Dings and dents can happen just about anywhere on a vehicle. If you own a vehicle, chances are you have had to deal with these unfortunate, all-too-common occurrences. New cars are a magnet for dents!
You want to protect your investment, but a vast majority of dings and dents aren’t your fault. They can come in the form of a mysterious door ding after you return from shopping or a hail storm your Weather Man or Lady didn’t predict.
If you take care of your car, it will take care of you, but sometimes, the unexpected happens.
You have to prepare for the worst and know how to protect your car from door dings and other common damages.
Protect your car by by knowing the common causes of dents, where they can occur on your vehicle and what you can do to prevent them from happening in the first place.
PROTECT YOUR CAR FROM DOOR DINGS AND GENERAL BODY DAMAGE
Remember that car you parked next to and thought it was hugging the line a little tight? While you were in the grocery store they opened their door and…BOOM! Now the side of your car has a large dent in it. Just thinking of the sound makes one cringe!
Door dings can be caused by a number of things. Other drivers in parking lots, runaway shopping carts that weren’t corralled properly, opening your door too fast next to another vehicle or even the kids playing baseball in the yard.
For this reason, prevention is key. You can proactively do a few things to protect your vehicle’s body from car dents.
HOW TO PREVENT CAR DENTS FROM HAPPENING
Dents may be part of the territory of vehicle ownership, but can be avoided in many cases, by being more cautious and aware of your surroundings.
• Park Away From Other Vehicles
Parking further away to prevent car dents is essential (Thanks Captain Obvious!), but people are constantly looking for convenience. Get away from the crowd and give yourself a few spaces on each side. Set the tone inside the lines for everyone else, and get some exercise in while you’re at it! But for the love of all that is good and holy, don't take up 2 spaces... You're just asking for vandalism.
• Open Your Door Slowly
You’re excited to get where you’re going, but it’s important to be aware of everything around you. Whether it be a curb, a railing at a gas pump, another vehicle or even a wall. Slowly opening your car door is a great way to avoid unexpected door dings.
• Educate Your Kids around the Vehicle
Kids, more often than not, don't mean to do damage. They don’t always understand how much your vehicle costs, or how big of a deal a ding or two can be. Teach them to be careful entering and exiting the vehicle in parking lots or at home, and not to play with balls, bikes and other toys around the car.
PREVENT CAR DENTS CAUSED BY HAIL
Hail damage is the most “natural” cause of car dents, because after all, you can’t control the weather. Hail damage, for insurance companies, is considered an “act of God” and does not fall under your basic coverage.
It is typically considered a comprehensive claim, and filing a single hail damage claim in many cases, won’t make your premiums go up. Hail damage just isn’t something you can be considered at fault for, unless you abuse your coverage and file multiple "hail" claims a year.
The most common areas where hail damage occurs include your hood, roof, trunk and even windshields. While hail can be pea or marble sized, it can grow as large as a softball or larger, and that can cause serious damage to your vehicle.
PROTECT YOUR CAR FROM HAIL DAMAGE
No, you can’t predict the weather, but you can take steps to avoid filing a hail damage claim if you're area is under threat of a storm.
• Use Covered Parking
If you have a garage, use it! It is the best way to protect your car. There are many benefits of covered parking, including protection from hail storms that can come with costly deductibles.
In the winter, parking in a garage keeps ice and snow off of your vehicle, so you have a warmer car in the morning and gets you on the road quicker. Garage parking also keeps your vehicle out of direct sunlight, which over time, can fade the appearance of leather or other aspects of your interior because of UV damage.
Parking outside of the elements is the number one way to avoid hail and prevent car dents caused by it.
If you dont have a garage, park under a gas station or car wash over-hang when possible. if you are driving on the interstate, try and get under an over-pass.
• Cover Your Vehicle
If you don’t have the luxury of garage parking, a quality vehicle cover is the next best thing. From basic $50 options (you get what you pay for) to $500 near apocalypse proof covers that claim to stop 10 softball sized hail stones at “terminal velocity”, there are plenty of products designed to protect your vehicle from hail or flying debris.
• Get Comprehensive Coverage
Not all vehicle owners have comprehensive coverage on their insurance, leaving them to pay for hail damage out-of-pocket. Most insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage options that cover anything from a minor hail storm to a tree limb falling on your hood, for example. Ask your insurance company to determine what their policy is for hail. This is a good thing to have “just in case,” because if you do fall victim to hail damage on your vehicle, all you need to pay is a deductible. Deductibles range from $250-$1,000, which is much less than a complete hail repair that can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $12,000 depending on the amount of damage.
HAVE HAIL DAMAGE? GO TO TRANSCENDENT PAINTLESS
If your vehicle has been damaged by hail, Transcendent will work with your insurance company on hail damage claims, to repair any and all dings and dents caused by hail with a lifetime warranty, and in most cases, at no additional cost to you except from your standard insurance deductible.
DEALING WITH DAY-TO-DAY DENTS AND DINGS
Dings and dents happen. That’s why Transcendent Paintless offers Paintless Dent Removal Services and Hail Damage Repair to help vehicle owners through these common causes of dents and get them back on the road quickly.
What is the worst parking lot surprise you have gotten? What do you do to protect your vehicle? Let us know on our Facebook or Instagram @pensacola_dent_repair pages and visit Transcendent Paintless online today to learn more about our industry-leading processes!