Paintless Dent Repair

Gary covers what paintless dent repair actually involves, which dents it works on, and when it makes sense to get more than just the dent looked at.

How it works

Paintless dent repair (PDR) is the technique used to remove small dents without touching the paint. A technician gets access behind the panel and levers the metal back out from the inside. No filler, no respray. When it is done well -- and it takes real skill to do it well -- the result can be perfect. The alternative, a repair and repaint at a body shop, costs several hundred pounds more for the same job.

The dents PDR works best on are up to roughly 50p-piece size: the kind you pick up when someone opens their car door into yours in a car park, or a bike handlebar catches the panel in a garage. 99% of what the dent technicians deal with falls into that range. Larger dents are possible in some cases, but the bigger the dent the lower the odds of a clean result; anything substantial is better suited to a Midi repair.

Mobile or in-workshop

The dent technicians are mobile; they go to dealerships, driveways and workplaces. If you just want a single dent dealt with and you are in or around Essex, calling them directly to come to you is usually the most convenient route. If you want the dent done while the car is in for other work, bring it to us and we will arrange it.

If the car is going back to a lease company

Gary's advice here is the same as for alloy wheels: do not just fix the dent you know about without getting the whole car looked at first. Most people focus on the obvious thing -- the dent -- without checking what else might be there. A scuff under the bumper or a small crack in the roof can cost more than the dent at handback. Get the car inspected, find out what is actually chargeable, then decide where to spend the money.

See our paintless dent repair page for details, or our Midi repair page if the dent is larger than PDR can handle.