Job
If the thought of paying to have a small dent repaired makes your wallet clench, just consider the cost of having the paint job fixed. While patching up a small spot of paint may not cost too much, if you’re unlucky enough to have waited until the damage is much worse, it could cost you anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars to repair.
Some dent removal techniques can ultimately prevent you from having to have any paintwork done. Paintless dent removal is an option, but you should have it done as early as possible to avoid further damage to your car’s exterior.
A Small Dent, Or Something Worse?
Cars don’t get dents through gentle handling. While it’s true that some dents, such as those caused by hail or small rocks hitting your car, are mostly just cosmetic, other dents could be hiding something more sinister.
If you’ve ever been in a minor ‘fender bender,’ your car may only appear to have received minor damages. But often, minor dents can hide more severe damage that can cause you problems later on.
Damage to your car’s frame, the tire alignment, or even the suspension system can all be hard to spot at first. But, then, after adding a few more miles to your car’s life, they rear their ugly heads and can result in expensive repair bills.
Thinking About the Future
If you ever plan to sell your car, make sure you have minor dents removed as soon as you can. Dents aren’t only unsightly, but they can also put a buyer off and cost you money, too. Most buyers are going to go over your car with an eagle eye, looking for any minor or significant faults so that they can haggle you down on your price.
If you plan on repairing the dents later on, but before you put the car up for sale, remember that the paint can sustain more damage over time if the dents remain. What could cost you a small amount to fix now might cost hundreds of dollars more in several months, so avoid repairs at your own risk.
Why DIY Dent Removal Is a Don’t
It can be tempting to think that you can tackle minor dents on your own, but believe us, this can be a bad idea. Depending on the dent’s location, size, and depth, you could wind up causing more damage to your car.
Many online websites offer tips for DIY dent removal, but what they don’t tell you is that you could make the problem worse if you aren’t careful. Damaged paint, cracked panels, and even more denting can result from botched DIY repair jobs. So unless you’re an expert at this sort of repair, please leave it up to the professionals.
Deal With Dents Early On
Putting off dent removal is never a great idea. It’s often much cheaper just to deal with the dents as soon as you can, and you can prolong the life of your car’s paint job when you do.
At JM Dent Repair, we can help you take care of minor dents before they become big problems. In addition, we offer a paintless dent removal service that can help restore your car without the need for expensive repairs.
Whether you’re trying to preserve your car’s appearance for future resale value, or if you just want to make sure your vehicle stays in great shape, contact us to see how we can help.