Traditional Dent Repair vs. Paintless Dent Repair
Whether it’s one dent on your vehicle or hundreds of dents, you want to find the least expensive way to repair the damage and get back on the road as quickly as possible.Everything about paintless dent repair (PDR) sounds less time consuming, less expensive and less invasive than traditional body shop repairs. Unfortunately, sometimes PDR will not be an option depending on the state of your dent and vehicle and you’ll have to opt for traditional methods.
Benefits of Paintless Dent Repair
- Fast
- Easy
- Affordable
- Environmentally-Friendly
- No Repainting
- No Negative History Reports
5 Reasons Your Dent Couldn’t Be Fixed with PDR
- Damaged Paint. If your paint surface has been damaged by the impact of whatever force caused your dent, then you cannot utilize Paintless Dent Repair.
- Repainted. Vehicles that have previously been repainted may also not qualify for PDR. It could crack during repair. Just ask your local PDR shop, though.
- Previous Repairs. If your vehicle has undergone previous repairs, the paint or metal may be too stretched to make it through PDR successfully.
- Major Dents. If your dent is sharp or very deep, it may not be fixable with PDR. However, PDR does work on shallow and even large dents. Again, be sure to consult your an expert before you decide PDR won’t work for your dent.
- Old Car. If your car is old (circa 1990 or earlier) then the metal and/or paint quality may not be able to endure PDR.
Alternatives to Paintless Dent Repair
If your vehicle is old, has damaged paint, has been repainted, has been previously repair or has major dents, then you should consider consulting a body shop for traditional dent repair. This process typically includes pulling out the dent, using a body filler to restore the smooth body of your vehicle, sanding it down, matching the paint and repainting. (No wonder PDR is faster.)
Some have found success with DIY dent removal techniques using items like household plungers, dent removing plungers, dry ice, hair dryers, boiling water, glue dent pullers and other repair kits. You do run the risk of damaging your car further or damaging your paint, but the choice is ultimately up to you. You can also buy a kit so you have the proper tools rather than using household items.