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I have a 2012 Subaru Outback. Paid off, 60k miles. Several months ago it was hit by a small hailstorm. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of very small dents in the roof and hood. But, they are so small that they are hard to see. And it's almost impossible to see more than a few at one time, since you have to focus the light/reflection just right.

I have comprehensive insurance (Geico) with $500 deductible. The dents don't bother me too much, and I'm not sure it's worth $500 to me to get them repaired.

BUT... I think that the OOP cost of PDR is something on the order of $2k or so. Which makes me wonder, in several years if I trade this car in, will I take a greater than $500 hit on the trade-in value? If so, then it would probably be smart to pay the $500 now, enjoy a dentless car for the next few years, and get a better deal when I do trade it in. If not, then I have to decide if $500-$X (where X is whatever trade-in hit I would take) is worth it to me to fix the dents now.

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  • How many years do you think you'll wait to sell? To me it seems reasonable to think that the current hit to resale is pretty close to $2k. – Hart CO Apr 23 '18 at 1:57
  • @HartCO Probably somewhere between 2-5 years if I had to guess. Large range, I know. – Dave Johnson Apr 23 '18 at 2:21
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    Possibly me being dim, but "OOP cost of PDR" == ? (Google only points here or to object-orientated programming!). "out-of-pocket" something? – TripeHound Apr 23 '18 at 9:38
  • @TripeHound, I suspect "out-of-pocket cost of P(?) dent repair". – gaefan Apr 23 '18 at 11:41
  • Depending on the severity of the dents, a hairdryer might save you the $500 OOP and the hit to trade in value (or at least a substantial portion of it). Small, Un-creased dents can be removed with the application of some heat. Search the internet for videos to that effect. – GOATNine Apr 23 '18 at 12:18

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