Dent Repaired
No one wants to find a dent in their vehicle – whether it’s your brand new sports car or your trusty old pickup.
While it may be an eyesore, a dent is (usually) nothing to worry about, and if you are short on time or cash, the idea of having to take your vehicle in for repair can be aggravating at the minimum.
That begs the question, should you really bother getting the dent repaired? Well, that depends.
Things To Consider:
- Age of The Car
There are two main reasons why the age of the car should be considered when debating whether or not to take it in for repairs.
First, the older the car is, the less it is worth. This is pretty straightforward. If your vehicle is only worth a couple thousand dollars, it is most likely not worth spending even a few hundred to fix something that is only aesthetic and not causing any problems with the functioning of the vehicle.
The second reason you should take the vehicles age into consideration is that older vehicles were made differently than newer vehicles. Chances are if you get a ding in your 1980’s station wagon, it’s just that – a ding, whereas if you get a seemingly minor dent in your brand new sedan, there could potentially be damage behind or underneath the ding that you can’t see. This is because newer vehicles are made to absorb impact, as well as being made out of plastic materials rather than metal.
- Resale Value
If you are planning on selling or trading in the vehicle in the near future, it is definitely more beneficial to you to have the dent repaired, even if it is just a minor scratch.
While it’s doable, it’s not easy to sell a vehicle with pre-existing damage.
Potential buyers will be less likely to be interested in a vehicle that has visible damage, and even if they are still interested, it will drive down the price that they will be willing to pay.
Similarly, a dealership will give less trade-in value on a vehicle with even the smallest dents or scrapes, as it means they will have to put in the time and money to repair these imperfections before reselling the vehicle.
- Personal Preference
This just might trump all of the other reasons why you may or may not get the dent repaired: do you want to?
If the dent doesn’t bother you or you simply don’t care enough to be bothered with taking your vehicle in, then don’t worry about it – simple as that.
Oppositely, the damage (regardless of how minor) and the aesthetic of the dent may be driving you absolutely mad – in this case, you will probably take your baby in for repair regardless of whether it is truly necessary or not.
Either way, it is your choice in the end.
To Fix or Not To Fix:
If after taking all of the above into consideration and you decide that you do want to take your car in to get the dent(s) repaired, your first step is to find a local auto body specialist. They can give you their opinion on the damage and provide you with an estimate for how much the repairs will cost you.
