wiseguy67

Folks -

Friend of mine and I were tinkering around the garage and he dropped something next to passenger door of my new A7 and got a small dent/scratch on the door.

Audi repair shop said they can do a paintless dent removal (heat up the aluminum door and smooth out the dent) and then buff out any scratch for about $150.

I havent done the paintless dent removal/buff before - anything I should be aware of? is it necessarily bad for rest of the door area/paint etc.?

Any help will be very helpful
thanks.

PS: Its bit hard to see in the pics but notice that it reflects the light on the door a bit differently because of the slight dent.. (i am just a bit **** about such things =)

fkaufman

I had a ding fixed with paintless dent removal and the results were spectacular.

jjsC6

I also have had excellent results. $150 seems a little high, but I can't really tell how bad it is. For that much make them guarantee you won't be able to see it at all. $100 was the going rate last time I had one done. But I can tell you that the dealer has an independent guy who is charging them probably $100 and the dealer takes the rest.

tenspeed

Pay the $150 and be real happy. Aluminum panels are a bear to repair.

jjsC6

For some reason I am seeing the damage better now than before. The more I look at it the more it looks like it's going to me tough to fix using those methods. I agree now that $150 looks like a deal with the provision that it has to be completely fixed.

fkaufman

Fairly easy to tell.

If the paint is smooth, damage not more than a little abrasion of the clear coat and the dent is not too deep, it can be fixed and you will not see the repair.

If the paint is scratched, blistered or wrinkled and the dent is so deep that the metal has stretched (which would also cause the paint to crack or peel), it is not a candidate for this operation.

The pros doing these repairs are very good in telling you even before they start if they can fix the damage or not .

uberwgn

^^^ Yeah, if those door panels are aluminum, $150 would be nothing to have it repaired...


The price of a traditional repair could be stunning.

wiseguy67

Thanks all for their help. I'll follow through and keep you posted..

tenspeed

I believe all exterior panels are sheet aluminum. As more manufacturers switch to aluminum (such as the Ford F1500), repair shops will catch up and prices should drop.


Edmunds puts the hammer to a new truck....
Aluminum Body Repairs Part 1 (With Video) - 2015 Ford F-150 Long-Term Road Test

Aluminum Body Repairs Part 2 - 2015 Ford F-150 Long-Term Road Test

Aluminum Body Repairs Part 3 (With Video) - 2015 Ford F-150 Long-Term Road Test

jjsC6

What is the black we are seeing. The pics aren't great, that makes it look likes it's more than just clear coat.