Paintless Dent Repair, or PDR, can make it look as if the damage never happened. 
The best way to protect your vehicle in busy parking lots is to choose your parking spot wisely. Look for spots that have ample room on either side to avoid undesired door-to-door contact, especially in the high winds of Northern Arizona. When you find a decent parking spot, be sure to park in the middle of the lines to maximize the room on either side of your vehicle. If you happen to luck out and find an end spot, it is wise to park closer to the side with no other vehicles, as long as there is no chance of being side swiped. While it may seem convenient to park as close to the store entrance as possible, it is also recommended to avoid high traffic areas such as store entrances and especially avoid parking next to shopping cart returns.
It is not always possible to park in spots with no one around you, so in that case, choose who you park next to carefully. Large SUVs and trucks have larger and heavier doors that have a wider swing radius and can cause significantly more damage, especially utility or work trucks. On the other hand, parking next to luxury cars ensures that the owner of the vehicle will be more cautious when opening their doors to keep their car from damage and in turn keeping your car from damage as well.
It is also recommended to leave ample space between you and a vehicle that has a child seat. While it’s not always apparent which vehicles have them, if you do happen to notice one, be aware that parents loading small children only have two hands and cannot always prevent their door from swinging open unintentionally.
Garages are also a dangerous place for door dings, especially when it is a multi-car garage. Often, there is not enough room to open your door completely when parking next to another vehicle in a garage, so physical protection solutions may be necessary. The best thing for tight garages is door edge guards. These are small rubber bumpers placed on the edge of a door in case the door swings and hits the vehicle beside it. While it does not always protect from damage, it significantly helps minimize the impact and at the very least, protects the paint from being harmed. A lesser-known product is the magnetic door protector. You can simply place the protector on the side of your vehicle to absorb the impact from the neighboring door. Then, before driving away, just remove it and store it in your car for the next time you need it.
By taking all these steps or even a few of them, you can significantly reduce the risk of door dings on your vehicle. In the unfortunate situation that a dent does occur, don’t worry about having to make an insurance claim or losing your vehicle to a body shop for days at a time. Paintless Dent Repair, or PDR, can make it look as if the damage never happened. By using specially designed tools, a PDR technician can methodically massage the dent from behind the panel back to its original shape, usually within a few hours, leaving your vehicle looking pristine again without having to use body filler or having to repaint the panel. FBN
By Tanner Edson
Push Right PDR is a mobile service that will come to you — at work, home or somewhere else — and repair your vehicle at your convenience. Tanner Edson is a certified PDR technician and Flagstaff local who has been in the auto industry for more than 13 years. Contact Tanner at 928-202-7443 or visit www.PushRightPDR.com for more information.
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