Auto Body Repair: Dent vs. Ding
You walk out of the grocery store and place your bags in the trunk. When opening the driver’s side door, you notice something that wasn’t there before. There’s a ding: dead center. In a previous blog, we talked about the fact that dents can be purely superficial. They can also hide more profound damage. But what exactly is the difference between a ding and a dent? Read on to learn how these two forms of vehicle damage vary.
Dent vs Ding
The difference between a dent and a ding has little to do with the placement and all to do with the size. We define a ding as any indention that half an inch or less in diameter. With a ding, there is no paint chipping or metal exposure to rust. Common causes of dings include contact with shopping carts, rocks, and the doors of other vehicles.
Another common cause of dings in some areas of the country are hail damage. Falling hail can cause dings to your car’s panels and depending on the size of the hail storm, the cost of damage repair can add up quickly. Thankfully, dings caused by hail can be removed by a process called paintless dent repair that we will cover later on in the blog.
Dents, on the other hand are larger and accompany more extensive damage. The same things that make dings also cause dents, but dents will have a wider area of damage. They are also more difficult to fix. This is especially true of dents caused by collisions. Significant damage can hide beneath the depressions in the metal. For example, dents often expose the metal of the elements and the result is rust damage.
Dents, on the other hand are larger and accompany more extensive damage. The same things that make dings also cause dents, but dents will have a wider area of damage. They are also more difficult to fix. This is especially true of dents caused by collisions. Significant damage can hide beneath the depressions in the metal. For example, dents often expose the metal of the elements and the result is rust damage.
Repair Options
For many vehicle owners, repairing small dings is on the bottom of the priority list. We often ignore dents as well because they are thought of as cosmetic. But this can be a critical mistake. When turning in a leased vehicle, selling your car, or trading it in, there can be financial repercussions for not repairing even small dings. Leasing companie
Because of this possible financial loss, it’s often in an owner’s best interest to have the dings removed. The easiest way to do this is through paintless dent repair. With this process, no damage to the original paint occurs because the ding (or dent) is removed using slow pressure. The cost with this service is much lower than traditional methods of dent removal.
If a body shop cannot remove your ding or dent using paintless repair, there are still other options. A qualified auto body technician will be able to assess the damage, discuss options for repair, and give an estimate.
At Orlando Auto Body, we can fix your dents or dings. If you’re concerned about damage to your vehicle, let Orlando Auto Body take care of the guesswork and determine if your “ding” or “dent” should be removed. Click here for an estimate from our highly qualified staff or give us a call at 480-428-2783.
