How to Fix Small Dents on Your Car: A DIY Guide

A flawless car exterior enhances its aesthetic appeal and overall style. However, daily driving inevitably exposes your vehicle to minor dents and dings, diminishing its polished look, reducing its resale value, and increasing the risk of rust formation. Therefore, addressing car dents promptly is crucial.

Minor dents, bumper imperfections, and door dings can often be effectively resolved using do-it-yourself (DIY) methods, including body fillers. For more significant dents, engaging a paintless dent repair (PDR) technician or visiting a professional auto body shop might be necessary to achieve a flawless, professional-grade finish.

Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to repair car dents, covering various options, average costs, and solutions to manage repair expenses.

Even with careful and responsible driving, your car can still accumulate dents through various circumstances.

Small dents can result from hail, road debris, or even runaway shopping carts in windy parking lots.

Door dings commonly occur when opening your car door against another vehicle, wall, or obstacle, or when another vehicle’s door impacts yours.

Larger car dents are frequently caused by car accidents, falling tree branches, or substantial impacts.

Various terms describe damage to a vehicle’s paint, bumper, or body panels. While “dent” and “ding” are often used interchangeably for minor damage, distinctions exist.

Beyond size and shape, the dent’s location matters. Car body panels are typically made of metal, either steel or aluminum. Dents on these panels require different repair techniques compared to bumper dents, which are usually plastic.

Understanding the common types of dents can help determine the best repair approach.

Dent Type	Description	Removal Complexity
Ding	Small, minor damage	Simple DIY
Round Dent	Circular indentation	Potentially DIY “pop-out”
Sharp Dent	Small, deep, pointed divot	Challenging DIY
Crease Dent	Long, folded dent with paint damage	Professional Recommended
Serious Dents	Large or multiple dents, potential structural damage	Professional Required

Addressing car dents as soon as you notice them is advisable for both aesthetic and practical reasons. Prompt repair prevents further complications and safety issues. DIY dent repairs can cost under $100, while professional repairs can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Damage to paint or body panels from dents can lead to moisture intrusion, causing rust and paint flaking. Larger dents, like those from tree branches, might conceal structural damage, posing a significant safety risk. Furthermore, multiple dents can even negatively impact fuel efficiency, increasing gas consumption. These factors underscore the importance of timely dent repair. Fortunately, various options exist to effectively handle dent removal.

For minor dents, door dings, or bumper damage, DIY repair offers an affordable and accessible solution that can be accomplished at home.

Here’s how to tackle those small dents yourself:

Plastic bumper dents are common and generally easier to fix at home due to the material’s flexibility. Even larger dents in plastic bumpers can often be repaired with heat and some effort.

Here are the steps to repair a plastic dent:

1. Heat the Dent: Use a hairdryer to gently heat the dented area until it becomes warm to the touch. This makes the plastic more pliable.

2. Apply Cool Compressed Air: For small dents, after heating, immediately spray the warm plastic with cool compressed air (available for around $20 or less). The rapid temperature change can cause the plastic to pop back into its original shape.

3. Use a Dent Puller: If the dent is larger or doesn’t pop out with compressed air, use a plastic dent puller (costing about $20 or less). Attach the suction cup to the center of the dent and pull firmly to draw the dent outwards.

4. Smooth Out New Imperfections: Sometimes, pulling out a dent can create new, smaller imperfections. Smooth these out by hand or with the dent puller tool to ensure an even surface.

For metal dents on car body panels, a dent repair kit (ranging from $40 to $99) is recommended. These kits include various tools designed to gently pull the dented metal outwards for repair.

Follow these steps to fix metal dents:

1. Heat the Dent (Optional): For larger metal dents, start by heating the area with a hairdryer until warm. For smaller dents, you can skip this step and proceed to step 3.

2. Suction the Dent Outward: Use a dent puller to gently pull the dent outwards. The aim here is to reduce the dent’s depth, not necessarily eliminate it completely at this stage.

3. Clean the Metal Surface: Wipe the metal area around the dent with a microfiber towel to remove any dirt or debris, ensuring a clean surface for the next steps.

