There’s nothing more annoying than getting a dent on your newly purchased car. Even if you’re a careful driver, you can’t always avoid falling pine cones, wrongly parked cars, or pebbles that hit your car when you’re on the road. Since getting a dent removed by a professional can be unbelievably expensive, many of us would never consider fixing them.
However, dents, especially small ones, are not worth losing sleepovers. There are plenty of ways to remove them from your car by using common household items such as a plunger, vacuum cleaner or aluminum foil. Not all of the methods will work for you, so you should decide which one would be the best for your car.
Professional Dent Repair
Dealerships and franchise body shops will fix minor dents, but their rates are generally very high compared to those of smaller outfits that can provide the same quality level. And because many dent specialists are mobile these days, having repair work done can be quick and convenient.
Most will come to your home or work and fix a dent in 20 minutes or less. If there are multiple dents, it will, of course, take longer.
When hiring a dent specialist, always check their online reviews. Reading comments from previous customers is the best way to tell if they do good work. Then compare prices by calling at least three different vendors.
Most quarter-size dents will cost between $60 and $110 to repair, but this fee may be higher if the dent requires touch-up paint. Each additional dent may cost between $40 and $75. So, if you have multiple dents, it makes good sense to get them all repaired at once and possibly negotiate a lower overall price.
Larger dents that are six inches or more in diameter can cost anywhere from $200 to $350 to repair depending on the dent’s location and the make and model of the car. But if the paint is damaged, large dents may not be in the scope of a mobile dent specialist. In this case, an auto body shop may be necessary.
What Kinds of Car Dents Can Be Fixed at Home?
Before learning how to pull a dent out of a car, you need to know what dents can be pulled out. Here are the types of dents that you can fix at home:
- If the dent has not damaged the car’s paint, it can be tackled at home.
- The dents which form a big depression on a body panel and not sharp indents can be pulled out.
- If there are cracks on the dented panel, the dent can most likely not be pulled out.
- Very large dents cannot be suctioned out.
- If the body panel is made of aluminum, the dent cannot be pulled out in the majority of cases.
With that out of way, let’s now see how dents can be pulled out of a car’s different parts.
4 Simple Ways to Fix Smaller Dents from Your Car
If a dent is small and there is no damage to the paint, some car owners may consider repairing it themselves. There are several do-it-yourself methods to fix dents using everyday household items. None of them are guaranteed to work, but they are all worth trying if saving money is a priority. If the DIY effort is unsuccessful, a specialist is just a phone call away.
1. Remove a dent with a hair dryer.
Locate and measure the dent. Find the following household items: rubber-coated gloves, aluminum foil, a package of dry ice, a can of compressed air, and a hairdryer. Heat the dent by using the hairdryer, which should be kept about 6 inches away from your car’s surface.
Cover the dent with a piece of aluminum foil. Put on rubber-coated gloves to protect your hands from any injuries. Rub the dry ice over the aluminum foil covering the dent. You can also cool the dented area with the liquefied compressed air.
The rapid change in temperature will make the dent pop out, which will probably happen after the first minute.
2. Use a plunger.
A plunger is a magic tool. Apart from unclogging toilets, they can also be used for a number of other purposes. If a dent is not too big, it can easily be removed with a plunger.
All you have to do is pour some water over the plunger as well as the dent. Start pushing the plunger up and down. Repeat this a few times until the dent pops out.
3. Fix a dented bumper with boiling water.
This method works for dents on plastic bumpers as well as on parts of your car made of plastic. Boil a pot of water and pour it over the dented area on your bumper.
Reach behind the bumper and pop the dent out. You might also need to take the bumper off if the dent can’t be reached. Finally, pour a pot of cold water onto the bumper to cool and fix the plastic area.
4. Use a vacuum cleaner and a bucket.
Make a small hole in the bottom of the bucket. Cover the dent by the upper part of the bucket. Put the vacuum cleaner tube over the hole on the bottom of the bucket, turn the vacuum cleaner on and wait until the dent pops out.
If none of the household methods work, it is time to invest in a dent removal kit. These kits are successful at popping most minor dents. You can purchase one at an auto parts store, and it will cost far less than hiring a professional. Plus, you can use these kits for future dents.
