How to Fix a Dent in a Car

Even if you don’t get into an accident, your vehicle can sometimes get small dents or scratches on its exterior. These kinds of scratches can be fixed by any driver of any skill level, so if you’re trying to get rid of those noticeable blemishes, then learn how to fix scratches on your car with the service team at Suntrup Volkswagen. We’ll show you how to fix dents in your car and get your vehicle looking like new, so you can hit the St Louis roads with confidence. 

How to Fix Dents in Your Car Like a Pro

Parking your vehicle and heading back inside your home only to find dents on your vehicle’s exterior can be frustrating. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to fix a dent in your car that don’t require a lot of materials or time. Here’s how to fix a small dent on your car from the comfort of your own garage: 

• Plunger: Using a plunger from your bathroom or a car dent plunger, take the dent out by putting the plunger on the spot of the dent and suctioning out the dent. 
• Hammer or Mallet: Use a hammer or mallet to hit the opposite side of the dent and knock it back into place. The hammer is better for smaller fixes while the mallet is more ideal for larger dents. You want to be sure to protect the side of the vehicle that you’re hammering by using a towel or something equivalent.
• Dent Puller: This is a bit more intensive method, but it consists of drilling a hole in the dent, lacing a wire through the hole, and pulling the dent back to surface level. After the dent is evened out, you’ll need to fill the hole, sand it down, and paint over it.

How to Fix Scratches in Your Car Like a Pro

Small scratches and blemishes shouldn’t stop you from hitting the St Peters roads with confidence. Here’s how to fix scratches in your car with minimal equipment and time: 

• Candle Wax: Gently rub the candle wax over the clean area to seal the scratch. Keep in mind that this will only work as a temporary solution. 
• Super Glue: This is another method you can use to seal the scratch as it will blend the scratch with the vehicle’s surface. Like the candle wax method, this is also a temporary fix. 
• Paint Polish or Rubbing Compound: For this method, we recommend using a light polish with a less abrasive foam pad and then working your way up to polish or compound with a higher grit level. This will help you see if the scratch will remain in your paint. If the polish doesn’t remove the scratch, then we recommend wet-sanding the scratch. 
• Wet Sandpaper: Use 2000-grit wet sandpaper to remove any shallow scratches. Once the scratch is almost invisible, you’ll want to apply a rubbing compound followed by finer polishes. Then, you want to use wax or paint sealant to protect the spot. 
• Touch-Up Paint: This paint is specifically designed to help hide deeper scratches on your vehicle’s exterior. If you don’t have this at your house or garage, then you can find it in our parts store at Suntrup Volkswagen. 

If you would rather leave your car’s exterior restoration to the professionals, then schedule service at Suntrup Volkswagen near Webster. In the meantime, check out our other service tips and tricks to make car care and DIY maintenance easy.

Fix Your Dents & Scratches in St. Louis

Contact us to keep your car’s exterior looking like new. Now that you know how to fix dents in your car and surface scratches, you’ll be ready to handle minor exterior repairs like a pro. If you’re curious about car detailing and other means of vehicle restoration, visit Suntrup Volkswagen online or in person.