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. Paintless dent removal eliminates large and small dents by massaging the damaged metal back into place. This non-invasive process protects your car while saving you time and money.
Paintless Dent Repair (PDR), also known as “Paintless Dent Removal”, is a collection of techniques for removing minor dents and dings from the body of a car. A wide range of damage can be repaired using PDR; however, if there is paint damage, Paintless Dent Removal may be unsuitable.
The most common use for Paintless Dent Removal is for the repair of hail damage, door dings, minor creases, small to medium size dents, and sometimes minor bumper indentations if accessible and the bumper is made of plastic. The techniques used in Paintless Dent Removal may also be applied to help prepare the damaged panel for refinishing in an auto body shop using conventional automotive paint and auto body repair methods. Such applications are referred to as “push to paint” or “push for paint.”
There are some limiting factors for a successful repair using the Paintless Dent Removal techniques which include the flexibility of the paint (most of today’s refined automotive paint finishes allow for successful PDR), and the amount in which the metal has been dented in or bowed out by the damage incurred. Keep in mind this varies depending on the thickness of the metal and the intensity of the impact which caused the damage. Generally speaking the more shallow the dent the greater the chance that Paintless Dent Removal will be a suitable option when repairing your vehicle. Even dents several inches in diameter can be repaired with this method as long as the metal and paint are not severely damaged. Most experienced auto body technicians can repair a shallow large dent or crease to an acceptable level but extremely sharp dents and creases may not qualify for Paintless Dent Removal.
Paintless dent repair is best for certain conditions, including (but not limited to):
- Dents where the paint is not scratched
- Dents that are not near the edge of a panel
- Dents on panels that have not been previously repaired
- Dents on cars manufactured in the last 20 years (with high-strength metals and resilient paints)
Advantages of 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 over spray on other vehicle areas
- No risk of incorrect color matching
- Vehicle retains original paint.
Mercedes S500 Paintless Dent Repair
Wow, that’s cool that PDR doesn’t require body filler. I guess that’s because it uses specialized tools to work on a dent on the inside of the chassis. My teen got into a fender bender so I guess I’m going to have to become more familiar with this process.
According to the article, paintless dent removal is beneficial for minor dents due to hail or other small door dings. Is there a size limit to how big a dent can be removed using a paintless repair method? I’m curious to know since my wife’s car was hit by a soccer ball and has a fairly large dent in the passenger’s side door.
My sister dented another car last night while he was driving with his friends. It was mentioned here that the most common use for paintless dent repair is for hail damage and hail damage. Furthermore, it will be best to go to professionals for paintless dent repair.
Great job on the repairs! As someone new to the industry, I find it amazing that dents can be removed with a little work. I have seen some dents get removed that I thought a body shop would have to repair.
My brother went out to the supermarket and there was a hail storm while he was driving there. It was discussed here that going to an auto hair repair is less expensive and the body will retain the original paint. Moreover, it’s advisable to go to professionals for quality auto hail repair.
My car was recently hit in a parking lot and sustained a minor dent. The person responsible has offered to pay for it, but I’m not sure how I want it repaired. It’s good to know that paintless dent repair is the best option for dents where the paint was not scratched.
I recently got into a small car accident and the left side of my car got dented and I am glad that I found this article because I did not realize that paintless dent repair could be a good option. You make a great point that this type of repair is less expensive than traditional auto body repair and is typically a same-day service. This would be a great benefit for me because it will not only save me money but also save me time because I won’t have to leave my car at the shop overnight.
It was really helpful when you said that PDR is very usable and applicable for many types of dent repairs for as long as they do not involve paint damage. If that is the case, then I will be sure to mention this to a friend who dented his car a day ago. He mentioned that it only has a small dink with no scratches on the paint whatsoever, so I am sure a pro can get rid of it easily.
It’s interesting how you said that dentless auto body repair is best used for hail damage or other small repairs. My wife and I have a car that was pretty damaged by a few little things and we would love to have it fixed. We’ll have to take it to an auto body repair shop to ensure that it gets taken care of.
It’s so cool that paintless dent repair can be used on a variety of dents. With the winter and snow coming, I’m worried about getting into a car accident. If I do dent my car, I’ll definitely have to try PDR.
Please contact us if you would like a price to repair those dents for you.
Thank you.
It would be good to have paintless dent repair. My paint is still there and intact. I should take my car into an auto body repair shop to do paintless dent repair.
We could take care of the damage for you. Would you like to make an appointment?
I have some pretty nasty dents in my car that I really want to get taken care of. Now as you said here, there are some factors that could contribute to a successful repair while using the paintless dent removal technique. I’m sure that I would be able to find someone to do it for me as I don’t want to make my paint worse than it already is.
Thank you for pointing out that paintless dent repair can be used if there is no paint damage. My husband was in a car crash and is needing some dent repair done. I’ll have to look into finding the best panel beater in the area.
If you’re in the Charlotte area we can definitely help you out with the repair process.
That is really nice that paintless dent repair is best for unscratched dents. That is a kind of repair I would want to have. Then I wouldn’t have to get a new paint job.
Great article. Paintless dent repar is the best because it is cost effective.
That is nice that I could get the dent in my car repaired with paintless dent repair. This way, I wouldn’t have to worry about the repaint for my car at all. It sure is nice that my paint didn’t get scratched at all.
It’s interesting that you point out that paintless dent repair can be a great way to fix the body of your car if it has been damaged by hail. My car received a few dings in a hail storm recently, so I’m considering taking it to a paintless dent repair service. I’m going to search in my area for a reputable paintless dent repair service to use.
Hello Conrad,
I am Rob Reeves with Street Scenes Auto. Are you still interested in some paintless dent repair? If so, we would be happy to help out. Thank you for your comment, we look forward to hearing from you soon!
It’s good to know that paintless dent repair can be done on the same day. I really need my car this weekend and I only have tomorrow morning to have this fixed. I’ll try to look for nearby auto body shops where I can have this repaired and confirm if it is less expensive as you have mentioned.
It is good to know that paintless dent repair often costs less than traditional repair for dents. My sister’s car was dented during a minor accident in the parking lot of her school yesterday. She is hoping to save money on repairs, so I will recommend that she look into paintless dent repair for her car.