When Should You Worry About Dents And Scratches?

Dents and scratches on a vehicle are inevitable. Even if you’re the most careful driver in the world, your car will still get scratched over time, simply as a result of kicking up tiny debris on the road. 

Fortunately, most dents and scratches are harmless and don’t require urgent repairs. There are, however, some cases where repairs are necessary. Below are just some of the instances where you should worry about dents and scratches. 

The damage is quite large/deep

In many cases, the damage caused by dents and scratches is purely cosmetic. This is certainly the case with small shallow dents and tiny scratches that haven’t pierced the bodywork.

You should worry more about dents if they are more than three inches in diameter and fairly deep – especially if they are around the front of the vehicle or around the wheels. The front of modern cars are designed to crumple and engine parts can easily be damaged. Dents around wheel arches can meanwhile potentially affect the wheel.

As for scratches, you may want to get these fixed if they have gone all the way through the bodywork. Such fissures can let in water, bugs and other unwanted things that could cause further damage. They can be particularly worth fixing if they’re around the front of the car.

There’s rust

Rust is a bad sign because it can quickly spread to other parts of the car. This can result in your bodywork becoming brittle and not reacting as it should in a collision.

Once cars have started to develop substantial rust, it is usually best to scrap them. However, small amounts of  corrosion can usually be repaired.

You’ve got a chip in your windscreen

Any damage to your windscreen should never be ignored. It’s a well known fact that cracks and chips in windscreens can grow over time, resulting in a windscreen eventually shattering. Investing in windscreen repair early can prevent this. There are professionals that can carry out these repairs for you.

You’ve got cuts and bulges on your tyres

Damage to tyres should also not be ignored. Every tyre gets a small amount of wear over time and this does not pose any serious risks. However, cuts and bulges can compromise the structure of the tyre and put you at risk of experiencing a blowout. Get your tyres replaced if you notice a bulge, scratch or foreign object stuck inside them.

Your vehicle isn’t too old and you’re planning to sell it

When selling a vehicle, you may wonder if scratches and dents are likely to affect the value. In most cases, yes – they can impact the value considerably. However, on an old car, the cost of getting it repaired is sometimes not worth it.

Dents and scratches are more likely to severely reduce the value on a newer car. In fact, if your vehicle is less than three years old, a single prominent dent or scratch could potentially knock thousands off the price tag. Considering it may only cost a few hundred quid to repair, it’s worth getting your car fixed in such a case. Indeed, generally speaking, noticeable cosmetic damage can be worth getting repaired on any car five years old or younger if you want to restore value before a sale.