Most Americans rely on a vehicle for their daily commute. While vehicles can be great, they also come with a lot of responsibilities. There are five common types of minor car damage that you may experience, and knowing how to assess each one can help to alleviate stress.
Dents and Dings
Unfortunately, all panels on your vehicle are susceptible to damage when there are objects forced against them. A piece of gravel flying into the side of your car can create a small ding, while a fender bender can create larger dents. Many auto body shops have equipment that is utilized for pulling dents out of vehicles. For smaller dings, there are some DIY products that use suction and outward pressure to force the ding out of your vehicle’s panel.
Paint Scratches
Whether something fell against your vehicle or you rubbed up against it with something sharp, scratches happen. Many vehicle owners are surprised to find out that slight scratches can be buffed right out with the appropriate equipment. With larger scratches, you can apply paint to help minimize their appearance to the average eye.
Windshield Crack
Over time, your windshield will experience just as much wear and tear as the rest of your vehicle. From small nicks and indents to full-on cracks, you need to know how to address each situation. Smaller indents and nicks should be filled in with a glass solution to help restore some of the integrity of your windshield. When you have cracks, you’ll need to call for professional windshield replacement service.
Cracked Light
Your vehicle has a lot of light fixtures, including running lights, headlights, and even tail lights. These lights can crack from time to time due to extreme temperature changes, blunt force, and so forth. For small cracks with little gaps, you can typically get away with installing a small bead of silicone or another clear bonding agent. Make sure that you wipe away any excess silicone left on the lens. For larger gaps, you may need to replace the entire lens or light.
Scuffed Tires
Unfortunately, you may hit a curb from time to time. When this happens, you can get scuff marks on the sidewall of your tire. Most of these scuff marks can be removed with some light sanding and paint repair. Fortunately, there are many DIY kits that you can purchase to remedy this problem.
While you may not want to think about it, car damage does happen from time to time. Knowing how to assess each type of damage when it happens can help you to take the necessary steps to remedy it.