Rochester Collision Center — North & South
Door dings anddents, removed
Most small dents come out without touching your paint. We keep a team dedicated to paintless dent repair, so the panel keeps its factory finish and you're back on the road faster.
- Factory paint stays intact
- No body filler, no repaint
- Free estimates
- Steel and aluminum panels
What paintless dent repair is
The dent comes out. The paint never comes off.
Paintless dent repair, or PDR, reshapes the metal from behind the panel instead of filling and refinishing it. No disassembly, no body filler, no color match. Because your original factory finish is never disturbed, there's nothing to fade differently or show up later on a paint report — and it's typically faster and less expensive than conventional body work.
Hail damage
Storm dents across a hood, roof, or deck lid are the most common PDR job we see in Southeast Minnesota.
Door dings
The parking lot special. Shallow dents in a door skin or quarter panel usually come out cleanly.
Minor creases
Longer, shallow creases can often be worked out depending on how sharp the bend is and where it sits.
Is your dent a candidate?
Not every dent can be fixed this way
The short version: if the paint is unbroken, PDR is usually on the table. If the paint is cracked or the metal is stretched, the panel needs conventional repair. We'll tell you which one you're looking at when we see it — the estimate is free either way.
Good candidate
PDR will likely work
- The paint is intact with no cracks or chips
- The dent is shallow and rounded rather than sharp
- It sits in the middle of a panel, away from edges
- The panel is steel or aluminum sheet metal
- Hail dents spread across horizontal panels
Needs conventional repair
PDR isn't the right tool
- The paint is cracked, chipped, or scratched through
- The metal is stretched or creased sharply
- The damage is on a body line or panel edge
- The panel is plastic, such as a bumper cover
- There's underlying structural or frame damage
Scratches and paint
Scratched instead of dented?
PDR only handles dents where the finish is unbroken. Scratches are a different fix, and which one depends on how deep it goes.
Clear coat scratches
Light marks that don't catch a fingernail can often be polished out through paint correction, no repainting required.
Through the color
Deeper scratches that expose primer or bare metal need touch-up or refinishing so the panel is sealed against rust.
Panel refinishing
Larger or multiple scratches on one panel are usually best handled by blending and refinishing the whole panel. See our auto body paint page.
How it works
What the repair actually looks like
Free estimate
Bring the vehicle by either location, or send photos ahead of time and we'll take a first look before you drive over.
Access behind the panel
The technician gets to the back side of the dent through existing openings, then works the metal back to its original height in small increments using specialized tools and reflected light.
Inspection and pickup
The panel is checked under light from multiple angles to confirm the contour is right, then cleaned and handed back. Most single-dent jobs turn around quickly.
PDR is a skill that takes years to develop. Reading exactly where to push, and how far, is the whole job — which is why we keep technicians dedicated to it rather than treating it as a side task.
Send us a photo first
Not sure whether your dent is a PDR candidate? Upload a couple of pictures and we can give you a read before you make the trip.
Two locations
Where to bring it
Both shops handle dent and scratch work on all makes and models. Pick whichever is closer.
North Rochester
Rochester Collision Center
2828 Pennington Ct NW
Rochester, MN 55901
507-288-3828
Mon–Fri 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
South Rochester
Rochester Collision Center South
1000 12th St SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507-285-4790
Mon–Fri 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Common questions
Dent repair, answered
Will the dent be completely invisible afterward?
On a good candidate, most people can't find where it was. Very sharp creases or dents on a body line may improve dramatically without disappearing entirely. We'll set an honest expectation at the estimate rather than after the work.
Does paintless dent repair hurt my paint?
No. That's the point of it. The factory finish is never sanded, filled, or resprayed, so there's no color match to go wrong and no refinished panel to disclose later.
Is it cheaper than regular body work?
Usually, since there's no filler, primer, paint, or blend time involved. Cost depends on how many dents there are, how deep they are, and how hard the back of the panel is to reach. Estimates are free.
Should I file an insurance claim for a door ding?
For a single small dent, the repair may cost less than your deductible, in which case paying out of pocket makes more sense. Hail damage across multiple panels is usually worth a claim. We'll give you the number first so you can decide.
How long does it take?
A single dent is often same-day. Hail damage covering several panels takes longer and depends on how many vehicles are in the queue after a storm. We'll give you a timeline with the estimate.
Do you work on vehicles you didn't sell?
Yes. Both locations service all makes and models regardless of where the vehicle came from.
Hail damage across the whole vehicle? Start with our hail damage repair page. For the full list of collision services, see the Rochester Collision Center overview.
Let's see if it'll pop right out.
Free estimates at both Rochester locations, on all makes and models.
Call 507-288-3828 Schedule online