Why Types of Damage Can Be Repaired by PDR?

Tony Mers • September 8, 2022

Paintless dent repair (PDR) is an efficient and affordable way to repair many dents without having to sand and repaint a vehicle’s exterior. But what types of damage can PDR repair? We answer that and more in our helpful guide!

Minor Dents

The most common type of damages repaired by PDR are minor dents and exterior bumps. While PDR can take care of most minor dents, every dent is different, and there are limitations.

The depth and complexity of the dent can determine whether PDR is an effective method—if it’s a deep bump with multiple creases and ridges, it may not be within PDR’s scope to fix. But the majority of small to average dents can be fixed quickly and affordably with PDR.

Some Large Dents

While most PDR fixes are reserved for smaller to medium dents, they can also effectively repair more extensive damages. As mentioned, it mostly comes down to the complexity of the mark and whether it has pronounced creases.

A crease is like a sharp edge of a dent. Imagine a soda can—you can warp and massage the can, and it’ll return to form, but if you press too hard, it’ll create a deep crease that can’t be massaged out. PDR can fix even large dents with no pronounced ridges or edges.

Door Dings

Few things are more annoying than returning to your car after shopping or a meal and finding your parking lot neighbor dinged your door. Door dings are a little different than other dents due to the round or crescent-shaped bumps they leave from the round outer edge of the door.

But as long as there aren’t any significant scratches to the vehicle’s exterior paint, PDR can take care of a door ding without much trouble.

Hail Damage

Hail damage isn’t the most common, but when hail season arrives and a hailstorm hits an area, the local PDR shops are at their busiest. At our auto body shop in Chicago , we see customers with hail damage regularly because PDR can take care of these issues quickly and at an affordable price.

Most hail damages are minor dents scattered throughout the hood and top of a vehicle, and fixing so many of these dents through traditional repair methods would be costly. Marks left by golf ball-sized hail may be beyond PDR’s capability, but hopefully, you’ll never run into that severe of weather!

Now you know a little more about paintless dent repair! If you ever encounter a dent, door ding, or hail damage, don’t hesitate to stop by River North Collision Repair, where our trained technicians can fix your vehicle issues with PDR!

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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.