Car body damage can be frustrating for car owners. Not only it lowers the value of the car but also impacts the safety, value, and drivability of the vehicle. Unfortunately, many car owners do not fully understand the different types of damage their cars can sustain, nor do they know of techniques that a professional auto body shop might use to repair them.

Methods for car body repairs have evolved significantly in recent years, and these techniques can often restore your vehicle to its original factory state. Let’s look at the most common types of car body damage and how they are fixed.

Dents

Dents are one of the most common types of car body damage. From careless shopping trolleys hitting the car doors to unexpected impacts from hail on the roof and bonnet, or even a minor collision that leaves a mark, they can happen without any warning. Dents not only spoil the car’s appearance, but if left untreated, they can lead to more damage over time in the form of rust.

Repair Methods

Paintless Dent Removal

It’s ideal for dents where the paint is intact. PDR involves using specialised tool that technicians carefully place in front of or behind the dented panel to restore the original shape of the panel. This method is minimally invasive and costs much less than traditional repairs. It also takes less time, so you will be back driving in no time with your car looking as good as new.

Traditional Dent Repair

When the surface paint is cracked, chipped, or scratched, the traditional dent repair is necessary. In this process, the damaged area is filled in to restore the shape of the panel, then sanded and repainted with a matching colour for a flawless finish. Although traditional dent repair usually takes longer and costs more than PDR, it ensures lasting results for seriously damaged areas.

Scratches

Scratches are the surface lines that can negatively affect your car’s appearance. They can be anything from barely visible marks to deep grooves that cut through the paint, exposing the bare metal or plastic underneath. No matter how harmless they look, if neglected, they could lead to bigger issues like rust, paint flaking off, and more.

Repair methods

Polishing and Buffing

It’s ideal for light scratches on the surface that are just breaking the clear coat. Body work shops will use fine abrasive and special polishing compounds gently to smooth out the layer and achieve an ultra-glossy showroom finish.

Touch-Up Paint

Touch-up painting helps remove deeper scratches that cut through the paint. In this method, the area will be cleaned first, prepped, and then filled with matching paint. This not only hides the mark but creates a barrier against moisture-inhibiting rust.

Full-Panel Respray

When scratches are so wide and deep that hiding them would be impossible, the entire panel is resprayed. It’s a lengthy and costly option, but provides a seamless finish without leaving any trace of the damage.

Paint Damage and Fading

Prolonged exposure to the sun, acidic bird droppings, and sticky tree sap are usually responsible for the paint damage and fading. Here are different ways to fix them:

Repair methods

Spot Repair

Spot repair is sufficient for minor damage. The technicians treat only affected areas by sanding, prepping, and repainting so they blend with the surrounding paint. It is a cost-effective technique as it does not involve working on the entire unit.

Panel Respray

This is when the paint damage or fading is affecting the whole panel. It involves sanding, priming, and finally painting that entire panel with a perfect colour match. The final results are as good as the original finish without a complete respray.

Full Respray

This is the ultimate treatment for widely spread fading, cracking, peeling, or discolouring of paint. The whole body of the car is sanded, prepped, and repainted. While this is the most expensive option available, it can give your ageing vehicle a showroom-like finish.

Cracks and Splits in Bumper

Cracked and broken bumpers can make your car appear lifeless and neglected. The goal of a bumper is to absorb low-speed impacts to shield the expensive pieces behind it. However, they are not totally invincible. A slightly harsh nudge from a driver behind at a traffic light or running into an unexpected bollard can crack the bumper, and the damage could interfere with the bumper’s ability to protect your car in a future accident. That’s why, timely repairs are important.