It’s just a fact of life that no matter how carefully you drive or how well you take care of your vehicle, eventually you’ll probably end up with a car dent or two.

Apart from being in an accident, there are a lot of ways you can end up with a dent in your car such as somebody opening their car door into yours, someone bumping into you from behind, two cars colliding while pulling out of a parking lot, or even from a runaway shopping cart.  There are so many ways that cars can accumulate scratches and dents that it’s impossible to list them all, but one thing is for sure, you’re bound to get a few over the course of owning the car.

If it’s a large dent from an accident, most people will get it fixed right away. However, repairs on small dings and dents tend to be put on the back burner of your to-do-list. You might convince yourself it doesn’t look good, but it’s only a minor blemish and the car is getting older anyway. Whatever the reason that blemish just doesn’t seem to get repaired.

Unfortunately for many car owners, the longer the dent isn’t repaired, the bigger and uglier it gets over time. What’s happening to your car’s underneath behind the dent isn’t visible, but damage is definitely being done.

Here are some reasons why you should consider getting the dent repaired sooner than later:

1. Rust problems

Dents cause unsightly blemishes on your car, but the real problem is the damage they cause to the paint. Cracks caused by the impact can allow water to seep underneath the paint. The clear coat gets breached and it will reach the unprotected metal part of the car. The longer the time to repair, more water will cause the metal to oxidize, causing rust spots. If the dent is small, you may not notice the damaged paint, but over time the rust will expand in size, making it bigger and uglier compared than the original dent.

2. Long-term damage to the paint

If you ignore the paint damage that occurs with a dent, it will invariably get worse. Between changing weather, everyday wear-and-tear, and even washing your car, the cracks in the paint will grow larger. This can lead to flaking and peeling, leaving the underlying sealant exposed. If the car dent is large and does damage to the sealant as well, peeling paint can leave bare metal exposed. Once the metal is exposed to the elements, it’s only a matter of time before it starts to rust.

3. Reduced resale value

Appearance is everything in the resale market. The exterior appearance is an important factor for anyone looking to purchase a used car. Unrepaired dents will lower the value even if they’re small. Any paint damage or rust spots will reduce its value even lower on the price a buyer is willing to pay. Unrepaired dents are the sign of a neglectful owner and potential buyers may wonder what else is wrong with the car.

4. Cheaper to fix

If you fix a car dents right away, it will invariably cost less than if you waited. It doesn’t take long for rust spots to appear or paint to start flaking away, especially if you live in areas with a lot of salt in the air like coastal communities.

5. Your safety

Safety should always be priority one. Even small dings and car dents can mask underlying structural damage that isn’t obvious on the surface. As an example; today’s flexible bumper covers are designed to minimize damage in low-speed collisions, but the underlying damage can often be much worse.

6. Pride of Ownership

Pride of ownership is one final reason to fix car bumper dents right away. If you care about your car’s appearance, take good care of it with regular washing and waxing, it doesn’t make sense to leave a dent unrepaired.

So the next time you get a dent or ding, don’t delay in getting it repaired. You’ll feel better about yourself and your car’s appearance.