Paintless Dent Repair on the Rise
PDR is being used more often, due in part because the size of the dent that can be repaired has increased. The widespread use of high-strength metal and resilient paint finishes has allowed PDR to become a variable alternative to traditional techniques. In fact, some insurance companies will even waive the deductible if PDR is chosen over more traditional techniques.
What Can Be Fixed?
What Can't Be Fixed?
How Large of Dent Can Be Repaired?
How Is It Done?
Who Performs Paintless Dent Repair
What Can Be Fixed?
Paintless Dent Repair is very effective for the following situations:
- From very small to large dents
- Generally 1990 model year and newer vehicles
- The paint has not been broken or cracked
- The dent is not near the edge of the panel
- The panel has not had previous body repair
PDR is so effective for hail damage that some insurance companies use “hail teams” that “chase hail.” These teams travel to areas affected by hail to repair vehicle damage using PDR techniques.
What Cannot Be Fixed?
- Deep dents- on very deep dings and dents, the metal is often pushed to deep for a complete repair
- Dents near the edge of the panels- dents found near the edge of body panels or right on a seam make access impossible
- Dings and dents with deep creases- usually only a skilled dent repair technician can repair creased dents, depending on the severity of the crease. In many cases 100% repair is not possible
How Large of Dent Can Be Repaired?
The most important aspect of paintless dent repair is not the diameter but the depth. Often very large, shallow dents can be removed.
How Is It Done?
PDR technicians used specialized tools to push the metal back into its original shape from behind the dent. Depending on the location of the damage, the panel is accessed by removing trim pieces, through window openings or by removing inner panels.
In a typical dent removal, the metal around the outside edge of the dent is slowly massaged back into its original position. The dent gets progressively smaller as the technician works from the outside edge; eventually the dent becomes so small that it blends with the paint and disappears completely.
Most repairs can be completed in one to two hours, and many PDR companies offer mobile service to save even more time.
Prices vary depending on the location and complexity of the repair. A general range would be $75-$100 for a single dent, up to hundreds of dollars to repair numerous dents on various body panels. This compares with a cost of several hundreds of dollars to repair and remove a single dent using traditional body shop techniques.
Who Performs Paintless Dent Repair?
PDR is available from local franchise of national chains, independent shops, and some auto body repair shops or automobile search of the local yellow pages should yield several options.
As with any type of service, there can be a wide range of experience levels and work quality. So it’s a good idea to check with dealers-they’ll know who does quality PDR work in the area.
And don’t be afraid to ask for references before you have the work done, to ensure you receive the quality work you expect.
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