The Dangers of DIY Collision Repairs: Why Professional Help Is Essential

After an accident, you may be inclined to repair the damages yourself. With videos and online resources, DIY is more prevalent than ever. Even if you are somewhat experienced with cars, there still lies a possibility you can create even more of an issue than the original damage.

Saving time and money are the usual reasons many would rather take on car repairs themselves, but you can end up needing to spend even more time and money in the long run with a DIY. One mistake can leave you more frustrated and render your car inoperable or make it a safety risk on the road. 

Leaving repairs to the professionals is the best way to get safely back on the road. Let’s look at some reasons why you should trust your collision repairs to a professional instead of trying to DIY it.

A Potential Waste of Time, Effort, and Money

At the moment, it might seem like you can save time and money if you complete repairs yourself. But without the right equipment, tools, space, and adequate time to devote to your repair, it can end up costing you more time, money, and frustration. Also, consider room for mistakes, which can mean buying additional tools or creating more issues to remediate when a professional could have fixed them swiftly and efficiently in one visit.

Cause Further Damages

Repairing a small dent, some scratches or rust buildup can seem easy. Especially if you’re watching a video posted online or some kind of online forum to help guide you, but these often can give the wrong impression of how difficult a collision repair can actually be. For example, damage from a rear-end collision might look minor on the surface but can involve complex repairs that are not immediately apparent.

Without the proper tools and understanding of the proper repair techniques, further damage can be caused, leading to spending more money on repairing your mistakes. It is rare that all it takes to fix a dent is popping it back into place. It’s better to have a professional properly assess what repair process is necessary to get the results you’re looking for. 

Dangerous Situations

You may not realise it, but completing your own car repairs can put you in danger. Car repair usually involves heavy machinery and specialised tools that can seriously injure you without proper experience and handling. If you make one wrong move, you can find yourself pinned under your vehicle or seriously injured.

Sharp metal edges, electrical components, and hot machinery are recipes for disaster when working alone, at home, or without the right tools. Professional auto body repair shops have the space, tools, and expertise to keep themselves safe. Repairs on your own are not worth risking your life or bodily harm for.

Void the Car’s Warranty

Newer cars typically are under warranty, and oftentimes people will purchase an additional warranty. Many warranties state that a professional must carry out any repairs for the warranty to remain valid. If you decide to conduct your own repairs, you may void your car’s warranty, and the parts you install can also possibly void the warranty.

If you’ve made the decision to pay for extra coverage under a warranty, voiding it with a DIY repair doesn’t make sense and can cost you more in the future. Let the experts do the work instead and keep your warranty intact.

Paint Issues

There is a lot that goes into fixing paint damage. There are necessary steps to take in order to make your car look like there was never a problem, from sanding to polishing to colour matching.

You can end up causing worse paint damage around the dent or scratch, which will add to the problem. Paint completed by a professional will ensure a seamless paint match as if there was never a problem to begin with.

Ditch the DIY and Visit Caversham Coachworks

DIY is a great way to learn something new and accomplish tasks on your own that may save you time and money, but when it comes to auto body repair after a collision, this one is best left to the professionals. Experts at a repair shop will help you accomplish the desired result the first time and give you peace of mind that your car is safe for the road and looks great.

At Caversham Coachworks, we take pride in providing a wide range of services and repairs to meet your needs. We offer services like alloy wheel refurbishment, cooling systems and air-conditioning maintenance, paintless dent removal, swift same-day repairs, steering component repairs, the use of genuine parts, and electrical system maintenance and refurbishment.

At our convenient locations in Caversham and Abingdon, we are here to help with traditional, modern, hybrid, and EV vehicles with our state-of-the-art equipment. Contact us today or use our free and easy estimator tool.