Paintless Dent Removal (PDR): “The auto body repair option consumers cannot afford to be in the dark about.”

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This issue of the times is dedicated to the enhancement of consumer awareness. Around Paintless Dent Removal(PDR) as a logical first consideration for non-collision auto body damage repair.

The following stories may be all too familiar to many:

“I was shopping at the grocery store for just a few minutes and when I returned…..Oh no,my door…!”
“I parked our new car at the airport and when we returned home from vacation….”
“I was turning onto… and a bicyclist ran into the side of my car.”
“We had our new car only two days and let me tell you what happened…Some people….”
“I had the ladder up in the driveway and a gust of wind knocked it over on my new sports car…”
“I was backing out of the garage running late for work when….”
“We were cruising down hi way 52 when out popped a deer and hit the side of the car…What a dent…”
“During a windy day at the mall, when I came out of the department store I saw the shopping cart hit…Wow…”
“I was gone on a business trip when the hail storm hit…. It’s awful, my new BMW got nailed!”

…dented doors, fenders, hoods, trunks, lift gates and hail happen! The heartbreak, dread, frustration, sadness, and anger envelopes into a feeling your vehicle will never be the same again.

Knowing you wish to repair the damage, the next step is a trip to the auto body shop. For an estimate that makes you shutter and is not in the budget. You know something isn’t right with filling the damage with putty, sanding and repainting the panel as well as the adjacent panel(s) in order to blend the color of the new paint being applied. There is no damage to the paint-just a dent(s) in your car you want fixed. In order to get it fixed at a body shop, you will need to file a claim with your insurance, pay your $500-$1000 deductible. And wonder when your future insurance premiums will increase and by how much.

Certainly this is not happening to you, but here you are. Surely there has to be another way! Well, the good news is there maybe another option for you to consider. The bad news, you may not be aware of it. The major benefits to you as a consumer over costly and time consuming conventional auto body and paint repair go unrealized! Instead, you continue to drive your damaged vehicle as it serves as a daily reminder that “it sure would be nice to get that fixed someday.”

If you are unaware of PDR, you’re not alone! Although PDR is not new, it is being utilized by people affiliated with dealerships, auto auctions, rental car agencies, and auto insurance companies. Awareness is growing due to on-line due diligence and word of mouth.

The goals of this article are the following: increase awareness around Paintless Dent Removal; explain its benefits and advantages to the consumer; and make a case for PDR as the logical “first choice” solution to consider when addressing auto body damage involving no apparent paint damage.

Paintless dent repair is not a panacea for all auto body damage. When auto body damage occurs, one must assess the extent and severity as well as how it occurred. PDR should be considered when:

  • The paint in the damaged area is not broken, cracked, or fractured.
  • The metal is not crumpled, folded, or over stretched.
  • The location of the damage is not on the edge of a panel.
  • The damage did not result from a high speed collision.
  • The damaged area has not been repaired before using body filler (body putty).

True collision damage can only be repaired by means of complete auto body restoration by a professional auto body shop. However, if the above points are met,you may have another option that has numerous advantages and benefits. Knowing and being aware this option exists is the key.

Paintless Dent Removal (PDR) offers the consumer the following advantages over conventional auto body repair:

  1. Cost of PDR will generally be 2 to 5 times less expensive than conventional auto body repair. Majority of repairs are completed for a fraction of the insurance deductible. PDR is insurance approved.
  2. Time and convenience: Most repairs are completed in 1-3 hours not days or even weeks in a body shop(hail repair 1-3 days). No need to schedule alternative transportation while your vehicle is tied up in an auto body shop.
  3. Value protection: Your vehicle retains its durable factory or custom finish and retains a higher value than one that has received body work and has been repainted. A PDR repair also retains the manufacturer’s original paint finish warranty.
  4. Quality: Paintless Dent Removal does not attempt to conceal or hide the damage but rather removes it permanently using highly specialized tools under the damaged panel. When completed correctly by a trained PDR professional, it is like it was never there!There is no risk of incorrect color matching, blending, texture variance or over spray to other body panels.
  5. Restores damage “naturally”: PDR is the only form of dent repair that retains the original finish without use of fillers (body putty), sanding, paint or use of dangerous chemicals or solvents. No pollution causing methods are utilized when completing a PDR repair.

Discussion: Most body shops do not retain PDR specialists in house and may not be aware of what can be fixed or accomplished by means of paintless dent removal. Many do not offer paintless dent removal and will subcontract PDR repairs when necessary. Body shops will utilize PDR subcontractors for hail repair due to the auto insurance industry’s adoption of PDR as the preferred method for hail damage.

This is true for many of the advantages already stated, but the main one being “cost savings” for insurance providers. It is important toalways evaluate hail damage repair utilizing PDR first before conventional auto body repair. Even if an insurance adjust or figures a hail claim using a combination of repair methods, many panels may still be repaired by PDR more economically than conventional repair.

PDR is the least expensive and time consuming form of hail repair and is the only method that maintains a vehicle’s original manufactured panels, paint finish and paint warranty, avoiding further vehicle devaluation. Bottom line, it is recommended to consult a Paintless Dent Repair specialist to discover what can and cannot be repaired. Roughly 95% of door dings, small to large dents, crease dents, and hail damage where the paint is not damaged, metal severally stretched or location is not on the edge of a panel-may be successfully repaired using PDR.

Several recent advancements in PDR have significantly transformed the capability of the process well beyond what was once thought possible. Due to the very high elasticity of today’s urethane paints, newer flexible sheet metals,and advanced techniques-dents the size of a basketball are now being removed by means of PDR. If the paint in the damaged area is in tact and the existing paint on the vehicle is in good condition, it is “always” preferable to maintain the “original”paint for as long as possible. In these cases the general rule of thumb should be to repaint only when absolutely necessary.

Conclusion: If your vehicle has sustained collision damage where metal has been crumpled and paint missing, the only option is complete restoration by an auto body specialist. If paint in the damaged area appears undisturbed, you may have another option worth investigating. If there is any question as to the damage, only a PDR professional will know what can be successfully repaired by means of Paintless Dent Removal.

When in doubt, consult a business specializing in paintless dent repair before considering conventional auto body restoration. Consumer awareness of PDR as an option for auto body damage is the critical success factor and is an option consumers cannot afford not to know about!

Dent & Ding Times is a periodic publication provided by Dent & Ding Surgeon, LLC.