The first week I got my car someone keyed the glass of my driver's side mirror (you might have read about it on here). NOW, leaving work tonight I look walked by my hood and saw a little dent on the hood of the car with paint also missing. Are people out to get me or what? I can't imagine how it got there. It is too high of a position as if someone were to hit me while it was parked. Ah, so bugged.

So, any idea of how much a small dent with paint chipped out of the spot will cost?

 

Sorry to hear that, MrHockey20.

Cost depends on:
(1) Where the dent is. Is it in a crease? (Do we EVEN have a crease in our hoods?) If so, this will increase price likely, as it probably can't be done then with PDR (Paintless Dent Repair).
(2) Size of dent - smaller is better (duh!)
(3) Where you take it for repair. Usually the price is highest at restoration specialists, then next highest at the $tealership, then the familiar "chain" body&paint shops (Service King, etc). It is usually lower still at the mom-n-pop auto repair shops. That's where I take such "quickie" jobs.

This job is likely a $150-350 item at a mom-n-pop shop. Check a few places out. They usually give free estimates. I'd check out Service King, and set that as my "high price", and work down from there. Check out the work of any mom-n-pop shop before you decide on using them. Quality varies - sometimes widely - even amongst your more expensive shops.

 

I wonder if it is a string of vandalism to hybrids?

It would probably be a costly job since they would have to paint the hood and blend the paint. Otherwise just live with the dent and just use touch up paint.

 

MrHockey20-
It bites that you got a dent, but at least it's a small one. From now one, make a concerted effort to park a good distance from other cars. The thing is, other people don't care about your car, so if they back into it or ding your door they won't give it a moment's thought. To keep your car looking pristine you'll need to make an extra effort to put distance between your car and others.

 

If paint is missing, be sure to get it repainted or touched up asap. I didn't do that for a tiny nick and moisture got in, causing a yellow circle a little bigger than a quarter to appear on my car. My HCH is white, so it is probably more noticable.

 

2 weeks ago someone scraped the front bumper up on my car kind of forcefully. I can't figure out how they even did it, considering I had pulled into the parking spot (versus backing in). In any case, of course they didn't leave any info, and of course my insurance won't cover it. (well they will, but it's the same as if I had gotten into a 'minor accident' !! $$$$)

Really ticks me off, my car is only 7 months off the lot.

The only good news is that it's on a plastic part that can't rust, so I'm in no hurry to get it fixed. Is there such a thing as hit-and-run insurance? I live in Boston, it seems like it would come in very useful here where people play bumper cars while parking.
-
Martin

 

Martin, If I were in your shoes I would be ticked off as well.

However pagemap has a very good suggestion about parking further away. As an example, my HCH-II is almost 2 years old and I don't have a single ding or scratch in it. My Wife's HCH-II (a 2007) does not have any either.
What we both do is park as far away from the popular parking spots as possible and so far it has worked fairly well. Yes, it sucks to have to do so but it is worth it in the end.

Cheers;

MSantos