Prevent Door Dings - Dent Wizard

HOW TO PREVENT DOOR DINGS AND PROTECT YOUR CAR FROM DAILY DENTS

Dings and dents can happen just about anywhere on a vehicle. From top to bottom and everywhere in between, if you own a vehicle, chances are you have had to deal with these unfortunate, all-too-common occurrences.

You want to protect your car, 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 hailstorm your local meteorologist didn’t predict.

If you take care of your car, it will take care of you, but sometimes, the unexpected happens.

As a car owner, you must prepare for the unexpected and know how to protect your car from door dings and other common occurrences.

You can prevent door dings and protect your car from common scenarios where dents are most likely occur by following these tips.

Protect Your Car from Door Dings and DENTS

Remember that car you parked next to and thought it was hugging the line a little tight? While you were in the store, someone opened their door and…bam! Now the side of your car has a large dent in it.

Door dings can be caused by several 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 car from door dings and other exterior damage.

How to Prevent DOOR DINGS

Door dings may be a fact of vehicle ownership, but can be avoided in many cases, by being more cautious and aware of your surroundings. Check out these tips to prevent door dings.

• Park Away From Other Cars

Parking further away to prevent car dents may be stating the obvious, but it’s a tip people often overlook for the sake of convenience. Step 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! 

If all else fails, try to find an end spot – that means one less car to worry about in the parking lot.

• Open Your Door Slowly and Readjust as Needed

You’re excited to get where you’re going, but it’s important to be aware of your surroundings - whether it is a curb, a railing at a gas pump, another vehicle or even a wall. Slowly opening your car door or readjusting your car within a space can help reduce the risk of accidentally coming into contact with another object. Even if you’re in a hurry, taking a second to slow down and assess your car in relation to the things around it can save your doors, mirrors, bumpers and side panels from costly and unappealing dents and scrapes.

• Educate Your Kids Around the Car

Our kids might have the greatest intentions, but they aren’t always the most careful. As a parent, you understand that accidents happen – especially when kids are involved. Because kids don’t understand how much your vehicle costs, a door ding or a dent may not seem like a big deal to them. Take some time to teach them how to be careful when entering and exiting the car, and to avoid playing with balls, bikes and other potentially damaging toys around the car.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR CAR FROM DAILY DENTS

Unfortunately, dents and dings don’t just happen when your car is left unattended in a parking lot. Sometimes, it can happen while you are on the road or even in your own driveway. Here are some tips to prevent daily dings and dents.

• Leave Space Between the Car in Front of You

When you’re driving on main roads or highways, it can be second nature to stay close behind the car in front of you, especially if you are driving in traffic. However, the closer you are to that car, the more likely it is for debris from the road to be kicked back at your car. Rocks, salt, sticks and other debris can not only impact your safety, but also cause serious damage to your headlights, hood, mirrors and windshield if they become airborne from the car in front of you. 

It is recommended to maintain at least a three second following distance to give yourself enough time to react if something were to fly back in your direction.

 • Use Covered Parking to Escape the Elements

If you have a garage or covered parking, use it! It is the best way to protect your car. There are many benefits of covered parking, including protection from heavy winds, snow, tornadoes or hailstorms that can come with costly deductibles.

Exposing your car to the all the elements – ice, snow, rain, heat, sun, etc. – can wear down your car’s exterior. Heavy winds have the ability to pull down tree limbs or send branches or other debris flying in your car’s direction. A hailstorm can leave your car with dozens of dents, even damaging the paint job depending on the hail size. 

Leaving your car exposed to extreme temperatures in the summer and winter may not dent your car’s exterior but can wear down the paint and even the interior of your car, especially if you have leather seats. That’s why, no matter the season, it’s important to take advantage of covered parking as much as possible.
  

• Cover Your Car

If you don’t have the luxury of garage or covered parking, a quality vehicle cover is the next best thing. From basic $50 options to $500 workhorse covers that claim to stop 10 softball sized hail stones at “terminal velocity,” there are plenty of products designed to protect your vehicle from the elements.

• Don't Put or Store Items on Your Car 

When getting in and out of your car, it can be second nature to put items on the hood, roof or trunk of your car throughout the day. From keys, to coffee cups and even groceries, if your hands are full, your car’s exterior might become a temporary surface to hold these items. 

However, something as small as your keys has the potential to scratch the finish on your car. Heavier items can leave permanent dents in your hood, roof or trunk, especially if items are stored on your car for longer periods of time. Even if your car is sitting in your garage, if it has items on top of it, your car’s exterior is at risk. Try to utilize extra storage and shelving in your garage to prevent dings and scratches on your car from storing items on it. 

• Get Comprehensive Coverage

Not all vehicle owners have comprehensive coverage, leaving them to pay for weather-related damage out-of-pocket. Most insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage options that cover anything from a minor hailstorm to a tree falling on your hood, for instance. Check with your insurance company to determine what their policy is for this type of damage. This is a good precaution to have “just in case,” because if you do fall victim to weather or hail damage, all you need to pay is a deductible.

LET DENT WIZARD FIX YOUR DOOR DINGS & EXTERIOR DENTS

Dings and dents happen. That’s why Dent Wizard offers affordable Paintless Dent Repair and Hail Damage Repair along with a full line of service plans to repair door dings, dents and more substantial damage to get your car back on the road quickly.

Additionally, if your vehicle has been damaged by hail, Dent Wizard will work with your insurance company on hail damage claims, to repair any and all dings and dents caused by hail with a limited lifetime warranty, and in many cases, at no additional cost aside from your standard insurance deductible.

Fill out the form to receive a free quote and/or information about our Paintless Dent Repair or Hair Damage repair services.

The below video explains how the hail damage repair process at Dent Wizard works. 


 

Sources:

http://www.einsurance.com/journal/hail-damage-and-car-insurance-claims/
http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/hail/
http://www.progressive.com/claims/protect-car-from-hail-damage/
http://www.burnshyundai.com/Dings_and_dents.pdf

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