You’re minding your own business, parked sensibly in a parking space at your local grocery store when a runaway shopping cart thumps into your car door. Or, there you are when a car parks too close to yours and opens up their door directly into your car, leaving a nice long dent.
The truth is, dents happen, especially on car doors. And car door repairs may not seem like a priority, especially when the damage appears minimal, but you should reconsider ignoring any sort of damage to your car door.
Car door damage is more than just an annoyance. Minor dents and dings can lead to worse problems later on if you don’t deal with them quickly. Here are some things to know about car door repair, so you can keep your car in great shape.
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Car Door Repairs Are Common
It seems that car doors are always taking a hit, literally. Car door repairs are relatively common, largely because the door is articulated every time you get into or out of the vehicle. Because car doors are moving parts, there are more opportunities for dings, dents, and scratches to occur.
Car door dents are especially common, though if you’re lucky, you won’t have many in your lifetime. Unfortunately, it’s easy to dent a car door. A runaway shopping cart, another car door being too close to your own, or even a nasty hail storm can all leave ugly dents and paint damage on your car door.
You Should Repair Car Door Dents Quickly
It can be tempting to ignore a dent in your car door, especially if you think it’s not very noticeable. But, ignoring the problem won’t make it go away, and it could make your problems even worse.
Minor dents are often quickly and easily repaired with methods such as paintless dent removal. By carefully pushing or pulling out the dent, your paint job can be spared, saving you a good deal of money on having the paint touched up or painted over.
If you ignore that annoying car dent, it could weaken the paint, leading to peeling or flaking. Not only does this make your car look bad, but it exposes your car’s body to the elements and can lead to rust forming on the body of the vehicle.
Not All Car Door Repairs Require a Body Shop
Some car door damage is substantial enough to require a trip to a body shop, but for more minor dents and dings, you could take your car to a dent removal specialist and save a lot of money.
Minor damage can be cheaper and easier to fix, but ignoring dents could lead to more costly repairs later on. These later repairs might require bodywork, but if you deal with your minor car door damage early on, you could save yourself a trip to the body shop.
On average, the cost to repair or replace a car door can range from $50 to $1000+. Repainting or touching up dings and dents in your car door can cost from $200 to $1000. However, paintless dent removal services can be much less expensive and can help prevent your car from needing more bodywork later on, while preserving your car’s resale value.
Your Insurance May Cover Car Door Repairs
If you’re avoiding having repairs done to your damaged car door because you think it’s too expensive, check with your insurance company. Often, damage to your car door is covered under your car insurance. Even relatively minor damage that can be repaired by paintless dent removal may be covered under your insurance policy.
How do you know if you should file a claim for car door repairs? It depends on how much your deductible is and how much the repairs will cost if you pay out of pocket.
Your best bet is to get a quote for the repairs and then compare the cost to your insurance deductible. It’s a good idea to find out if filing a claim will impact your insurance rates, too. It may be in your best interest to simply pay for repairs out of pocket to keep your insurance premiums lower.
Repainting Your Car Can Lower its Value
One of the biggest reasons to address minor door damage is that letting it worsen may require repainting. In some cases, repainting your car or part of it can lower its resale value.
Ideally, you should maintain your car’s original paint. Sometimes, it can be difficult to exactly match a touch-up color to the original, especially if your car is an unusual color. If the repaint job isn’t done well, it will be noticeable, making it harder to sell the car later on.
Talk to Our Professional PDR Technicians
Many people are hesitant to go to a professional shop to repair a dent. However, if you want to make sure a dent is taken care of correctly, the only truly reliable and safe method is to take it to someone who knows what they’re doing.
Our qualified PDR technicians at JM Dent Repair are here to get your car looking like new again. Unlike other auto body shops, we specialize in paintless dent repair — meaning our service is quick, affordable, and of the highest quality. Contact us today to see how we can help.