Can you fix a deep car body crease yourself?
Fixing a crease at home is difficult because body lines require precise metal reshaping, and tricky paint colors like silver are hard to match without professional equipment. Attempting it yourself risks making the damage look worse or wasting time and materials on a part that might need professional replacement.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- This comes up 107.8× more often in r/autorepair than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Buying a replacement fender from a wrecking yardDid this help you?
- 2Painting over a replacement part with cans of color and clear coatDid this help you?
- 3Taking the vehicle to a professional dent repair shopDid this help you?
- 4Using a touch up brush and clear coat and polishingDid this help you?
- 5Lightly sanding with 1500 grit sandpaper and buffingDid this help you?
- 6Taking the car to a professional body shop for an estimate and repairDid this help you?
- 7trying to push the dent out by handDid this help you?
- 8getting matched paint from the dealership to touch up scratchesDid this help you?
- 9Using an Amazon dent kitDid this help you?
- 10Trying household items like a plunger and a hammerDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I’m a pretty handy guy, but is pulling this dent on a 2012 Sienna possible for a home gamer?”source ↗
“Got a dent a while back on my old car, and was curious if there was a way to fix it. Not in a position where I can necessarily afford, nor want to pay for something cosmetic. However, I do want to see if I can at least alleviate it a bit. Any ideas where to start other than an Amazon dent kit? Perhaps a plunger and a hammer?”source ↗
“My dad handwashed my car and ended up scratching it. I was wondering how I would go about fixing this or how much would it cost to get it fixed in a shop?”source ↗
“Most of the visible damage is on the hood. What’s the best way to cheaply make this look cosmetically better? I’d like to not have to replace the hood.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 12How to fix small rust spots on a car yourself
- 8Can I fix major car body damage myself?
- 3How to fix a paint scratch on someone else's car without a shop
- 2Should I repaint or replace badly dented car doors?
- 3Can you use JB Weld on a cut sway bar or metal car part?
- 6Can a damaged plastic bumper cover be repaired with heat?