Car owners cannot afford professional autobody repair
18 posts across 2 communities in the last 60 days; 94% from r/Autobody.
“As urgently as you want to make it look better lol, won’t affect driving or performance, purely a cosmetic issue. Might even be able to get behind the bumper and pop most of that dent out”
“Please ignore the broke headlight, the fender is my biggest issue right now and it costs a fortune to buy new one + paint job. I am really hoping that at least the shape can be fixed, even if the pain isn't perfect”
“2018 Volkswagen Tiguan. I want to know if it’s something I can “fix” at home with basic automotive tools. Mostly just need the biggest dent pulled. It doesn’t need to be perfect, the car has like 200k miles. I’m just sick of the road noise from the wind.”
Multiple users express financial constraints preventing them from taking their damaged vehicles to a body shop. They seek DIY solutions due to the high cost of professional repairs, ranging from gouges and dents to more significant damage like broken rods causing alignment issues.
SOURCES (60)
“im pretty sure someone hit my car in a parking lot a few months ago and this giant dent is super noticeable. I was wondering how i could make it look better. The paint is fine, I can definitely polish it out but i've never…”
“Can I repair this myself no experience in body work if so how would I go about it prefer a YouTube video. I was quoted $800 to $1300 I got hit while park so idk who hit me when and what time submitted by /u/pajin94 [link] [comments]”
“I have a pretty hefty dent in my rocker from racing. Just DIYing the fix because obviously it doesn’t matter. I’ve been using a stud welder and slide hammer to try to get most of it out, but it won’t budge. If I try any harder, the studs break at the mating surface and leave a pinhole. I can’t access the bent area internally, so using a hydraulic ram isn’t in the cards. Is the only way to resolve this to cut out the damaged metal and weld in new stuff? I don’t want to compromise the integrity of”
“I have a set of basic autobody tools I've had for long time. 2011 VW jetta I don't expect it to be perfect but is there a way a can pull it or bonk into the point Someone hit me like a year ago. Insurance gave like $2,000 but total repairs by professional would have $5,000 and i would have had to do a whole court case and collections .. Yadav yada.. I replaced the lights, the hood, the number, one of the panels, and one the door.. i couldn't paint it. This time i did the hitting and”
“It’s the plastic surface level. It’s a gouge in the plastic. Not a dent pushing the bumper in. Think of like clay and digging a divet out of it.”
So I can’t hear it up and try and shape it. By pushing in the back
“Hard area to access from the inside. You could try a stud welder, work the area out and than have it bedlined to cover it up. Probably spray some fluid film or cavity wax on the inside after too to prevent rust from welding on outside and burning paint off inside”
“I would prefer repair and would love to pay out of the picket if possible. RR Evoque 2019 SE Premium submitted by /u/Zestyclose_Yam_7506 [link] [comments]”
“Ngl man I wouldn’t bother. The dent is at the edge of the panel and right on a body line so you’ll probably end up making it worse. Especially if you haven’t done any kind of metal / pdr work. If you insist on trying, you could try putting a rag on your fist and pushing from the inside. Or some hot glue and pull tabs, and yank from the body line. But like I said, the dent is basically at the edge so there really isn’t much leverage on a panel there to work with unless you’ve got the proper tools”
“Can I try to pour hot water and use the plunger method to fix the dent on this? Would it work? Thanksss submitted by /u/Efficient-Rabbit-751 [link] [comments]”
“Hello all, I’d like advice from the experts here on how to fix this dent. Someone backed into my car, hit and run… Can this be recovered 100%? Or do I need to replace the door ? I’d appreciate any suggestions. Thanks 🙏 submitted by /u/Extension_Wing_9549 [link] [comments]”
“Spray black paint yourself= less than $50. Mobile mechanic = $100-$300. Body shop = $400 to $2000”
“Hit a curb with my front bumper and this sharp corner got warped and dented, its a 2025 skoda scala. What should I do. My main question: can this be pulled out with paintless dent repair (PDR rods / glue tabs) alone, without any filler or repainting? Or does the fact that the paint is already cracked/lifted rule that out? submitted by /u/Specific-Secret7730 [link] [comments]”
“Hi Everybody, Y'all probably know a lot better than I do, but is this dent fixable through a DIY kit? I've been looking into some mobile PDR and bodyshops but they're either too unreliable or expensive. I have the blinker on-hand, it's mostly just the fender that needs fixing. Hoping to get some insight/advice from this subreddit! submitted by /u/One-Ant-1716 [link] [comments]”
“Hello! This is my 2007 ford expedition, my family has had it for roughly 3 years, this dent was here when we got it, the previous owner said it’s from a ball hitch hitting hit from when he was backing up his truck, is there any possible way to fix this at home? It’s apart of the rear bumper so if it’s not repairable I’d need a new bumper. submitted by /u/fresh_prince_of-bel [link] [comments]”
“I recently purchased a used 2013 Kia Soul and it was a great deal but one of the only downsides is all the scuffs, scratches, and chips on the car. It's not the end of the world but it's a little ugly. Any suggestions on how to fix it without paying anyone for a paint job or anything like that? It should preferably be an affordable at home method. I'm also not looking for it to be perfect. It's ok if it's just acceptable. Thanks to whoever answers. submitted by /u”
“The door skin has been forcefully stretched around the intrusion beam reinforcement. If you poke around everyone who actually is in a position to repair your vehicle will replace that door. Someone with some talent can hack that repair out but wouldn’t do it for a customer”
“Someone backed up on my car, is there anyway to fix it without having to replace the hood? Can this be something I can do on my own? submitted by /u/No-Possession5422 [link] [comments]”
“As urgently as you want to make it look better lol, won’t affect driving or performance, purely a cosmetic issue. Might even be able to get behind the bumper and pop most of that dent out”
“The only way that dent is coming out is from the inside unfortunately. Yer not getting inside without dissecting the body by drilling out spotwelds. You could get it close by using a stud gun which would still need body filler and paint. This all includes techniques and tools that aren't very beginner friendly.”
