You must have opened your car door in a space that was tighter than you expected and your hit the car next to you. It was a gentle hit, but your car door now has a small dent in the side. You also noticed on the other side, that someone was careless with a shopping car and you have what looks like a small gash in the middle of your door. This is a fairly new car. You don't want to spend a lot of money to have it repainted, especially for such a small mistake. What can you do? The easiest way to fix this is with paintless dent repair.

What it is: Paintless dent repair is the system of manipulating the metal of a vehicle when it is dinged or dented, so that the original metal returns to its regular state of being. This can be done without causing damage to the paint job. The process is done using tools that were made specifically by this industry. This dent repair process will anywhere, between 30 and 60 minutes, which is less time than other methods.

Where to find it: Paintless dent repair has traditionally been used by used car dealers or insurance companies to prepare a vehicle for resale. It is an inexpensive option and one that isn't time consuming. Many body shops and franchises are providing this service as an extra product. There are also a variety of "do it yourself" kits on the market, and websites to tell you what to do.

Types of situations that can be fixed: Generally, small to large dings or dents can be fixed. It is easiest if the care is a 1990 or older car. When the dent is easy to get too, it's easier to repair. Usually hail damage, small dings made by shopping carts or small dents made by the door hitting another vehicle, are good candidates for this type of repair.

Positives and negatives of this repair: Generally speaking this is a very fast repair. With paintless dent repair, you won't be at the shop all day. You won't have to have your car repainted and the integrity of the car stays in tact, because you don't have to change the look of the car. The few minor drawbacks are they don't address the scratches or small chips in the paint that may also be a part of the damage. Some areas like the bumpers may not be able to be fixed by this technique because they are plastic. Check with your shop to see whether they can repair your type of damage.

Training: According to many experts, Paintless Dent Repair is becoming a strong business within the automobile industry. People are looking for inexpensive ways to make their vehicles look good after they have had this type of damage. To keep with the demand, many businesses have added training to their list of services. There are a variety of training schools and it will depend on your learning style which one you choose. There are online and email courses if you are someone who learns quickly and doesn't need hands on instruction. Check the Internet for training.