Many dents and dings can now be repaired without a trace, when the work is performed by a skilled technician. And techniques have developed to the point that dings can be removed with the original paint in place.
Consumer Awareness Increasing
Paintless dent removal (PDR) has become widely used over the past decade by car dealers, rental agencies and auctions to prepare vehicles for resale. Yet very few consumers are aware the process exists.
Specially fabricated tools and techniques for PDR have been developed to remove dents, often up to the size of a football, from almost any body panel of a vehicle. No sanding, body filler or repainting is necessary. In most cases, when the process is complete the dent is no longer visible.
What Can Be Fixed?
Paintless dent repair is very effective for the following situations:
from very small to large dents;
generally 1990 model year and newer vehicles;
the paint has not been broken or cracked;
the dent is not near the edge of a panel;
the panel has not had previous body repair.
PDR is so effective for hail damage that most insurance companies use paintless dent repair specialist.
Admittedly, not all damage to the body of a vehicle can be repaired with PDR techniques, but if a dent cannot be removed completely, often the repair will make the damage almost unnoticeable.
Advantages of Paintless Dent Repair
A number of advantages for paintless dent repair include:
no repainting or body filler needed;
less expensive than traditional body repair;
same-day service in most cases;
no risk of paint overspray on other vehicle areas;
no risk of incorrect color matching;
vehicle retains original paint.
A vehicle with original paint retains a higher value than a repainted vehicle. Even if it is just a door or a fender, it is always preferable to maintain the original paint on a vehicle for as long as possible.
How Is It Done?
PDR technicians use specialized tools to push the metal back into its original shape from behind the dent. Depending on the location of the damage, the panel is accessed by removing trim pieces, through window openings or by removing inner panels.