The Hail Shop USA

Auto Hail Repair Denver

DIY dent repair gone wrong

DIY Auto Dent Repair

What could possibly go wrong?

Everyone loves a good DIY project. Websites like Instructables, Pinterest, and YouTube has taken DIY  to a whole new level. From building a cabinet to staining your garage floors, it seems like there really isn’t much you can’t do!

Or is there?

There are really two distinct results that can happen with a DIY project. One outcome is very good, the other usually being very bad.

So what about DIY auto dent repair? You could not believe how many monthly searches there are for DIY auto dent repair. Just a few of the more common search phrases being:

  • How to repair dent damage in car
  • Repair hail damage at home
  • How to fix dents in car yourself

Some of the scariest results for DIY auto hail repair that we have seen pop-up (and show up in our shop after failed attempts) are the following:

  • Use a plunger
  • Use dry ice
  • Use a hairdryer

DIY Auto Dent Repair Gone Wrong

What could possibly go wrong with DIY auto dent repair? Well, many things.

PDR Overpulling
PDR Overpulling – PDR Gone Wrong

Overpulling

The biggest problem we see in our paintless dent repair shop is over-pulling. Over-pulling can result in a dent that has basically gone from concave to convex. This overcorrection usually ends up being an auto body shop repair. When the metal is overextended, paint loosens and the metal goes beyond it’s “metal memory.”

Cracked Paint

What makes paintless dent repair not an option? Cracked or damaged paint. Paintless dent repair has become the norm for auto dent repair. Insurance companies love it and so do vehicle owners. It is not only affordable, it is usually a fairly quick repair. If you take the DIY auto dent repair route and the paint gets chipped, scratched, peeled, or cracked – the dent repair is no longer a paintless dent repair option.

Pain & Suffering

Realizing you have caused more damage to your vehicle is never a good feeling. What seemed like a great way to save a little money and shop repair times, you now have a much bigger problem on your hands.

Leave Auto Dent Repair to the Professionals

Put down the hairdryer and pick-up the phone and call the paintless dent repair professionals at The Hail Shop USA. We start the dent repair process with a no-cost estimate. Dent repair inspections usually only take about 15 minutes.

You can call us at 800-485-9026 schedule online.

Dent & Ding Damage Repair

Dents & Dings Happen.

The Hail Shop of McKinney removes them.

The likelihood of your vehicle having or having had auto dent damage is very high. You might even have auto hail damage from one of the many storms over the years.

The Hail Shop USA is your best choice for everyday dent and ding damage repair. The technicians have over a decade of paintless dent repair experience. We specialize in auto hail damage repair but also take care of your everyday dent damage that happens while being a car owner. We’ve repaired door dings, dents from collisions, and dents caused by garage door accidents.

Complete Auto Dent & Ding Restoration

Paintless dent repair is a very specialized method of auto body repair that was designed specifically for small to medium sized dent removal. Technicians use a collection of tools that allow them to get behind the panel and gently push the dent away without disturbing the paint finish.

Because paintless dent repair is “paintless,” there must be no paint damage around or in the dented area. PDR works because metal has a molecular memory. Just like a soda can that has been dented, the damage can be reversed by simply coaxing the can back to its original shape. This is very much like PDR but on a very small scale and the metal on a vehicle is also much thicker.

We get a lot of vehicle owners that ask us if the dents will ever come back after being repaired. The answer is no. Think again about the soda can example. If you work the dent out of the can, there is no reason the dent should reappear naturally.

Hail damage on a leased vehicle

If my leased vehicle has hail damage, should I get the hail damage repaired or just leave it?

With most car leases, the leaser will require that you get a comprehensive insurance policy for the life of the lease. This protects both you and the leaser the expense of repairing what could be a very large repair bill.

This is very true for vehicle leasers that live in Northern Texas. The Hail Shop USA gets multiple auto hail damage inspection requests from vehicle leasers whose vehicles had been left unprotected in one of the many infamous severe hail storms.

Scheduling a free hail damage inspection should be the first step you take.

Excessive Wear & Tear Hail Damage
Basic Wear & Tear Guidelines – Click to View

What does Normal Wear & Tear mean?

When you signed the contract with the leasing company, you might remember reading the section about “Normal Wear and Tear.” The Normal Wear and Tear section basically means that if you have under 5 scratches, dings, stains, or tears – the leasing company will accept the vehicle without repair obligation. If the dented area has paint damage, that repair responsibility goes to you. For a detailed breakdown of acceptable and unacceptable NW&T – visit here.

What Happens if I Don’t Repair Hail Damage on a Leased Vehicle?

The leasing company will charge you more than you would spend out-of-pocket by getting the repairs done at a local paintless dent repair company.

How Much Does Hail Damage Repair Cost on a Leased Vehicle

If you have comprehensive insurance coverage on your leased vehicle, your hail damage repair is completely covered under your policy. Acts of God such as hail, wind, rain, and storms are covered. Your only obligation is the deductible. At The Hail Shop USA, hail damage repair won’t cost you a dime.

We offer a deductible-forgiveness program for leased vehicles that will 100% cover the cost of your deductible.

If you have any questions about auto hail damage repair on a leased vehicle or if you would like to schedule a free inspection, simply fill out our online form and we will take care of you!

We offer free inspections at your location or ours.

Auto hail, flood & wind damage insurance claims

Flood Victims Are Asking, What Is My Insurance Coverage?

Many of your frequently asked questions regarding vehicle flood and hail damage have been researched, gathered, and posted below.*

In a catastrophe situation, taking measures to ensure your safety is imperative. Do not drive your vehicle through standing water.

