What is Paintless Dent Removal and How Does it Work?

We’ve all had that sinking feeling at least once in our driving careers. Walking back to the car in the mall car park, it’s obvious that someone has accidentally bumped a panel on your Toyota Camry with a shopping trolley and left a dent in your pristine bodywork. Fortunately, the paint seems to be intact, but that damage is still going to mean an expensive respray, isn’t it?

Well, not necessarily.

In the past few years, a seemingly miraculous process called ‘Paintless Dent Removal’ (or PDR) has been developed by car servicing technicians. This clever process means that a small dent can be removed from your bodywork without the need to repaint the area or even the entire section.

How does PDR work?

PDR uses a technique of ‘massaging’ the metal from the back of the panel using slow and careful movements. Some very shallow dents can be pulled from the front using a technologically advanced system that doesn’t damage the surface of the paint. The most common way of eliminating the dent, though, is from the rear of the panel as this puts less stress on the paint so that it can retain its integrity and avoid cracking or flaking.

PDR eliminates the need for traditional methods of panel repair and avoids the use of fillers and subsequent repainting.

The advantages

PDR has several advantages:

1. It’s much quicker

Repairing and repainting a body panel in the traditional way is a labour-intensive operation that can take a considerable amount of time. Not only do you have to repair the initial damage, but you then have to allow time for the paint to cure before the vehicle can be used. That means less time driving and more time in the garage.

PDR is super-quick and a repair can be carried out in under an hour depending on the complexity of the damage. That means you just about have time to drink a coffee and read a magazine and your car is ready to go back on the road.

2. It’s much cheaper

PDR can slash a huge amount from your repair bills. Because it’s a localised repair and doesn’t require any additional treatment such as repainting, the cost is much lower. In fact, the cost can be as little as a third of the price of a traditional dent repair, making it affordable for all motorists to get their car bodywork back into pristine condition.

3. It doesn’t count as ‘crash damage’ repairs

A major repair will be recorded on your car’s history and could be classified as a ‘crash repair’. That can affect your insurance premiums and the resale value of your car. PDR isn’t classified as a crash repair, so it doesn’t go onto your car’s service history.

4. It can restore your resale value

Damage to your bodywork will instantly affect your resale value. If you want to sell a Toyota in the UAE, your potential buyers will want it to be in the best possible condition. A dent in the wing could put a dent in your resale value. PDR eliminates the problem, restoring your earning potential when you sell or trade in your car.

So paintless dent repair is cheaper, quicker, and has a host of advantages over traditional dent repairs. At Al-Futtaim Toyota, our technicians know the secrets of this mystical art and are happy to help you restore your paintwork to its previously flawless condition. To find out more or to book a paintless dent repair, book online or contact your nearest Al-Futtaim Toyota centre today.