Whether you've recently been in an accident or your vehicle is starting to show it's age with rust and corrosion, you may benefit from a visit to your local auto body shop. According to Carsurance, auto repair and maintenance workers average $43,251 in annual earnings. Many work at auto body shops and can maintain or repair your vehicle's exterior. Here are four signs that it's time to visit a local auto body shop.

1. Scratches and Stone Chips

Nearly every vehicle suffers minor damage to its paint from stones and other hard objects thrown up by the tires of other vehicles. Scratches are another common issue that affects most vehicles. When you see small chips and scratches in the paint, auto body shops have technicians who can fix them. Wet sanding and polishing minor scratches and using touchup paint to fill in chipped paint can fix minor damage and protect the metal underneath against rust and corrosion.

2. Fading Clearcoat

The sun's UV rays can damage your car's paint. So can high winds, road grime, and other caustic elements that vehicles encounter while on the road. If your vehicle's clearcoat looks less than its best, it might need to be detailed and polished to bring out its shine and make the paint look great. Some wax and sealer can protect the clearcoat and paint against the element for another couple of months, too.

3. Small Dents and Dings

Many auto body shops offer dent repairs to remove the small damages and dings that commonly affect vehicles. Leaving these damages unrepaired can put your vehicle at a greater risk of developing rust problems in the future, according to our team. Instead of ignoring the small dents from fender benders or minor accidents, it's best to look around for auto body shops that can repair them conveniently. Once the dents are gone, the technicians can polish and wax the exterior to make it look shiny and new.

4. Dented Body Panels

You might have been in a fender bender or had a hard object strike one or more panels on your vehicle and leave a big dent or crease. No matter what the cause might be, dented body panels should be fixed as soon as possible. Lienholders require it on vehicles that are financed, and auto insurance might cover the cost of fixing the damage. Once repaired, your vehicle will look and handle as intended.

Could your vehicle use autobody repairs? Call or visit Perfection Auto Refinish to schedule your free estimate today.