What do a rock, a tree branch, and a shopping cart have in common? They can ruin your car’s exterior without the slightest provocation. Nearly every car owner has had one of these three things put an unsightly dent in their car’s hood, fender, or door at some point. Worse yet, there are hundreds of other ways your car can be dented without ever being in an accident. Hail, a stray baseball, or even another car door can easily cause your car damage.
Many people simply live with the dent, believing it too expensive or too much of a hassle to fix — but it doesn’t have to be either. At the Rydell Body Shop, we have a skilled team of factory-trained professional technicians and body repair specialists ready to fix that pesky little dent. We’ve dealt with dents of all kinds and will have your vehicle looking like new in no time. Keep reading to learn just how easy and inexpensive it can be.
What Is a Dent?
Let’s start with the basics of what a dent actually is. It’s an indentation on your car’s exterior surface that was caused by something striking it with force. It could be caused by the tree branch or shopping cart mentioned above, or it could be something else entirely. Your car’s exterior is either aluminum, steel, or some other alloy that is firm, but not so rigid that it breaks when hit by something. Instead, the metal gives way leaving the dreaded dent.
Dents come in all shapes and sizes. Dents can be shallow and small, or they can be large and leave creases in the metal. The size of the dent is usually the biggest factor in determining the cost to repair it, though there are a few exceptions. Any significant damage to your car’s paint will impact the cost as well. A shopping cart might strike your door panel and cause a dent. It might also hit at an odd angle and leave a scratch or crease running off the dent, which will make the damage more costly to repair.
The quality and condition of your car’s original paint is a factor as well. Older cars will often have paint that chips or cracks when the vehicle is dented, compounding the problem. Older cars may also be made of thicker metals that are less flexible and resist being reshaped.
Traditional Dent Removal
The traditional method to repair a dent would consist of pulling the dent with a tool that actually causes more damage to the metal panel. Even without any additional damage, the process doesn’t leave a smooth surface to work with. Body fillers would be used to smooth out the imperfections still there. After that, a sanding of the entire panel, hood, or whatever part was affected is necessary.
Then you must paint the entire part, first with a primer and then with a finish coat or two to achieve the proper color. Sometimes the part must be removed to paint; other times you would need to tape up the neighboring parts of the car. Either way, it’s labor-intensive and costs money and time. Anticipate it taking anywhere from 2 days to a week or longer.
Paintless Dent Removal
Assuming there is no significant paint damage to your vehicle and all you need is to repair a dent, you should consider paintless dent removal. This is a less involved process than the traditional dent removal practices of years gone by. This is because today’s vehicles are built with thinner gauge metals and polyurethane paints that are much more pliable.
At Rydell Auto Group, our technicians use special tools designed to reshape the metal without harming the paint in the process. The job is done from the inside so there’s no additional damage to your exterior. When the job is done, there is no sanding, painting, or body fillers. Your car is back to its original shape, and your paint is still intact.
What Types of Dents Can Be Repaired With Paintless Dent Removal?
As long as there are no signs of paint damage, the process can work on almost any size dent. Hail damage can usually be repaired this way, as can dents caused by road debris like rocks or gravel. Minor parking accidents and fender benders can effectively be repaired with paintless dent removal, as can a ding from another car door.
There are a few types of dents that cannot be fixed with paintless dent removal. Any dent that involves cracked or missing paint can’t be fixed entirely with this method. The dent may be removed, but fresh paint will be required to fully restore your vehicle.
A double-walled metal panel can’t be repaired this way either. Because this job is done from the inside, the interior wall will obstruct the process. Any sharp edges or creases that were created by the impact cannot be repaired with paintless dent removal, either. These creases and edges have compromised the metal so that it cannot be returned to its original smooth shape.
The Cost to Repair a Dent
As we said earlier, several factors come into play. Paintless dent removal is by far the least expensive way to repair a dent. It also takes less time and maintains the structural integrity of your vehicle’s design better than alternative repair methods. You can expect a small dent to cost as little as $75 or as much as $500 depending on the size and location.
At Rydell Auto Group, we have one of the largest body repair shops in the region. All of our technicians are factory-trained to work with all types of vehicles. Our shop is an ASE and I-Car Gold certified body shop. We are also an OEM certified body shop for Nissan, Acura, and Honda and are Ford and Cadillac Aluminum certified.
Schedule Dent Repair at Our Grand Forks Body Shop
You can schedule your repair online or call us at 701-792-2846 with any questions you might have about our process. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will answer any questions you might have regarding your repair. We can even work with your insurance company to help cover the claim.
Connect with us
