So unfortunately one morning I was late for work and my car hadn’t fully defrosted yet and because I couldn’t see clearly I backed into the field around my new house with caused a dent on my car. I’ve been to a lot of mechanics that have quoted me very high numbers to simply remove the dent and I was wondering if there any gadgets that I could use to remove the dent myself that actually work. Is there anything strong enough to remove it?
Edit: This is a 2012 Hyundai Sonata, I don’t care to fix the paint or the rip at the top, all I want to fix is the dent not replace the entire thing.
If you have full coverage insurance just use and pay what your deductable is.
Other than that you need a new bumper cover which is not cheap.
1 Like
Try using hot water to remove the dent.
Tester
1 Like
If you have to come on a forum to ask IF you can DIY repair this, you likely can’t. You couldn’t even tell what kind of car this is or the prices you have been quoted.
Body repair is expensive because of the tools and skills required to do a proper job.
A “good enough” job might be to order a bumper cover pre-painted in your car’s color that you could install yourself. It isn’t a $50 fix.
1 Like
If you’re a true stickler for cosmetics, then I’d follow along with @Mustangman 's comment. If you just want it to be less ugly (but don’t need perfect…), I’ve never tried any hot water tricks, but I have used a heat gun (or a blow dryer on high if you don’t have a heat gun). Getting it nice and warmed up will make it pliable, and in many respects it will almost “want” to go back into shape.
Then for the paint, I have a NAPA store near me that will custom mix a rattle can of auto paint in the color code for your car. (The color code will be on a label, maybe on a door pillar or inside of the glove box or something). They also sell a 2-part rattle can clear coat that is near enough to OEM quality. Watch some youtube videos on DIY prep work and rattle-can auto painting and go to town.
2 Likes
After warming the bumper and pushing the dent out, most of those black marks can be removed with buffing compound.
If you have a $500 deductible, you will have saved $490.
3 Likes
Likewise, if you don’t need a “like new” appearance, a hot hair dryer will let you get it back into shap and there’s adhisives that will prevent your plastic split from progessing further.
Painting with a “rattle can” (primer, base and gloss) may improve the appearance but it’s not cheap, easy or comparable to a professional job.
Rather than a repair, I’d be inclined to replace the entire panel with a new one. google ‘sonata body panels’, you may be able find the panel you need just doing that.
Yeah I had similar with my son’s car. The body shop owner said to heat it with a heat gun or similar and push it back into shape. I just used a trouble light. Won’t be perfect but bumpers retain some memory.
I think it’s a bumper fascia, not a body panel. Maybe that’s what you were thinking of. Look at the photo of the Hyundai below. I think if a body panel as the rear quarter panel with the fill door in it. The bumper fascia is below the line that runs from the wheel well to the tail light, the body panel above that line.
1 Like
That’s probably not a bumper, but a plastic cover. Look under the car, reach your hand in and pop the dent out.
To make it work better, as others have noted, heat the edges of the dent with a hair dryer and THEN pop it out with your hand.
It’ll still look pretty bad, but you said you just wanted the dent pushed out.
That’s what I meant. The bumper fascia is the bumper plastic cover.
As has been noted already this is probably only a bumper cover that is now dented and ugly. Most come off with only some bolts and pushpins. A Real DIY job…
I also had a damaged rear bumper cover and here is some information for you on the subject.
Pick-a-part or pull-a-part or any junkyard with your car might have one, same color and cheap…
Here is one from eBay as another option…
Market place another one to check…