PDR or Paintless dent repair is a method of removing dents and dings without damaging the original paint from the vehicle. This is done by very patiently manipulating them to return to their original shape and contour using specialized tools.

Absolutely not once a dent has been removed properly with PDR it will never come back, and it will be 100% gone permanently.

No, severe damage can not usually be repaired with PDR alone. The most important factors in determining if they can be repaired by PDR is depth and location. A shallow dent the size of a grapefruit can be fixed successfully as long as they are not too deep and stretched. On the other extreme, some dents there are as small as a dime but very sharp and deep cannot be fixed using PDR because the metal is too stretched and will not come back to its original shape. Paint that is cracked can also be an indication that a dent is too deep. If a area has cracked paint for it to be completely repaired it would need to go to a body shop to repair the damaged paint which would add to the repair time.

The technicians at Exotic Dent Works of Dallas strive to deliver exceptional work. This is the reason we do not take in vehicles that have severe damage and are not suitable for a PDR repair. We want to be able to produce a quality repair with beautiful results for our clients.

There are several variables when it comes to the duration of the repair however, let’s talk about a best case scenario first.

There are many insurance companies which will come out the very next day after a claim has been filed to assess the damage and come to a mutual agreement on necessary repair costs with the repair company and leave payment that same day. From the time a claim is made until the approved estimate is given to the repair shop to begin the actual repairs could be as little as two days.

Once the approved estimate is given, the actual repair of the car usually takes one or two days depending on the severity of damage. The vehicle then must go through R&I (remove and install), have any hail damaged trim pieces replaced, be cleaned and have final QC before it’s ready to be picked up by client.

This usually takes 1-2 days more, so total repair on light to moderate damage takes 3-5 days. Therefore, the very best case scenario is that your car would be fixed in 5 days total.

However, due to the amount of cars which are usually damaged in a large hail storm, the insurance company usually does not make it out to the shop the next day. Sometimes it can be a week or more before they are able to come to shop and give the preliminary estimate. We always encourage our customers to reach out to their insurance company and ask for expedited service. This can drastically change the time that it takes the adjuster to get to the shop.

Now let’s talk about the worst case scenario. Your car may be damaged severely enough that certain panels will have to go to the body shop to be repaired or replaced. This, of course takes the time schedule out of our hands, and we are dependent on how many cars the body shop has at that time. These types of repairs can take up to 3 to 4 weeks if needed replacement parts are readily available such as a new hood or deck lid. If parts are back ordered this would likely take longer. We do keep our clients up to date on any changes to expected completion and see how they would like to proceed.

At Exotic Dent Works we pride ourselves on being honest with our customers, so we are not going to sugarcoat any questions. The above scenarios are what we have seen in the industry for years and we want to make sure that our clients know, upfront what they are in for.

At Exotic Dent Works we literally see thousands of cars a year and have to determine the best technique to repair them. When it comes to auto hail repair there are actually only two primary processes, which are paint-less dent repair or conventional body shops that use fillers and new paint.
Most people are familiar with the body shop procedure. Basically the paint or finish must be sanded off and the damaged areas filled in, blocked to get it back to original shape, then it is primed and painted back to original shade. This process takes considerably longer compared to paint-less dent repair.

The problems with body shop repair is that not only does it take a long time, but it also highly depends on the quality of the products and the experience of the technician applying the paint and filler. Not all body shops are created equal.

Another problem to note that we have seen with a body shop repair is that the original paint must be matched to the new paint that is being used for the repair. This can be a nightmare.

As a example of this lets say the hood is so damaged that it must be replaced with a new hood. This new hood has to be painted to match the rest of the vehicle but both front fenders will also need to be painted to blend in where the new paint meets the original paint. This is technique that is used to match the old paint and the new paint. Due to age and oxidation of the original paint some times it can be quite difficult to match the two colors with no
perceptible difference.

Due to these reasons we at Exotic Dent Works feel that the absolute best repair for hail damage (light to medium) is painless dent repair. Your original paint which is on your car is the
most durable finish that body shops do not have the ability to reproduce. It is impossible to have the metal as clean and free from contaminants as the factory does when it goes down the
assembly line during manufacturing.

With all that being said body shops do have a place , your car can be damage to the point that exterior panels need to be replaced and things need to be sanded down and filled because the damage is too severe. We usually see this when a vehicle’s windshield, back glass, taillights, etc are cracked. This is where body shop services usually come into play

Paintless dent repair is a permanent fix that lasts the lifetime of the vehicle. The paint on the car is never compromised as the dents are pushed out from underneath and results in the same exact longevity of the panel, which it had before it was damaged. There are few sections on each vehicle that are double paneled and can not be repaired from underneath but need to be actually pulled up from the top using special tools.

It should be noted that the ‘myth’ that dents come back in the Texas heat is because these dents were NOT A GOOD PDR OPTION without additional high end tools used by skilled technicians to strengthen the damaged overstretched metal during its repair. These dents were large enough that the metal was actually stretched from its original shape and was mounded high when it was returned to the customer. If this area is touched like during a car wash or heats up in the hot sun it will actually fall downward and re-appear. If anyone has heard of dents coming back. This is the reason, the dents were too big for standard PDR or the technician lacked the skill or equipment to properly preform the repair.