Many drivers have encountered situations of returning to the car after parking and discovering a small indentation on the car body at the door or mudguard. Because the damage does not seem serious, many people choose to continue using the car and delay repairs.
However, according to experts in the automotive body repair industry, this decision may cause car owners to face larger costs in the future.
According to SAMBRA (South African Autobody Repair Association), modern vehicles are designed with much more complex structures than before. Therefore, even small impacts leaving indentations on the body can affect the power distribution and durability of the structure.
Mr. Juan Hanekom - Director of Sambra, said that many drivers often underestimate the severity of minor damages. Meanwhile, modern cars are made of lightweight materials that are capable of absorbing and dispersing impact energy in carefully calculated ways.
When this structure is deformed, even on a small scale, pressure can be put on surrounding areas that are not designed to withstand the load.
Under the impact of vibration during operation, road surface conditions and temperature changes, small hollows on the body can gradually become more serious. Initially, it is just surface damage, but over time they can deform the structure or cause body details to deviate.
In addition, light impacts can also weaken the protective paint layer that is difficult to recognize with the naked eye. When the paint layer is damaged, moisture easily enters the metal underneath, creating conditions for rust to form and spread. This makes car owners have to spend more on corrosion treatment, body and shell restoration, or component replacement.
Notably, hollows appearing near the car bumper or body can also distort the camera, radar and driver assistance sensors. This deviation risks affecting the accuracy of safety features such as collision warning, lane keeping assist, parking assist and distance control.
The car can still operate normally even if the sensor is slightly misaligned, but the operating efficiency of safety features may be affected in important situations.
Therefore, Sambra recommends that car owners check and handle bumps as soon as they are detected. Early intervention not only helps reduce repair costs but also contributes to protecting the car's structure, maintaining the effectiveness of safety systems and limiting the risk of vehicle depreciation over time.
