Dent Repair · June 30, 2026
Paintless Dent Repair vs. Traditional Bodywork
How to tell which one your dent needs — and why the wrong choice costs you either money or your factory finish.
The deciding factor is almost always the paint. If the finish is unbroken, paintless dent repair is usually on the table. If it is cracked or scraped to primer, it is not.
Where PDR wins
- Keeps the original factory paint, which protects resale value
- Usually finished the same day
- Costs a fraction of panel refinishing
- No filler, no color-match risk
Where traditional bodywork is required
- Cracked, chipped, or scraped paint
- Sharp dents directly on a body line
- Damage at the extreme edge of a panel
- Heavily stretched metal or torn aluminum
A good shop will show you the dent under a light board and explain which category it falls into before quoting. If someone quotes PDR on cracked paint, get a second opinion.
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