What is the Most Common Collision Damage and How do Automotive Technicians Fix it?
Collision reconditioning technology is an exciting career path for aspiring automotive technicians. As long as there are cars on the road, accidents are bound to occur, making work for collision technicians both stable and diverse because no two collisions are alike.
While the world of collisions is ever changing, there are some things that are important for those interested in collision technology to recognize. Below you’ll learn about the most common types of damage that occurs during a collision and how collision repair technicians fix this damage.
Most Common Front Collision Damage
The most common damage that collision repair technicians see is damage to the vehicle’s front bumper. The front bumper has a damage likelihood of 28% during a front-end collision, which makes sense considering it’s the direct point of contact. The fender’s real purpose is to protect the rest of the car when your front end is hit. During minor collisions, it’s not uncommon to find that your fender is the only part of your car that’s damaged.
Most Common Rear Collision Damage
Most likely to no one’s surprise, the most commonly damaged part of the rear of a vehicle is the bumper, which has a 20% likelihood of becoming damaged in a rear-end collision. Your bumper generally serves the same purpose as your fender in the event of a collision: absorbing the damage while protecting the well-being of the rest of the car. Think about how many rear-end collisions there are on a daily basis. Bumpers take a severe beating.
What This Means for Aspiring Collision Repair Technicians
When looking at the most commonly damaged parts of vehicles involved in accidents, aspiring collision repair technicians should be prepared to effectively inspect and repair bumpers and fenders. They’ll commonly be brought in for you to repair and knowing how to repair the different types of potential damages is important.
How to Repair Fender and Bumper Damage
Fenders and bumpers usually experience four types of damage: scratches, dents, cracks, and breaks.
Minor scratches can be buffed out with wax, while deeper, more defined scratches can be covered up using epoxy paint. Collision repair technicians push out dents or they use a vacuum device to suck out dents and restore vehicles to their original designs.
Deep cracks need to be covered with filler and then painted over to restore the car’s color. If a collision repair technician sees a significantly wide crack, then the piece needs to be reinforced with mesh and then filled over the mesh for a sturdy reinforcement. Adding paint helps to make the damage and repair less noticeable.
Breaks are typically repaired the same way as cracks, but if a break is severe, a collision repair technician has no other choice but to order a new bumper or fender and install it.
If you’re interested in learning more about the world of automotive collision repair, you can download our free e-book, Panels, Paints, and Graphics: The Future of Collision Repair.