4. Prepare the Bridge Puller: Most dent repair kits include a bridge puller. This tool uses adhesive heads that you attach to the dent’s deepest point to pull it out. Apply the included glue to a puller head.

5. Attach the Bridge Puller Head: Firmly press the glued head onto the deepest part of the dent and let the glue cure as per the kit’s instructions, typically for 4-8 minutes.

6. Use the Bridge Puller: Once the glue is dry, attach the bridge puller to the head and turn the dial slowly. This applies controlled pressure to pull the metal outwards. Stop when the dent is level with the surrounding surface.

7. Detach Head and Puller: Remove the bridge puller. Use a hairdryer to gently heat the glue on the puller head to soften it for easy removal. Wipe away any remaining glue residue.

8. Touch Up Paint: If the dent repair has caused any paint damage, use a paint repair kit (around $45-$65) to touch up the area. Clean the area, apply primer, and then carefully apply thin layers of paint until the damage is concealed.

Even with careful DIY methods, some dents might not be completely removable. In such cases, body filler, commonly known as Bondo® (starting at $13+), becomes useful. Body filler is a putty used to fill in dents and create a smooth, even surface. Once painted over, the repair becomes virtually invisible; even professional body shops sometimes use body filler.

Here’s how to apply body filler:

1. Clean the Dented Area: Thoroughly clean the area around the dent with soap and water, then dry it with a microfiber cloth to remove any contaminants.

2. Sand Off the Paint: Use a sander with 80-grit sandpaper to remove the paint from the dent and about 2-5 inches around it. This provides a surface for the filler to adhere to.

3. Minimize the Dent: Use the dent removal techniques mentioned earlier to reduce the dent’s depth as much as possible before applying filler.

4. Apply Body Filler: Press body filler firmly into the dent, applying enough putty to bring the dented area level with the surrounding car body. Let it dry for about 15-20 minutes, or as per product instructions.

5. Sand the Filler: Use 80-grit sandpaper to begin shaping and smoothing the filler. If any low spots remain, repeat steps 4 and 5, applying more filler to achieve a flush finish.

6. Smooth the Finish: Once you’re satisfied with the shape, switch to 180-grit sandpaper to refine the filler and create a smoother surface.

7. Apply Glaze: Apply a thin layer of glazing and spot putty (starting at $11+) over the filled area and surrounding edge. This helps to fill in minor imperfections and pinholes.

8. Final Sanding: After the glaze dries, sand it with 180-grit sandpaper, followed by 320-grit sandpaper to remove any visible scratches and ensure a seamless finish.

9. Prime and Paint: Using a paint repair kit that matches your car’s color, prime the repaired area and then apply paint in thin, even coats.

For a truly flawless dent repair that restores your vehicle to its pre-dent condition, consulting a professional auto body repair shop or technician is the best option. Professionals possess the expertise and specialized tools necessary for achieving optimal results.

Some technicians offer mobile dent repair services, providing convenience by coming to your location. In other cases, you may need to take your car to a body shop. Regardless of the service type, it’s wise to get quotes from 2-3 local professionals to compare pricing and turnaround times, enabling you to choose a service that aligns with your budget and schedule.

Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) is a highly recommended professional technique for repairing dents without paint damage. PDR technicians use specialized tools to gently massage and reshape the metal from behind the panel, restoring its original form without needing fillers or repainting, usually completing repairs in under two hours.

PDR costs vary based on location, dent size, and dent location on the vehicle. Here is a general cost guideline for PDR:

• Small, Minor Dents: $50-$100
• Medium Dents: $75-$300
• Large Dents: $300-$500

For larger dents or dents that include paint damage, an auto body shop is necessary. They can address structural damage and provide expert paint repair services. Contact an auto body shop if you suspect significant damage or if the dent is deep and potentially compromises the vehicle’s structural integrity.

Auto body shop repairs for dents can easily reach $2,000 or more. For repairs estimated at $1,000 or higher, discuss with the technician if replacing the entire body panel might be more cost-effective than repairing the existing dent. In some instances, panel replacement can indeed be a more economical solution.

While dent repair can be an unexpected expense, delaying it is not advisable. Addressing dents promptly is almost always more cost-effective in the long run, preventing further damage and maintaining your vehicle’s value and appearance.