Does your vehicle have a few scratches? Perhaps a few minor hail damage dents? If so, those damaged areas need auto body repairs, and the last thing you want to do is neglect them. Why? Because minor body damage makes your vehicle’s paint and paneling more susceptible to further deterioration, and if the damage grows worse, it’ll become costlier to fix.

Not quite sold on the fact that you must tend to minor auto body repairs promptly? Check out what can happen to your ride if you don’t.

RUST MAY DEVELOP


If the scratch(es) or dent(s) in your vehicle have left any of the underlying metal exposed, rust can quickly develop. And during winter, that’s especially true as there’s already a heightened risk of rust formation with all of the moisture and calcium chloride (road salt) on our Twin Cities streets.

Keep in mind that once rust develops, it spreads quickly. Depending on its location, it may migrate toward the internal working components of your ride. Aside from its negative impact on your vehicle’s aesthetics, rust can also affect your vehicle’s performance if it spreads as a result of neglecting auto body repairs.

Worried about your ride’s paint this winter? Check out what you can do to prevent winter-related body damage.

THE SUN MAY EXACERBATE EXISTING PAINT PROBLEMS


When the protective clear coat over top of your vehicle’s pigmented paint becomes damaged, the pigmentation beneath has no protection from the sun’s rays. And although it’s freezing outdoors during winter in the Twin Cities, the sun’s UV rays are still very strong, and they can still worsen existing paint damage.

Over time, continued sun exposure can cause scratched paint to fade and/or crack, which will inevitably make the necessary auto body repair more expensive. If you allow that damage to remain unrepaired, those damaged areas will eventually develop rust.

Think you can repair scratches on your own? Check out Do Vehicle Scratch Repair Kits Actually Work? for all the info you need.

YOUR VEHICLE’S RESALE VALUE WILL DECREASE


This should go without saying, but it’s worth a mention nonetheless: scratches and dents in the body of your vehicle will lower its resale value. If the damage is only minor — a small hail damage pockmark or two, superficial clear coat scratches, etc. — those won’t reduce the resale value considerably.

However, when there’s any form of cosmetic damage on your vehicle, you should expect its resale value to decrease by about half the cost of the necessary auto body repairs. For example, if your vehicle requires scratch and dent repairs that would total $2,500, and you neglect those repairs, they’ll decrease the value of your vehicle by approximately $1,200.

NEED AN ESTIMATE FOR AUTO BODY REPAIRS?


Does your ride need a few scratches or dents fixed? Then get in touch with our team at Minnetonka Collision Center in Plymouth, MN! We specialize in precision color matching, paintless dent repair, and several other high-end auto care services and have proudly served Twin Cities drivers for more than 20 years. To learn more or get started, go ahead and request a free estimate or give us a call today at 763-230-7805.