Dings, small scratches, and chipped paint here and there aren’t uncommon on cars. No matter how hard you try to keep your car in its original condition, it’s bound to get damaged in some way, shape, or form at some point in time. Unfortunately, you can’t always prevent these damages from happening.
For example, you walk into the grocery store and come out to find someone dinged your car with their door. At other times, the damage may be your fault. For example, perhaps you ran over the curb while rushing to work in the morning.
Autobody work isn’t always needed. Some damages are minor and can be ignored, but how will you know when your car needs autobody work done? Will autobody shops give you an honest answer?
In the guide below, you’ll discover several signs it’s time to visit an autobody repair shop. Continue reading to find out more!
1. Dents in the Frame
Dents happen and can range from minor, small dents to major, large dents. How do you know if the dent in your car is worth taking your car into the shop over? There’s not much of a way to tell if the dent is causing more issues to the car other than its appearance unless you take it into a shop.
Because of this, any time your car is dented, you should have it looked at. How come? Dents in the frame of your car can sometimes cause the axel, tires, and suspension to push out of their alignment.
When this happens, it causes more wear and tear on them if not repaired quickly. Driving like this will end up costing you even more money in the long run. If you’d rather be safe than sorry, then have your car checked out by the professionals.
2. Deep Scratches
A minor scratch to your vehicle’s paint isn’t something to be too concerned about. Scratches happen for plenty of reasons. You might scratch your own car when walking by too closely with keys in your hand.
Children in the neighborhood might brush up against your car with their bikes and scratch this way as well. No matter how your car becomes scratched, it’s important to look at the depth of the scratch over the length of it. If the scratch is deep enough to cut through the paint and leave the metal frame exposed, then you’ll want to have an autobody repair shop look at it.
Leaving the metal exposed can lead to rusting, which then leads to even more problems. To save yourself from having to sand the area down, fill it in, and repaint it to repair rust, take it in now to have the scratched repaired before it gets worse.
3. Faded Paint
Speaking of rusted metal, if you notice the paint on your car’s fading, you’ll want to bring it into the shop to have it repainted. Although fading paint isn’t affecting your car directly, it will cause problems over time. Fading is commonly caused by the sun’s UV rays or by different weather conditions.
When the paint begins to fade, it thins out. Once it thins out, it’s no longer able to protect the metal frame on your car as it normally would. Without proper protection, the metal can rust and then create many more problems for you.
To prevent this, an autobody shop will repaint your car for you. You should then wax your car on a regular basis to keep it from happening again.
4. It Pulls While Driving
In some instances, if you hit something while driving, you could cause autobody damage to the underside of the vehicle. If you recall hitting something, even a small pothole while driving, then you should pay close attention to how the car drives. When driving, your car shouldn’t pull to either side.
If you were to gently let your hands loose from the steering wheel, the vehicle should remain on a straight path. If the vehicle pulls in one direction or the other, then there could be damage to the tire rod or control arm of the vehicle. Once you notice this sign, it’s time to bring the car in for inspection.
5. Slow Turning
The tire rod or control arm isn’t the only thing you may damage when hitting something while driving. You might also cause damage to the steering knuckle. If the steering knuckle is damaged, you’ll notice your car turning slower than normal.
If this is the issue, then it’s more common for a delayed turn to only happen when turning one specific way. When you turn the opposite way, you won’t notice this issue.
6. Leaking Fluids
Again, the upper side of your vehicle isn’t the only part of its body that can become damaged. If you hit or run over something, then you can cause damage under the car as well. If you damage the undercarriage, then you’ll need to be on the lookout for leaks.
The undercarriage is what protects many essential parts of the car. If you notice something leaking from underneath it, then it’s time to contact an auto body shop.
7. Damages Are Bothersome
One of the last signs that it’s time for autobody work on your car is when the damages are bothersome to you. Not all cosmetic damages to your vehicle need to be repaired in order for your car to run smoothly. However, if there’s some sort of damages that are bothering you to look at, then it’s time to bring it in.
You can always contact a shop and ask for an estimate ahead of time.
Does Your Car Need Autobody Work?
Is your car in need of autobody work? If any of these signs sound familiar to you, then it might be time to bring it to the shop!
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