Common DIY Repairs You'll Be Looking at After a Fender Bender

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Common DIY Repairs You'll Be Looking at After a Fender Bender

When you're in a fender bender, stress levels can rise when you're told how much it will cost to have a mechanic fix the damage. If you're like most, you'll be left wondering why such small repairs result in such a hefty bill. Instead of wavering to the charges of the mechanic, you may want to consider doing DIY repairs. While these can't resolve everything, they can help remedy some of the most common damage caused by fender benders.

1. Dent Removal

You don't need to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to pull out a dent from your fender. Instead, you can use a dent puller to bring the spot back up to the surface. While this will make it necessary to invest in the tool that can do this, it's worth it for the money that it can save you. Once the dent has been pulled up, use a small hammer to flatten out any bumps.

2. Headlight Repair

When a headlight is broken in a mild accident, it can make driving at night unsafe. To fix this yourself, first purchase a headlight for your make and model of vehicle. Once you have this, you can remove the old light and install the new one, making sure to use online resources to learn how to do each step correctly.

3. Fill in a Scratch

They may not seem like that big of a deal, but fixing that scratch you got can be pretty easy! You can quickly get rid of scratches by carefully filling them in with compound specially made for bumpers. After buffing this out with sandpaper, either paint the surface or merely wax to finish.

4. Grill Replacement

If any damage occurs to the grille, it's recommended to replace it to ensure proper airflow can go through the rest of the car. Replacing this part will also help improve the overall look of the vehicle, which makes it a priority for most owners. Parts and videos for how to do replacements can be found online, with this being simple enough for most amateurs.

5. Paint Touch-ups

Paint pens for cars are easy to use and can cover up any areas where paint was scraped during the accident. What's even better is that these are affordable, especially when compared to a professional paint job. Afterward, you can give your care some well-deserved TLC, and purchase a wax kit to have it looking good as new.

Making Your Car Whole

A fender bender doesn't have to leave you broke and without a vehicle for weeks while it's being fixed. If you're willing to do some of the work yourself, you can save both time and money. However, if you find that the damage is too challenging to take care of on your own, don't attempt to do it. Instead, according to Casey D. Shomo, look into filing an insurance claim to see if you can receive compensation from the party that hit you, it can be hard if you live in a no-fault state, but it doesn’t mean you can’t still try to hold the negligent driver responsible.