Small to medium auto dents usually don’t seem like a big deal, and many people will opt to keep driving around for months or even years with dents on their car. Because drivers often assume the damage is just cosmetic, they may not feel it’s necessary to spend money on dent repair — especially if they have more pressing financial matters.
But, driving with a dented car is more risky than it seems, and can cause long-term damage to your car. Keep reading to learn four risks of leaving auto dents unrepaired.
#1. It Has a High Chance of Rusting
One of the biggest problems of driving with dents is that it increases the chance your car will develop rust. While some drivers may dismiss rust as a pesky aesthetic problem, when left untreated, rust can actually weaken the metal structure of your car. This can lead to more serious problems down the road, like mechanical part failure due to water getting into places it normally shouldn’t go.
If you live in an area with high humidity or frequent rainstorms, it’s especially important to get dents repaired as soon as possible to prevent rusting. The longer you go without repairs, the worse the problem gets, and the more costly and complicated it gets to repair it.
#2. It Spreads Paint Damage
When your car gets dented, it usually craps, chips, or warps your paint job. And, even if you have a small, smooth dent that doesn’t affect the paint, it can still compromise the strength of the paint in that area.
When you leave dents alone instead of fixing them with traditional or paintless dent repair, you risk having this paint damage spread throughout the surrounding area. Not only does this look unsightly, it also compromises the protective coating your car’s paint provides.
#3. The Repair Will Get More Expensive
Because unrepaired dents can cause issues like rust, paint damage, and structural damage to spread, the longer you wait to fix a dent, the more expensive it will be to repair.
When you leave a dent alone for months or even years, you add pieces to the repair bill that didn’t need to exist. Extra paint damage, rust repair, and in extreme cases, entire parts needing replacement can increase your repair costs by double, triple, or more.
If you’re hesitant to repair your dents right away because of financial reasons, you’ll be pleased to know that paintless dent repair costs can be as little as a few hundred dollars — a small price to pay to avoid thousands of dollars worth of damage further down the road.
#4. It Reduces Your Car’s Resale Value
While many people think of cars as depreciating assets, you can actually increase the resale value of your vehicle by keeping it well-maintained and making timely repairs.
When you leave dents in your car, you’re not only risking long-term damage, you’re also decreasing the value of your car should you ever decide to sell it. If you plan on keeping your car for a while, this may not be a big deal. But, if you think you might want to sell in the near future, it’s best to nip any cosmetic problems — like dents or scratches — before they turn into larger problems.
This is because these problems can disproportionately affect the value of your car. Cosmetic damage is easy to see and is what many people look at first, so even a small imperfection can knock a few thousands of dollars off your car’s value.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a few risks associated with driving around with dents in your car. From rust to paint damage to decreased resale value, it’s always best to get dents repaired as soon as possible.