How to Fix a Dent in a Car at Apostolakis Honda

Scheduling service to fix a dent can be a difficult and costly process, but Boardman-area drivers can save time and money by learning how to fix a dent in a car at home. By using the steps highlighted in this article, you can fix dents quickly and have your car looking new again when you hit the roads of Youngstown! 

Our technicians are happy to take care of more serious dents and scratches at our service center in Cortland, but many smaller issues are an easy fix if you’re up for some DIY car care. Read the guide below for details about how to fix scratches on a car or pop out a dent, and be sure to follow up with our team for more information. Browse our service menu and schedule a service appointment with our service center today!

Fixing Dents on Your Car

There’s a tried and tested way to learn how to fix a small dent in a car. Use the steps highlighted below to fix a dent in a car:

• Plunger – Whether it’s a plunger from a hardware store or one made specifically for car dents, this tool can be used to pop out small dents.
• Hammer or Mallet – Using one of these on the opposite side of the dent can help knock the spot back into place. Use the hammer for smaller fixes and the mallet for larger dents. Be sure to protect the side you are hammering with a towel or something equivalent to avoid more damage.
• Dent Puller – Only proceed with this if you’re used to using this method as this requires drilling a hole in the dent, lacing the wire through, and pulling the dent back to surface level. You’ll then need to fill the hole, sand it down, and paint.

Fixing Scratches on Your Car

There’s also a way you can fix scratches on a car quickly at home. These methods of fixing scratches on a car have been tried and tested for success:

• Candle Wax – This is by no means a permanent solution, but it will hold in an emergency. Gently rub the wax over the cleaned area to seal the scratch.
• Super Glue – Like candle wax, this helps seal the scratch temporarily and blends with the vehicle masking the damage slightly.
• Paint Polish or Rubbing Compound – When correcting a car’s paint, you always want to use the least aggressive solution first. If you underdo it, you can always do more. If you overdo it, it can’t be undone. That said, we recommend using a light polish with a less abrasive foam pad first and working your way up to higher-grit polishes or compounds if you see that scratches still remain in your paint. Only if polishing doesn’t remove scratches do we recommend wet-sanding, the next step.
• Wet Sandpaper – Shallow scratches just on the surface can easily be removed after cleaning the area and rubbing over it with 2000-grit wet sandpaper. Once it’s at a point where the scratch is almost invisible, apply a rubbing compound followed by finer and finer polishes, and then a wax or paint sealant for protection. Washing your car before any scratch removal is a best practice, as is waxing the whole car once done.
• Touch-Up Paint: Usually available at service centers like ours, this fix helps hide deeper scratches.

Visit our Service Center at Apostolakis Honda 

If you’d rather entrust your auto service needs to a professional, our team is here! We offer expert advice as well. Contact us today or visit us at Apostolakis Honda for more information!