paintless dent repairThe process of paintless dent repair (PDR) involves massaging and smoothing out dents from the inside. The result improves a car’s exterior appearance, preserves the panel, keeps the warranty valid and uses fewer materials than traditional dent repair.

The procedure can be done on both new and older cars, yet it’s not applicable for all types of vehicle damage. Understand the conditions that PDR can address.

What Is Paintless Dent Repair?

To fix a dent without repainting the exterior, a technician uses a set of tools to massage the dent from one side to the other, helping the metal move back into position. This maintains the original factory paint. Paintless dent repair:

  • Takes less time than traditional dent repair
  • Is cheaper than traditional dent repair
  • Helps return the vehicle’s panel to its original appearance
  • Doesn’t involve sanding and painting the exterior or adding fillers
  • Addresses the cause of the dent, delivering longer-lasting results

What Can Paintless Dent Repair Fix?

Paintless dent repair cannot address all forms of exterior damage but is ideal in the following scenarios:

  • Small to medium dents
  • Dings and dents resulting from lower-force impacts
  • Vehicles produced after 1990
  • The paint isn’t cracked or scraped off
  • The dented panel wasn’t previously damaged and repaired
  • The dent is away from the edge of a panel
  • You have an antique car in need of restoration and don’t want to have it repainted
  • The dent strictly affects the metal and doesn’t involve plastic components
  • Your car has a series of small or superficial dents – for example, from hail

To determine if your car qualifies for PDR, a technician will examine how much the dent stretched or distorted the car’s metal, its placement, materials affected and if it scraped off any paint.

When PDR Is Not Recommended

Paintless dent repair is not suitable for:

  • Repairing dented plastic – for example, a scraped or dented bumper
  • Larger, deep dents that distorted the metal
  • Dents taking off part of the paint
  • Damage from hitting an animal
  • A dent toward the edge of a panel or anywhere PDR tools can’t reach

Do you need to address the appearance of a superficial dent? Contact DaSilva’s Auto Body for paintless dent repair services today.