What To Do When A Shopping Cart Dents Your Car

When you drive into a packed parking lot, one of the things you worry about the most is getting struck by another vehicle. A small fender-bender at 6 miles per hour (a standard speed in a parking lot) can cost several thousand dollars in repairs. You may be watching out for cars, but don't forget about shopping carts, which can cause damage to your vehicle as well. When a shopping cart dents your car, you may be worried about the repairs. Here is what you should do if a cart leaves a dent on your vehicle.

Try removing smaller dents yourself

A small dent that doesn't penetrate through your car's fender or hasn't scratched your paint may be able to be repaired at home. You can use a plunger to try to suction small dents out with success. Or you can try the method of applying dry ice to the affected area until the dent pops free. These methods are great ways to remove small dings from a shopping cart that are annoying to look at but not so serious that you need to take your car to an auto body shop.

Decide if repair or replacement is better

Some dents are easy to remove using do-it-yourself remedies, but if you are very concerned about the dent on your vehicle or the methods you have tried to remove the damage haven't worked, then you will want to decide if repairing the dent or replacing your fender is the better option. You want to take into consideration the cost of each type of work and the results you can accomplish either way. Your auto body repair shop can fill you in on which will work better for your vehicle's damage by examining your vehicle and assessing the damage.

For instance, replacement may be suggested if the dent is combined with a large ding or tear in your fender. Tears are difficult to repair because bonding agents to fill the lesions can come loose over time, leaving you in the same original position as when the damage occurred. If the dents can be professionally popped out and the paint chipping is minimal, however, a simple repair may be all you need.

There may come a time when a shopping cart leaves an unsightly dent on your vehicle. You can try to repair the damage yourself or have an auto body shop technician do the work for you. Depending on the type of damage, you may have to have your fender replaced, but in many cases a shopping cart leaves a dent that can be repaired quickly.

For more information, contact Auto Body By Duie LLC or similar company.

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