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In the age of unlimited information on the internet, more and more people are attempting to fix their car by themselves. The number of auto body shops in the country has been steadily declining, but does this mean you should tackle all of your auto body repair work by yourself?

DIY Repairs

Millennials are increasingly turning to DIY projects when it comes to home repair due to the abundance of informative information you can find online. The same can be said for car repairs. It seems cheaper to roll up your sleeves and complete a repair without hiring a professional, but some of these jobs require more knowledge than an article can provide.

While you can certainly complete some minor repairs at home with the help of a youtube video, most of the repairs will need trained hands to complete. If you try to undertake a job you’re not ready for; you may end up costing yourself more money in the long run.

Fixing collision damage on your own, for instance, may seem like an attractive way to save money on insurance. If you’re not careful, though, you may end up overlooking some damage that a professional would catch.

Why You Should Hire Pros for Auto Body Repair

If you’re good with your hands, you may be inclined to try to fix your car without consulting professionals. Here are some of the reasons you should take your car to the shop instead of trusting your untrained eye.

Equipment

Auto body repair shops have equipment that most people don’t. They have special tools to make jobs easier, more efficient, and better for your car. If they need a special part, they might have one on hand or know where to get one for a lower price.

Even something small, like paint, will be far easier to obtain for an auto body shop. If you try to tackle the job yourself, you may have to buy more materials, paint, and equipment that you’ll never use again. Even if you do everything right, the time and effort are worth the money it will cost to hire a professional.

Making Sure Everything Is Working

Even if you think an issue is minor, there may be something else that will cause a problem in the future. If you aren’t trained in engine or auto body repair, it’s easy to overlook an internal issue when you think there’s only a dent in your fender.

Auto body repair professionals are better equipped to tell if there’s a separate problem with your car. If you do the work yourself, you risk overlooking a serious problem that can cause safety concerns if you don’t address it.

Causing More Damage

Taking on an auto body repair project by yourself puts you at risk of causing additional damage to the vehicle. These repairs take training and knowledge that professionals accrue over years of experience. You can’t expect to jump into a repair and fix everything on your first try.

If you only have one car, it’s foolish to try to fix these problems yourself. Replacements will end up costing you a lot of money, and it’s likely you’ll end up causing more harm than good.

Never Try These at Home

Although we advise against DIY auto body repair, many will still try to renovate and repair their vehicle at home. Some jobs might be easy enough, but here are some tasks you should never try without the help of a trained professional.

Windshield Replacement

If you have a crack in your windshield, many insurance companies cover the cost of repairs. If you need to pay out-of-pocket, though, some owners will be attracted to the thought of replacing the windshield by themselves.

You can get a windshield from a donor car, but that’s about all you’ll save. You still need to buy any window trim pieces you need, as well as adhesive and other parts and equipment. In the end, you still risk installing a faulty windshield that will leak at the first sign of rain.

Paint Jobs and Bodywork

Bodywork is another expensive repair that some owners will try to handle on their own. Unfortunately, there’s a lot more to it than buying a specific part and installing it correctly. Unprofessional bodywork is easy to spot, and it could end up affecting your car’s performance.

Improper paint jobs, while not as serious, can also devastate your car’s value. Giving your car a proper paint job takes experience and training, and if you don’t have either you’ll probably make a few mistakes. It might be expensive to fix the paint on your car, but you’ll have to pay a professional anyway if you mess it up at home.

Fuel System Repairs

While the previous two forms of repair can cause harm to your vehicle, this one can outright destroy it. If you attempt to fix your fuel system in your garage, you run the risk of blowing up your car and setting fire to yourself in the process.

Tampering with fuel systems is dangerous work, especially if you don’t have any training. This is one repair that you should always leave to the pros.

Transmission Repairs

Transmissions are among the most complicated and tedious parts in a car to fix. Even replacing them puts you at high risk of damaging your car further. All you have to do is take a look at transmission, and you’ll understand why you should let the professionals handle these repairs.

Defective Airbags

Replacing a faulty airbag isn’t as difficult as some of the other processes on this list, but it’s still dangerous and difficult to complete. Apart from the obvious concerns, installing a new airbag is challenging to get right. When safety is the issue, always consult professional mechanics.

Professional Auto Body Repair

If you had to watch a YouTube video to figure out how to do an oil change, chances are you don’t have the knowledge to tackle any complicated car repairs. Prevent needless effort, safety risks, and further damage to the vehicle by hiring trained professionals to work on your car.

Need auto body repair done by the best in the business? Take a look at our locations to find the one nearest you!