Even the safest drivers might find themselves with occasional bumper damage. From stop-and-go traffic to busy parking lots with runaway shopping carts and everything in between, the possibility for bumper damage is always there. Repairing bumper damage may not seem like a priority, but there are good reasons to fix minor dents and scratches as soon as possible.
1. Hidden Damage
As collision repair experts, we often find that small bumps and dents can hide larger issues like frame damage, alignment problems, and other issues that drivers may not detect but might affect their safety as well as the resale value of their vehicles.
2. Drivability Issues
Even small bumps and dents can affect the way your car drives in slight but important ways. For example, a dent in the bumper can throw off the alignment of your headlights, making it more difficult to see at night. Plus, with today’s vehicles creating a heavy reliance on complex safety sensors and other advanced driver assistance systems, a small bump can affect these systems’ ability to properly recognize the hazards they are designed to recognize.
3. Corrosion & Rust
Even small scratches can lead to rust and corrosion if they’re not addressed quickly. This can cause long-term damage to your vehicle and can even decrease its resale value. Once you invite rust and corrosion to your vehicle, it can spread quickly, eventually affecting the frame and the rest of the body of the vehicle.
4. Impact Absorption
As the name implies, bumpers are designed to absorb “bumps” and impact in general. They are engineered in great detail as cushions to protect the rest of the vehicle as well as the drivers and passengers in the event of a collision. When a dent or bump affects the structure of a bumper, it can decrease the bumper’s ability to absorb shock as the manufacturer intended and fail to redirect the forces of an impact properly.
5. Insurance Claims
If you decide not to have minor bumper damage repaired and later find yourself in a bigger accident, your claim can be denied by the insurance company if they find that repairing your bumper might have minimized the damage. They can then argue that by making the decision not to repair your bumper, you are at fault for any “unnecessary” repairs. This might affect your insurance in the future and even leave you to pay the bill out of pocket.
Minor damage might mean more. When in doubt, trust the experts at Reliable Collision Repair!
If you collide with a vehicle or other object, you might be relieved when you see “minor damage” like a small dent or scrape. However, these dings and dents may have caused more damage internally that you can not see with just a visual check. It’s still important to take this damage seriously and check in with an expert. That’s where we can help! If you need collision repair, call (401) 823-4770.
We understand that when your vehicle needs repairs, even for a parking lot fender-bender, it can feel like your life has been turned upside down. That’s why we do everything we can to get your vehicle back on the road. From handling the appraisal to dealing with your insurance company and even providing rental vehicles or helping to tow your vehicle to our shop in some cases – we can help you at every step of the way.
As a class-A autobody shop, when you use Reliable Collision, you can rest assured that your vehicle is in good hands. If you give us a call at (401) 823-4770 or schedule an appointment with us through Carwise, we’ll be happy to help get your vehicle back on the road in tip-top shape.
