3 Essentials For Taking Care of Your Vehicle

Tony Mers • June 4, 2018

Taking care of your vehicle is one of the most important responsibilities of adulthood. Behind a home, a vehicle is the most valuable item the average American can own, so it's essential to drive as safe as possible, stay on top of vehicle maintenance, and visit trusted auto body services when it's time to think about getting a car fixed.

Drive as safe as possible
The easiest way to protect your vehicle while out on the road is to drive extremely carefully. If you're driving recklessly, neglecting roadway safety rules, and aren't paying attention behind the wheel, not only are you putting your vehicle in danger of suffering major damages, you could end up severely injuring yourself or someone else -- or worse. Whether you're driving across the country or down the street, you always need to be extremely careful when you're behind the wheel.

Stay on top of your car's maintenance
If you neglect your vehicle's maintenance needs long enough, your car could break down on the road. If you're not changing your oil or monitoring your tire's air pressure, you could lose control of your vehicle and ruin your car, as well as harm yourself and other drivers. Make sure you are taking a look at your vehicle before you drive each day to ensure that everything is fine, and stay on top of all your maintenance needs.

Visit skilled auto body repair shops
There are roughly 6 million vehicle accidents that occur in the United States each year. Getting a car fixedafter these crashes, no matter the severity, should be at the very top of your priority list. Auto body professionals can help fully repair your vehicle and get you back on the road in a short amount of time. Getting a car fixed at the right location can not only fix major damages, they can assist you with paint coatings, glass repair and dent repair, and so much more.

As long as you're staying on top of your vehicle's maintenance needs, working with skillful auto body repair professionals, and drive extremely carefully, you'll end up having an excellent vehicle for a while -- enjoy the ride!

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Why Ignoring Small Dents Can Lead to Bigger Problems

January 30, 2026

It is an awful feeling when you walk out to your car after a long day and see a small dent on your passenger door. While it may appear to be just a cosmetic issue, you should still get it fixed, because ignoring small dents can lead to bigger problems for your vehicle. Don’t let small dents on your car go untreated; let's talk about why you need to tackle these issues ASAP. Rust Loves Chicago Winters We all know the drill here in the Windy City. We have beautiful summers, sure, but we also pay the price with brutal winters. And what comes with winter? Salt. Tons of it. Your car’s paint job acts as a suit of armor protecting the metal body underneath. Even a minor dent often comes with microscopic cracks in the paint—sometimes too small to see with the naked eye. Once that seal is broken, moisture and road salt sneak in. They settle against the bare metal and start a chemical party you definitely don’t want to host. Oxidation begins immediately. By the time you notice bubbling paint or that tell-tale orange stain a few months later, the rust has already been eating away at your door panel from the inside out. Resale Value Takes a Nosedive For many people, maintaining their car is a valuable part of purchasing a new vehicle. When that day comes, curb appeal is everything. Used car buyers (and dealership appraisers) will judge your car by its exterior appearance. If they see a vehicle riddled with door dings, bumper scrapes, and ignored scratches, they see a car that wasn't cared for. They assume that if you didn't care enough to fix the outside, you probably didn't care about the rest of it either. It lowers the perceived value instantly. Maintaining your car’s body and its paint is an investment in your future trade-in value. Paint Damage Spreads Like a Virus When a dent or scrape compromises the integrity of the paint, the surrounding paint loses its grip. High-pressure car washes, wind, and temperature fluctuations cause the paint to flake away from the initial injury site. A scratch the size of a quarter can grow into a patch the size of a softball over a couple of seasons. It’s Easier (and Cheaper) Than You Think Here is the good news: fixing these things early is surprisingly affordable. Modern body shop technology is amazing. For many small dings where the paint isn't cracked, we can use techniques that massage the metal back into place without spraying a drop of paint. River North Collision Repair offers paintless dent repair in Chicago to fix minor dents. Regardless of what nicked your door, we can help remove the dents and maintain a seamless look for your vehicle. Don’t Wait for Problems Don't let minor dents turn into a big nightmare. Save your future self the headache (and the cash). Swing by River North Collision Repair for your quick and easy repairs. Because driving a car you’re proud of? That’s a feeling you can’t put a price on.