How to Remove Dents from Your Car

chipped paintwork & dents on car

If you own a car, one thing is certain—sooner or later it’ll get dents somewhere. Even if you’re cautious, one can’t always account for unexpected weather, a wrongly thrown football, or an inexperienced driver on the road. The thing about dents is that no matter their size, big or small, they’ll ruin a vehicle’s appearance. When that happens, one of the first things that comes to mind is – how to remove a dent from your car. That’s when auto body repair shops come in handy. From minor touch-ups to major fixes, they are pros in restoring vehicles to their prime.

Not all fender benders are equal—different dents require varying techniques to fix them. That’s why, you should only trust professionals to retain your ride’s look and value. However, if you’re in a pinch and visiting the local mechanic is not on the cards, there are a few DIY methods for removing dents. These vary in effectiveness, depending on the severity and size of the damage. This blog will explore the best ways to pull dents out of a car and restore its looks. So, let’s get started and discuss what can be done to restore your car’s body.

Types of Car Dents

Physical damage to a vehicle can be unsightly, even if they’re small or unnoticeable. The truth is it’s more than just a blow to its aesthetics; it may cause deeper structural issues and put the car’s safety on the line. Most objects can dent a vehicle in several ways. Hence, before we talk about the methods to remove dents, let’s identify their types:

  • Round Dents

    They are usually small, and often caused by direct impacts from round objects like a football or a piece of debris. Removing small dents is easier compared to other types as the paint doesn’t chip in most cases. If the paint job is intact, you can use hot water and a plunger to fix these dents.

  • Crease Dents

    When an object hits the car’s side panel and gets dragged along its length, leading to big, oval-shaped or crease dents. This causes serious damage and requires extensive preparation to remove a crease dent from a car door or body. For instance, you need to determine the size and depth of the damage as well as the tools needed.

  • Sharp Dents

    These are particularly angular and deeper when compared to round ones. Sharp dents come in all shapes and sizes and are easy to spot as they’re more defined in appearance. They generally occur on the car’s bodyline or the fairings on the wheel wells. Since bodyline dents sink into the car’s surface, you need a professional who’s well-versed in paintless dent removal techniques.

  • Dings

    You’ve probably heard about dings – small and shallow dents that can happen due to parking lot incidents. Although easy to repair, they may require specialised tools for quality results. Scratches, dents, and dings can happen anywhere on your ride. Each requires a customised solution to restore the vehicle’s value.

The Best Ways to Pull Out Dents of a Car

Now that you’re familiar with each type, let’s discuss how to fix deep scratches and dents on your car. We’ve listed some of the most common methods below:

  • Pull/Push Out the Dent

    If there’s enough space behind the dent, you can pop it out by pushing. The effectiveness of this method depends on the material’s strength and the severity of the dent. That being said, you can easily pop out plastic bumper dents using this technique. Keep in mind to work gently to avoid exacerbating the damage.

  • Using a Plunger

    One of the quickest ways to remove dents from plastic car bumpers is with a plunger. With the right technique, you get enough suction for small dents to pop back into place. For this to work, get hot water, insulated gloves, a clean cloth, and a plunger to fix the car dent.

      • Step 1: Pour some boiling water on the car dent to soften the surface.
      • Step 2: Place the plunger over the affected area in an air-tight position and then pull.
      • Step 3: Remove the suction cap and check if the dent has popped back out. If that’s not the case, use the gloves and push them from behind.
      • Step 4: The dent will disappear after you use the right pressure to pull the hollowed surface level. Once rectified, clean the surface with a cloth to finish.

  • Heat and Rapid Cooling

    Another popular technique to pull dents out of your car involves rapid heating and cooling. Did you know you can easily remove minor or medium damage using boiling water? Simply pour hot water on a car dent to make the surface flexible so you can push it out from behind. Cool it off afterwards with the help of condensed air to finish the job.

  • Using a Hair Dryer

    Removing dents from your car with hot water works like a charm, however, it is quite risky too. Instead, you can use a hair dryer to blow hot air on the dent and get the plastic to expand. After a few minutes, spray a can of compressed air on the area. The cold air from the can in contact with the expanded plastic will force the dent to pop out.

  • Dry Ice

    Similar to the hair dryer and compressed air method, dry ice also works the same way. The process involves the following:

      • Step 1: Wear protective gloves before beginning repairs to protect your hands.
      • Step 2: Put a small piece of dry ice onto the dented area.
      • Step 3: After a while, you’ll see tiny dents popping right back into place.
      • Optional Step: You can begin with a hair dryer or boiling water, if needed, to expand the plastic material. After that, apply the dry ice for car dent restoration.

These techniques might work if you want to remove a car dent at home. Unfortunately, some damage may be too severe to handle on your own without causing further harm to your vehicle. Under such circumstances, you may require the help of professional technicians, like our team at Precise Smash Repairs.

Here’s when you need expert help:

  • When the paint damage is extensive

  • If the dent is too large or too deep

  • To remove sharp dents from the car door or bumper

  • The dent has affected more than one body panel

  • The damage is too close to electrical wiring or other essential components

Dents on car bumper

When Should You Hire a Professional to Remove Dents from Your Car?

If the dent has chipped the automobile’s paintwork or it’s too complex to handle on your own, don’t panic. Instead, take your car down to a reliable auto body shop where it can efficiently restore its condition. Precise Smash Repairs provides professional dent repair services in Melbourne. We use several techniques like panel beating or Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) to remove big dents from a car.

Moreover, our trained techniques can repair any kind of dent. We use the latest technology to remove dents from a car door or bumper and fix all blemishes. Regardless of whether the dent is large or small, our technicians will offer a viable solution to repair most dinks. To get an estimate, you can call us on 03 9354 6533 or email us at info@precisesmashrepairs.com.au.