Dents and dings are more or less inevitable for any vehicle. The more you drive, the more likely a vehicle will throw a stone at yours, or hailstones strike it, or some other mishap dents the shape of your vehicle. Auto hail repair is one of the ways that you might get the damage fixed. Let's take a closer look at seven types of dents and how easy it can be to fix them.

1. Rounded Dents

When a large but soft item dents your vehicle, it'll leave behind a relatively large, round dent. The item might be a ball, an animal, or maybe someone who leaned or climbed onto your car and left a dent. The dent can be very deep but often is repairable without damaging the paint, which makes dent repair quick and affordable.

2. Sharp Dents

Hailstones, small rocks, and similar smaller objects could strike your vehicle and leave a sharp dent. Commonly done auto hail repair can help to remove one or more small and sharp dents by gently tapping on the dent from the inside while holding a cushioned body hammer support tool against it on the outside. Some technicians and shops also might use an external dent puller, dry ice, or heat to help encourage the dented panel to return to its original shape.

3. Dents With Creases

Creased dents tend to be more difficult to repair without requiring new paint and some auto body work. That said, it is possible. A combination of dent-removal tools that might include a long piece of wood can gently push the dent out from the inside. External dent-pulling tools that don't require drilling can also help to repair dents with creases without any painting or additional bodywork needed.

4. Irregular Dents

Instead of rounded outer edges, an irregular dent is more misshapen and might extend over a larger area than commonly occurring dents from hailstones and other hazards. Irregular dents are another type of dent that often require a variety of auto body dent-repair tools to fix. Pushing as much of the dent out as possible from the inside can start the process while external dent pullers can finish the repair.

5. Outward Dents

Most auto dents happen from the outside and extend into the vehicle. Some dents are pushed out from the inside and leave a high spot on the outside of the body panel. It's possible that a tire threw up a stone that struck the inside of a fender. Another possibility is that someone tried to close the hood or the trunk without removing an obstruction. The resulting dent is fixable by covering the dent with several layers of masking tape and using a piece of cloth to cushion the paint and metal and gently tamping it down from the outside. Some heat can help to make the metal more pliable.

6. Pockmarked Panels

One of the more common types of auto body damage caused by hailstones is the pockmarked panel. Hailstones can cause potentially hundreds of small dents on the exterior, which might cause insurers to total vehicles that they view as not worth enough to fix the dents. A technician who's experienced in auto hail repair often can remove several small pockmarks with an external dent puller with an assist from some heat.

7. Dents in Plastic

Most modern vehicles have soft, painted plastic parts that partly cover the bumpers and meet flush with the rear quarter panels and front fenders. The lower sections of the body also often contain soft plastic, which is designed to give when a hard object is encountered. The idea is for the section to be more pliable because it's located in a spot where body damage commonly occurs. The dents are very easy to remove with a little heat.

You can call us, complete our online form, or stop by our body shop to schedule auto hail repair service for your vehicle. According to Auto Chimps, it costs around $125 on average to repair an auto dent. That said, dents range significantly in size and severity. We work with auto insurers and provide accurate estimates on dent repair and other auto body services. Give our team at Dent Source a call today to get started.