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Minor bumper scratches happen all the time, whether you've accidentally backed into a pole or another driver hit your rear bumper. If you’re not bothered by minor scratches, cosmetic damage can be left alone.  But if you want to protect your vehicle's resale value and restore the original look of your car or truck, it's best to simply repair it. You can fix bumper scratches at a repair shop, but it’s easy enough to do on your own at home. Repairing Your Minor Bumper Scratch Typically, repairing a bumper scratch doesn't require a full replacement of the bumper. Small chips and scratches are usually purely cosmetic and often, only require touch-up paint to fix. You can do most bumper scratch repairs right in your own driveway. Bumper Scratch Repair at a Body Shop Is it worth it to get your bumper scratch repaired at a body shop? Though your repair may only require a few paintbrush strokes and not much more, touch-up paint is expensive and so is labor at a repair shop.  Small bumper scratch repairs will typically be at least $100 and may be as much as $500 if the damage is more extensive, even for plastic bumpers. If the shop has a backlog of work, they may need to keep your car for a few days, and you'll need a rental to get around.  At that point, it might be worth it just to get a new bumper cover. For many car owners, the expense and hassle of a simple car bumper scratch repair is just too much to take on at a body shop -- especially when you can do it yourself at home for next to nothing. Do It Yourself Bumper Scratch Repair While some car owners may feel more comfortable having a professional handle scratch repair, this is a job that you can do at home in just an hour or two. Most touch-up paint will cost about $50, saving you potentially hundreds. Find your VIN: In scratch repair, matching the paint to your vehicle is essential. Look up your VIN when ordering touch-up paint or a can of spray paint, as this will ensure that you receive the color of paint that matches your vehicle's original color. Guessing is not recommended – you want the matching shade for your vehicle’s paint code for a good match. Tape off areas that should not be painted: If you're using spray paint, some overspray can spread beyond the repair area. Be sure to use masking tape to tape off lights, chrome accents, and any other parts that should not be painted outside the damaged area. Lightly sand the damage: Sometimes, scratches can leave a bit of a groove or rough paint, so it's best to start with a bit of sandpaper to smooth it all out, even on painted plastic. Your sanding paper should be fine grit; a 400-grit paper should do it. Just be sure not to do too much, as you'll need to paint back over it, and you don't want to have to paint a large area -- this is a simple touch-up job. Fill in scratches with putty: You may find that some scratches will not sand out. If this is the case, use a scratch filling putty or rubbing compound to even out the damage and lay a smooth foundation for new paint. Be sure to give it time to harden, then sand it down until it's uniform with the rest of your bumper. Wash and dry your vehicle: Either wash your entire vehicle or simply the affected area using a surface cleaner to give the paint a clean slate to stick to. Use a wax and grease remover to prep the area for paint. You'll also need to completely wipe the area dry where you'll be painting. Washing and drying will help avoid imperfections. Apply primer: If you're painting a large surface, be sure to apply a layer of primer that will level and protect your paint and make it easier to apply the base coat. Sand the primer lightly until it feels smooth. Apply touch-up paint: You can either brush on touch-up paint or use a touch-up paint pen to fill in the area that needs repair. More extensive damage may require spray paint. Work slowly, and remember that it's always easy to add paint, but it’s not as easy to remove. Apply a layer of clear coat: If you've painted a large area, add a layer of clear coat to protect your vehicle's finish. Allow the paint to dry, then wax: Add a protective seal to your new touch-up job with a layer of vehicle wax. Of course, you should be sure to allow the paint to dry before you get started waxing. Have you successfully repaired a bumper scratch? Send us photos, and we'll share your excellent repair!

Assaults on your vehicle are unfortunately unpreventable. You can park as far away from others as you'd like, but someday, a door edge, shopping cart, or hail is likely to come into contact with your vehicle, and it may leave serious damage to automotive paint. These battle scars are more than an annoying cosmetic problem; however -- they can cause real damage to your vehicle in the form of rust.

It's summer time, and that means hail storms are more likely to form. With them, they can bring damaging hail stones that can hit the ground going as fast as 90 miles per hour. And while many vehicles survive hail storms without any notable damage, some storms are just too tough for vehicles to manage, leaving serious damage in their wake. Find out common problems caused by hail damage -- and what you can do to fix them. Problems Caused by Hail Damage Hail stones, if they hit your vehicle hard enough in the right places, can leave marks, sometimes even deep pits in your vehicle's exterior. On some vehicles, pitting is purely cosmetic and will not require any repair (unless, of course, you want to make your vehicle look better). But on other vehicles, the pitting can be so deep and damaging that it can lead to further problems. If dents and dings from the hail are deep enough to cause paint damage or even reach bare metal, you could have a serious problem. With paint imperfections and exposed metal, your vehicle is much more likely to rust, and you'll need to take care of it right away. Professional Hail Damage Repair After a big hail storm, it's usually easy to get help repairing hail damage on your vehicle. Often, specialists will send in technicians that can quickly work through hail cases. Of course, the repair will depend on the extent of damage your vehicle has received from the hail. For most hail damage, paintless dent repair will be adequate. This is also known as or referred to as PDR, paintless dent removal. This repair will access the dent from the back side of the panel and reshape it back into its original condition. Most PDR repairs can be performed outside of the body shop, and often, technicians can come to your home or work to take care of it. Typically, this service costs about $75 to $150 depending on the extent of damage and the technician. Serious hail damage including paint damage or other issues may require a body shop if you want to have it professionally repaired. This may include repairing the metal and professionally repainting the damaged area. The cost to repair serious hail dents can range from a few hundred dollars to more than $5,000. Should You Use Insurance for Hail Damage? If you have comprehensive insurance coverage on your vehicle, you're likely to be covered for hail damage. However, keep in mind you'll still need to pay your deductible amount, and sometimes, the cost of hail damage can be less than what you'd pay for the deductible anyway. This is often the case with minor hail damage. However, major hail damage including deep pitting and/or paint damage may be worth filing an insurance claim for. If you file a claim on your insurance for hail, you can rest easy knowing that typically, your rates won't go up after this type of claim. Usually, claims for damages from natural events are not factored into your risk assessment because they are out of your control. However, keep in mind that a hail claim will be added to the total number of claims placed against your policy, and if you have several other claims in addition tot he hail claim, that can have an effect on your rates. Repairing Hail Damage Yourself Vehicles that have suffered only cosmetic pitting can often be repaired with paintless dent solutions. These include car dent repair kits and even methods including dry ice. Hail damage that has reached the paint can be protected with touch up paint. Applying touch up paint to your vehicle's hail damage will help to protect against rust, and of course, help bring your vehicle's paint job back to its original look. For more extensive damage, it may be necessary to replace the entire part or panel. Fortunately, some of the parts of a vehicle that are most easily damaged by hail are also the easiest to replace. These include the hood, as well as the fender and bumper -- which are often damaged because they are designed to take an impact with damage. Preventing Hail Damage The best way to repair hail damage is to never get it in the first place. And while it's not always possible to completely shelter your vehicle, it's a good idea to do so whenever you have the opportunity. Park in a garage if you have one available, or consider covering it with a custom fit car cover. When you're out, look for parking spots under trees, canopies, parking garages, and other shelters that can protect your vehicle's finish from the elements.