An old, scratched-up bumper makes your car look very old and not well cared for, but if that scratched-up bumper is also dented, you may think the thing is so far gone that you have no choice but to get it replaced. That can be expensive and may convince you to wait to get the bumper taken care of later. However, mobile dent-repair services often have fairly affordable pricing; could having one of those services repair your bumper be feasible?

If Your Insurance Is in Charge, You Likely Won't Have a Choice

First, if your insurance company is paying for the repairs, you have to go with what your insurance company wants. If they OK repairs rather than a replacement, speak with your agent about how to get payment if you have a mobile dent service complete the work. Your insurance company may actually want you to go with a traditional body shop, but not always, so it's worth asking about using a mobile company.

If You're Paying Cash, the Dents Are a Key Clue

However, if insurance isn't involved, you get to make the decision. If you think repairing the bumper is the better route, have the mobile service evaluate the bumper. Because the mobile service focuses on repairs and not replacement, they can give you a better idea of how possible repairs are. A traditional body shop that does both repairs and replacement may default to replacement if the bumper has a lot of smaller dents. And obviously, if your bumper is completely ruined, you really are better off with replacement. But if these are very shallow dents, go to a mobile service and see what they can do.

Do Get the Whole Bumper Repaired at One Time

If the paint is somehow intact over the dents, or if the scratches are very light and you're not yet concerned about repainting, getting a few dents repaired now and others repaired later might be OK. That will be a judgment call that you'll have to discuss with the mobile repair company. But if you've got a lot of shallow dents and a lot of scratches that require repainting as soon as possible to protect the bumper from rust, get the entire bumper repaired in one go so you can then concentrate on having it repainted.

Mobile dent repair companies can repair more than you think. However, do ask them to evaluate the dent so you can discuss options. The depth, size, and angle of the dent all influence how easy it is to repair it. Reach out to a bumper repair service near you to learn more.