Got Dents? 5 Reasons to Have Car Dents Repaired Professionally

Scrapes, dents, and dings on your car can occur for a number of reasons. Whether the damage happened in a collision or a close encounter with a railing, you may notice the warping or discoloration every time you look at your car.

A professional can quickly fix most dents and similar auto body damage. But you may wonder if the repairs are necessary. What happens if you leave these dents unaddressed?

In this blog, we list five of the reasons it’s important to have an auto body professional evaluate and repair the damage to your car, no matter how small the dent appears.

1. Cosmetic Damage Decreases Vehicle Value

If you have ever purchased a used car, you know that any visible damage affects the overall price. Dents can factor into a professional appraisal of your car’s value almost as much as mileage and year.

Even small amounts of damage can ensure that you’re stuck with your second-choice trade-in car or a smaller payout for resale of the vehicle in the future.

2. Dents Increase the Risk of Rust Development

Automotive paint does more than make your car look attractive; it also helps prevent rust development. Dents and scrapes create small vulnerabilities in your vehicle’s paint job that expose the underlying materials.

Run your fingertip over the damage on your car. If you can feel the damage and see it, those dings could lead to rusting.

3. Impact Incidents Can Alter Alignment

After an impact incident, whether you collide with another car or a baseball hits your door, you rush to look for damage. A dent may not seem too bad, but not all impact damage is visible. In fact, many automotive impact incidents alter the frame or wheel alignment.

This misalignment can change the handling of your car and, in extreme cases, make the vehicle unsafe to drive.

4. Superficial Damage Can Hide Serious Issues

In addition to unseen alignment issues, dents can distract from other forms of serious auto body damage. For example, when a plastic bumper becomes damaged, the deformation of the bumper may hide a bent or crumpled frame.

Like alignment issues, these types of damage can cause serious problems if not identified and addressed when they occur.

5. Timely Repairs Minimize Overall Damage and Costs

Generally when it comes to car repairs, the sooner you can have the work done the better. This principle holds true for scrapes and dings just as much as strange engine block noises. When your car sustains a new dent, the damage is localized and probably shallow.

Over time, however, the elements can expand the dent. Even if you don’t experience rusting, the dent may be bigger, deeper, or more difficult to fix if you wait to bring your car in for repairs.

If you live in an extreme climate, the risk of greater damage the longer you wait is higher. Vehicle owners who live in humid climates, in areas with high temperatures, or near large bodies of saltwater should take particular care, especially if they do not store their vehicle in a car port or garage.

When you notice a new dent, don’t wait for the damage to affect the way you operate or enjoy your car.

If you need auto body work after a serious accident or a fender bender, trust the team at Central Body Company, Inc. We offer solutions for most forms of body damage. Our facilities include state-of-the-art painting equipment to repair cosmetic damage and revitalize your car’s appearance as well as skilled technicians who can restore body damage that could alter your car’s handling.