The first question would be, “Do you have a comprehensive insurance policy on your vehicle?”

If yes, this is what State Farm says about comprehensive coverage.

“Comprehensive coverage pays to repair or replace a covered vehicle that’s stolen or damaged by something other than collision or rolling over. For example, damage caused by fire, wind, hail, flood, theft, vandalism and hitting an animal is covered.” – Sited from the State Farm’s website.

If no, for auto hail damage, we suggest getting an inspection from a local paintless dent repair company. For vehicle flood damage, get an estimate from your insurance adjuster.

What do I do if my car or truck has extensive flood damage?

Calling your insurance agency and filing a claim is your first step. Most auto insurance agencies have a claim line. In the case of a catastrophe, such as the flooding, time is probably not going to be on your side. There might be longer than usual wait times for adjuster assignment.

The best thing you can do is get your vehicle out of the water. Before you attempt to move your vehicle from high water, please consider the following.

Vehicle Flood Damage Checklist

  1. Check for damage. If your vehicle is mostly submerged in flood waters, do not attempt to start your vehicle. If there is water in the engine, starting it will damage it more. If your vehicle is mostly submerged, call a towing company or find a friend that has a tow kit and remove the vehicle (if accessible and safe) from the water. If you know for certain there is NO water damage to the engine, move on to step 2. If you are not sure, move to step 1(a-c).
    1. (a) Check engine fluids. If your transmission fluid or motor oil appears milky, the engine has water damage.
    2. (b) Check the air filter. Is it wet or damp? If yes, you have engine water damage.
    3. (c) Still not sure? Contact a mechanic or someone that does vehicle engine work. It is not worth putting yourself at risk to save your vehicle.
  2. Salt Water or Fresh Water Submersion. Salt water submersion is much more damaging than fresh water.
    1. (a) Salt water. If the water is salt water, contact a towing company or find a friend with a towing kit to help you get your vehicle out of the salt water. Salt water can increase chances of corrosion. Once the vehicle is out of the water, dry it off as quickly as possible.
    2. (b) Fresh water. Start drying the vehicle.
  3. Clean the vehicle’s interior. Pull anything and everything out of the vehicle that is not attached and put in the sun to dry. If your vehicle’s seats are removable, pull them out. Don’t forget the trunk.
  4. Remove the moisture. Use a wet/dry vacuum to collect standing water. Use towels to remove moisture from seats and carpet. Using fans to further dry the interior is suggested.
  5. Check the fuel tank and line. Use a store-bought siphon pump to remove some fuel. If you note any water (which would naturally separate from the fuel), you’ll want to empty the tank completely.

If the adjuster declares the vehicle “totaled,” there is no reason to file a claim for auto hail damage. If the vehicles IS repairable, you can then have them provide an estimate for the cost to remove the hail damage. This can be done by the same adjuster and put on the same claim.

Make sure the damaged vehicle is checked by a mechanic before attempting to drive the vehicle.

*  The resourced used this article was partially obtained from various sources not associated with The Hail Shop USA. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. 

Top 10 Reasons for Paintless Dent Repair

Considering Paintless Dent Repair?

The Hail Shop USA has listed the top 10 reasons why PDR (or paintless dent removal) is your best choice for auto hail repair, small dent & ding removal, and more.

  1. Paintless Dent Repair is your insurance preferred form of auto hail repair.
    Every insurance company prefers PDR. It is cheaper, takes less time, and much more. See below.
  2. Paintless Dent Repair is less expensive for everyday dents & dings.
    The cost for removing a small door ding from a car door ding, shopping cart collision, golf ball impact, etc. is usually somewhere between $75 – $125 to repair.
  3. Paintless Dent Repair will retain your vehicles original factory paint warranty.
    Because PDR technicians do not damage the paint during the repairs, the warranty stays intact. No drilling, sanding, or repainting is ever necessary with PDR.
  4. Paintless Dent Repair WILL NOT raise your insurance policy. 
    When it comes to auto hail damage repairs, as long as you have comprehensive coverage, your insurance policy will cover the cost of the repairs, minus the deductible. Dents & dings caused by hailstones are considered to be “acts of nature.” Because you couldn’t have prevented the damage, it is no fault of your own.
  5. Paintless Dent Repair comes with a lifetime warranty.
    PDR is still considered to be a newer form of auto dent repair and much of the population has not even heard of it. PDR technicians are often asked, “What happens if the dents come back?” No, the dents will not reappear. For the vehicle owners peace of mind and to retain our reputation, we offer a written lifetime warranty for ALL paintless dent repair performed in any of our shops.
  6. Paintless Dent Repair is environmentally friendly.
    None of the chemicals, spray paints or other toxic materials that are used in a traditional body shop are ever used in the PDR process.
  7. Paintless Dent Repair can be used to remove dents from minor collisions.
    As long as the paint hasn’t been cracked or damaged in any way, PDR is an option. If you aren’t sure if your dent damage is a candidate for this process, contact us for guidance.
  8. Paintless Dent Repair is pretty cool.
    If we had a dime for everyone who said, “I can’t believe they are gone, my car looks like it was never damaged” – we would be millionaires. If you get your dents & dings repaired at one of our shops, go ahead and ask if you can take a peek. You will think it’s pretty cool too.
  9. Your vehicle will spend less time in the shop. 
    Repairs usually take anywhere from only a couple of hours to only a couple of days. It all depends on the severity of the damage.
  10. Shameless promotion of The Hail Shop USA.
    The Hail Shop USA tries its hardest to make the paintless dent repair process stress-free. We offer FREE inspections, $0 deductible on all complete auto hail damage repairs, complimentary rental cars while you wait, and a valet service if you need one.