No one wants to see a dent in their car, least of all when they're out and about. In many cases, though, mobile paintless dent repair is an option for quickly fixing the problem. You can assess the situation with the following criteria.

Material

Generally, plastic surfaces bounce back better than metal ones with paintless dent repair techniques. Modern bumpers often have plastic fascia, and the factory paint includes agents that make them far more flexible. As long as the dent isn't too deep or malformed, a technician stands a good chance of popping it out. The job requires the right tools and training, but a qualified person can often make short work of dents in plastic surfaces in cars.

Notably, you shouldn't despair if the dent is in a metal part of the car. A dent on metal may not be all that bad, especially if the damage occurred at a low speed.

Depth and Distortion

By far the biggest deciding factors in whether a professional can fix a problem with a mobile paintless dent repair system are the dent's depth and distortion. A dent that's maybe a quarter of an inch deep, for example, usually doesn't deform the material too much, even if you're looking at metal. Conversely, if you see lots of unusual edges going in multiple directions, that could be a source of concern.

Talented technicians can sometimes sort out even deeper dents in metals. If the dent is in the right spot, a combination of suction and light hammering may coax it out without too much trouble. No company can guarantee mobile paintless dent repair will work in this scenario, but you should at least take a few pictures and ask a pro what they think.

Flaking and Separation

One bad sign is that the paint is flaking or otherwise separating from the car. Even if the dent is easily fixed, these projects usually call for cleaning up the surface and repainting the area. A technician should do that job in a controlled setting inside a shop.

Scratch Level

Many dents come with scratches, too. As long as the scratch isn't severe, a professional may be able to buff the scratch out. The same applies to light cracks as long as the paint hasn't separated from the plastic or metal. Especially if the vehicle doesn't have a complex paint job, this kind of repair often looks indistinguishable from new.