What is PDR?
PDR or Paintless Dent Repair is a method of removing minor dents and
dings without removing any paint from the vehicle. This is done by very
patiently massaging the dent out from the back of the panel, or
sometimes from the front using specialized tools.
What are the benefits of PDR?
The most important benefit of paintless dent repair is quality. This method is the closest you
can get to the dent never happening in the first place. No grinding,
bondo, fillers, or primers are needed because your original factory
paint is not disturbed. There are no problems with filler or paint
shrinkage months after the dent repair as is typical with most body shop
repairs. Cost is also a major benefit of PDR. A typical estimate for a
minor dent from a body shop usually ranges between $350 - $500 or
higher. That same dent can usually be repaired for $75 - $95 using PDR.
Time savings is yet another advantage. That same dent can be fixed in
less than an hour. A body shop will take 3 - 5 days or longer. The Dent Guy is a mobile service. That means that we come to you at your home or office. By using paintless dent removal, you don't have to worry about driving to and from a repair shop to get your car repaired.
Will my paint be damaged?
No. Today's factory paints are very flexible and will not be damaged in
any way by this process. PDR is the only way to repair a dent and still
keep your factory paint.
Will my dents be 100% gone?
On minor dents, in most cases yes. The deeper the dent, the more
difficult it is to repair. Even on larger dents, once we're done, most
people are amazed at the results. We always explain in detail, how your
dent will look before any work is started.
Will my dents come back?
Absolutely not. Once a dent has been removed properly with PDR, it
never comes back. Most dents repaired conventionally develop a ring
around the dent, or sand scratch marks 3 - 6 months after the repair.
This is never the case with properly performed PDR.
Can any dent be fixed?
No. The most important factors in determining if a dent can be repaired
by PDR are depth and location. Dents the size of a dinner plate or
larger can be fixed successfully, as long as they are not too deep. On
the other hand, some dents that are as small as a dime but very deep,
cannot be fixed using PDR because the metal is too stretched. Cracked
paint can also be an indication that a dent is too deep. The most
common dents fixed are the size of a golf ball and under. 95% of minor
dents can be repaired. About 5% of minor dents can't be fixed due to
depth or location. Areas such as some quarter panel opening lips, some
forward areas of heavily braced hoods, or the very edges of some panels
are examples of bad locations.
What about hail damage?
Hail damage can typically be fixed with PDR, but not always. Much of it depends on how many dents there are as well as how severe they are. I have successfully repaired many vehicles with hundreds of hail damage dents in them and had very satisfied customers when they were done.
What does "no drilling" mean?
It has become common practice by many PDR technicians to drill or punch
holes in places like door frames, quarter panel jambs, inner wheelhouse
panels etc to gain access to a dent with their tools. Most of the time
the customer is not even informed of this. I have seen "repairs" where
as many as 7 - 10 holes were drilled to access one dent. The Dent Guy
will always take the extra time to try and repair a dent without
drilling. In the event that there is no other way to repair a dent
except to drill a small hole, or if it is less expensive to drill a
small hole, you will always be advised of this and the choice will be
yours. If a small hole is necessary, it will be rust-proofed and
plugged.
Do you do scratches or paint work?
No, we don't. There are too many quality problems with the quick mobile
paint repair systems. If your vehicle needs paint work, we'll be happy
to refer you to a quality paint shop in your area.
We sure can. Many manufacturers will charge you for dents when you turn your vehicle in. We can help you avoid those charges by removing those dents for a lot less than you will be
charged for "excessive wear and tear on your vehicle's exterior". If
your lease is up soon give us a call, you'll be glad you did.
I've got lots of dents, do you have a discount for more than one dent?
Yes. We offer discounts for multiple dents. If you have more than one
minor dent on a panel, we can generally include those dents for very
little extra depending on the sizes and number of dents. If your car
has a lot of minor dents, we offer a per car price that is very
reasonable.