“Skidded on to a tree stump hidden under shrub growth and outer sill metal is pretty crumpled. Could a body shop get this back into shape (to some degree)? p.s. those holes in the side came with the van 😂 submitted by /u/Diligent_Rent_6637 [link] [comments]”
“Please ignore the broke headlight, the fender is my biggest issue right now and it costs a fortune to buy new one + paint job. I am really hoping that at least the shape can be fixed, even if the pain isn't perfect submitted by /u/FuzzyAttitude_ [link] [comments]”
“Hello guys, trying to get some ideas on how to repair this. The passenger side of the rear bumper keeps on falling out of place. I am able to pry it in and make it flush but after driving for couple days it pops out again. Anyone have any advice on what I can use? I have been thinking of using some type of glue but not sure how long that would last cause Im not really able to get it in there submitted by /u/infiniteshroomglitch [link] [comments]”
“2018 Volkswagen Tiguan. I want to know if it’s something I can “fix” at home with basic automotive tools. Mostly just need the biggest dent pulled. It doesn’t need to be perfect, the car has like 200k miles. I’m just sick of the road noise from the wind. submitted by /u/Flaky_Dragonfruit280 [link] [comments]”
“Tire blew and damaged fender. Half of shops say bondo. Other half say go to junkyard and get another fender. Can i just take it off or leave it on and just pop this out? submitted by /u/Mister_Importance [link] [comments]”
“It’s a dent, definitely not from the pothole. Probably from something being set on top of the car or if you parked under a tree something falling on it oooor if someone crawled out the sunroof lol”
“title. it’s a bit difficult to see but it’s the front passenger side above the tire. submitted by /u/astralonion [link] [comments]”
“Hey all, I accidentally closed the garage door on the front of my car and got some scratches down to the metal as a result. Is is fixable with touch up pen and some buffing or do I have to take it in? submitted by /u/CrownLeo7 [link] [comments]”
“Pull back the lining in the trunk. If you can see the dent pushed in you can probably push a lot out by hand. A correct repair will require a body shop though.”
“Go buy a aftermarket fender and have it painted. It might not match but that's the smart cheap way to deal with this”
“Hello and thank you in advance for your help. A hit and run happened to my car a few years ago and left a dent in my rear quarter panel below the gas cap and above my left rear tire. It is a 2018 Honda Civic. I notice that when I have rear passengers or a heavy trunk load, I hear a screeching / contact sound when taking turns or hitting bumps. It appears the tire is starting to take the damage and I am worried about a blowout or flat. Please advise me on the best course of action. Preferably cos”
“Bonk it with your side fist assertively at the top of the bubble, if no action then PDR $75 -$150”
“If there is no cracking in the paint, it can be fixed. The crease conplicates it a little. But a good shop with save it.”
“Very little experience with bodywork, when I bought the truck the dent was already there. Lately it’s been driving me nuts, how do I go about fixing it? Plan to repaint the truck at some point so not too worried about the paint. Just want the dent gone. submitted by /u/ZealousidealDisk1149 [link] [comments]”
“Very little experience with bodywork, when I bought the truck the dent was already there. Lately it’s been driving me nuts, how do I go about fixing it? Plan to repaint the truck at some point so not too worried about the paint. Just want the dent gone. submitted by /u/ZealousidealDisk1149 [link] [comments]”
I don’t mind that it’s a bit off just hoping they can push the dent out
“You need cold or hot glue and pull hammer.....not expensive. Since you are attemtping to DIY watch some videos first. Be prepared that glue pull alone wont fix it 100%”
“Most likely not going to be able to be repaired with a suction cup, creased dents and on a body line will require more pulling power than you can get from those”
“Glue won’t fix it you’ll need to have body shop work the metal back or replace the door”
“Hi guys, does anyone have any tips for the best way I could go about fixing this please? Do you think I would have any luck with glue pulling? Also, when I bought the car, it was like this, so will also be accepting all guesses as to exactly how you dent this part of your car. Cheers! submitted by /u/Drawinginfinity182 [link] [comments]”
“That crease looks sharp, plus there’s ripples vertically. Have a fun day with the unispot and oil can city.”
“I hace seen similar happen on delivery vans once, but it was lower, near the rocker. Each van was on the same route over consecutive days. There was a decent sized boulder at the edge of one of the rural streets on a narrow bend in the road. Each van, different driver took rhe turn too fast, and too close to the shoulder. I spoke with some of delivery partners about it, and they pooled together to paint the boukdrr reflsctive”