How to fix a dent in your car

Read on for our advice to help remove signs of bumps to your bodywork.

Are there common dent locations?

Although dents can occur anywhere on your bodywork, some areas are more prone to prangs than others. 

If you want to check your car for any irregularities, pay close attention to:

• doors – It’s easy to swing doors open into closely parked cars or other obstructions when you’re not paying attention. Make sure you check all the way to the bottom of the door where high kerbs might have left a mark.
• bumpers – Designed to minimise the impact of collisions, bumpers are one of the first places affected by motoring mishaps. Take a look at the front and back of your car for any dents that might need work.

How to repair a dent with dry ice

This method uses extreme changes in temperature and you’ll need to wear protective gloves.

You’ll need:

• aluminium foil
• dry ice
• a hair dryer
• insulated gloves
• masking tape

Start by repeating steps one and two from the hair dryer method above.

Step three – Fix aluminium foil over the dent using masking tape to protect your paintwork. 

Step four – While wearing heavy-duty gloves, pick up a block of dry ice and rub it across the foil. You should hear the panel pop back into place in less than a minute. 

Step five – Remove the foil and marvel at your handywork.

How to repair a dent with glue and wood

If you want to fix a larger or oddly-shaped dent, it could be time to draw for the glue gun. This method is effectively about creating handles to pull the dent out of place.

You’ll need:

• wooden dowels
• screws
• a glue gun
• a drill

Step one – Test the glue gun on an inconspicuous area of your car to check if it won’t damage your paintwork.

Step two – Take the wooden dowels and drill two screws at one end and at either side of the cylinder-shape to create handles. You’ll need one ‘handle’ per square inch of the damage.

Step three – Heat the glue gun and apply the adhesive to the end of the dowels without screws. Fix your customised dowels on and around the dent so they appear once every square inch.

Step four – Leave for 10 mins to dry. You might want to use your trusted hairdryer at this point. 

Step five – Pull the handles outwards and the dent should follow. Repeat the steps if necessary and experiment with placing the dowels in different positions.

Step six – Remove the dowels and wash away any leftover glue.

Top tip: Try fixing the dowels to the edges of the damaged area first before working your way into the middle of the dent. 

How to repair a dent with a repair kit

Buying tools specially made for the job might be the most effective approach of them all. 

There are three main types of dent repair kits:

• Pulling – These kits use the same principle as the wooden dowel technique and work by gluing tabs to the dent and pulling.
• Tapping – Some kits use metal pens designed to tap the dent out of your bodywork. They usually come with a range of heads to fix all kinds of damage.
• Pushing – Alternatively, you could pick up tools designed to push dents outwards from the back of a panel. The kits usually supply different-sized rods but they don’t come cheap. 

It’s important to read the instructions provided and if you don’t feel confident about taking on the job you can always contact an RAC approved garage for help.

How to fix a dent on a door panel

Car door panels are typically thinner than other parts of your car. This makes them easier to dent but they are easier to remove for repairs.

Use a screwdriver to detach any wiring or control panels in arm rests, you’ll probably need to pop open screw covers to unfasten everything.

When you pull the door panel away, try to keep the plastic sheet from the door frame completely flat. That way it can be used again. 

Once the panel has been removed, try pushing the dent from behind to pop your bodywork back into its rightful place.

Should I repair a dent myself?

The decision to repair a dent yourself depends on a combination of things:

• Extent of damage – small dings should be easy enough to fix yourself but more extensive damage will probably need the help of an expert.
• Budget – rates for bodywork specialists greatly vary, in fact, you could pay between £36 to £200 an hour for their help.
• Confidence – even the simplest repair job can seem out of the question if you’re not comfortable making repairs yourself, in which case you should arrange for professional help.
• Time – sourcing all the tools and materials can take a while, especially if you shop around for the best deal. That’s before you’ve even started to master the techniques for a high-quality repair job.

If you’re unsure about how to do the job yourself, an RAC approved garage will be happy to help restore your car where possible.