Most auto body repairs are minor things that could have been easily prevented, like remedial paint, parking lot dents, and vandalism. Here are some helpful tips to avoid falling victim to one of these minor body repairs.

paint job patch

Most remedial paint work is the result of one thing: neglect.

A car, like your body, needs a certain amount of maintenance, otherwise it starts to degrade. Most people associate this with things like tune-ups, oil changes, and tire rotations. But this maintenance also applies to the body of your car. Just like a person needs to take a shower every day to stay clean and healthy, you also need to wash your car. Dirt and dust stick to your car and act like sandpaper, slowly eroding away the protective paint and clear coat. When your car’s bodywork also has to deal with things like acid rain and even more acidic bird droppings, eventually the paint will start to flake off, or worse, the bodywork will rust.

But don’t just stay with washing your car! For an added layer of protection, it helps to wax your car from time to time. Wax not only makes your car look shiny and new, it helps resist dirt and dust buildup. We recommend waxing your car at least once every two months.

bumps in the parking lot

Perhaps the easiest type of auto body repair to avoid is parking lot dents. These are usually dents from shopping carts, car doors, or (at worst) minor accidents. Here are some helpful tips to avoid these problems:

• Do not park near a shopping cart corral. That’s just asking for trouble.
• If possible, find an end point. This effectively halves the chances of something bad happening.
• Don’t squeeze your car into tight spaces.
• In fact, it is often better to park away from other cars. We recommend at least one space separation, preferably more.
• When pulling out, do it slowly and check both directions several times.

The most important thing you can do to avoid parking lot dents is to simply exercise common sense. If you’re looking for more advice, contact your insurance company or visit their website.

Vandalism

By far the best thing you can do to prevent vandalism is to keep your car in a garage. However, many people do not have this luxury. So what else can you do?

If you have a driveway, keep your vehicles parked as much as possible and consider investing in motion-sensing outdoor lights. If you can’t park in a driveway, park near as many cars as possible, but avoid parking near large buildings. These buildings can give vandals an easy place to hide. Also make sure the area you park in is well lit.

Finally, investing in a full size car cover is never a bad idea. In addition to being more work than most vandals want to put into their business, it also protects your car from needing other types of minor repairs.