The facts about paintless dent removal and glass repairs!

Paint-less dent removal: 

Before and after

This is commonly used for hail damage, small-medium size dents (like ones from doors in parking lots) and even some creases. It's is a more cost effective option than going to a body shop, having them use body filler and repainting the panel that is damaged. It's also a good idea to find a shop that guarantees their repairs and have been in business for a decent time (over a year). The dent removal should cost about 1/2 to 1/3 less the cost of an estimate from a body shop, so it can't hurt to get an estimate beforehand.

The technician doing the dent removal will have to asses the dent or crease; they will look for thickness of metal, how deep the dent is, if the paint is chipped and size. They may need to remove and head/tail lamps or body panels (inside or outside) etc. or sometimes they have to drill a very small hole in the door jam (which they plug up with a rubber stopper) to access the back of the dent.

Some technicians are mobile, so they can come to your for convenience. However, if the dent is in a hard to reach area or the paint is chipped or scratched, they may not be able to do it and you'll have to see a body shop for a full repair. 



The paint-less dent remover will use a small pointed metal tool to push the dent from the inside of the panel. They sometimes use heat to manipulate the metal so it doesn't crack or peel. These technicians do it carefully so there are no high or low spots, which people can come across when trying to do the removal with an at home kit.

Dent removal tools

  The at home kits generally have a suction cup dent remover, which may work. However, they will leave a raised bump where the dent used to be. It's definitely quick, but not very effective. It's best to leave it to the professionals to remove the dent seamlessly.

Paint-less dent removal is a great tool to have access to, but it is not recommended for high end, show or rental cars.

Glass repairs:

Glass repairs can be repaired on site at a shop or wherever your car is at the time. This is dependent upon the company you choose and their standards. It takes a lot less time to repair a chip than replace an entire windshield. Always go with a shop that guarantees their repairs and has a good reputation.

Types of chips

Chip repairs:

Chip repair

These can be done easily and more quickly than a whole replacement. The repair can be done on site or wherever your car is. You can also leave right away, without any wait time for seals to dry. It is also a cheaper route, but the chip should be less than the size of a quarter. However, some companies will repair a crack that is 6 inches or less. That might not always hold though; it can still grow into a larger crack and still need replacement.

If you notice a chip in the glass (any glass on the exterior of the car), get it fixed right away. Its cheaper and easier to fix a chip than to let it go and it turns into a growing crack. Then you will need to replace the entire piece of glass.

Windshield replacements:

Large crack

Spider Crack

 These can take a bit of time to do. It takes time pulling out the old windshield, putting the new one in and sealing it, then waiting for the seals to dry. After you leave, you have a speed limit restriction for a few hours after the glass is replaced. This usually has to be done onsite or at another repair shop, but some companies are mobile.

Windshield replacement

When getting the whole thing replaced, make sure to look into the shop doing it. Sometimes they might use a lesser quality glass and adhesives. Which, in turn, might cause more problems down the road; visibility might be less than it used to be, the risk for it to break again is higher and can cause injury to the driver and/or passengers especially if in an accident within about 12 hours of replacement.