When you buy a new car in Phoenix, you want to take good care of your investment. Keeping your car’s exterior looking as clean and new as possible is an effective and easy way to maintain your vehicle’s value for when you decide to sell it. However, you may be making your vehicle susceptible to avoidable damage without even knowing it. Many car owners have these three bad habits that can endanger your vehicle and put you at a higher risk for needing mobile dent repair.

1. Parking in direct sunlight

If you live in Southern California or Phoenix, then you know how scorching hot it can get. Parking your vehicle in direct sunlight will not only make your car uncomfortable to get back into, but it could actually damage your paint job. Continual, direct exposure to the UV radiation emitted by sunlight can fade, crack, or peel your vehicle’s paint, requiring you to undergo costly repainting services that can be easily avoided. Whenever possible, park inside a structure or in the shade in order to best protect your vehicle. Avoid parking under trees if you can, as this can be another source of dent repair damage, and instead opt for the shade from a building if the option is available.

2. Parking outside overnight

Most people imagine vehicle damage will only happen while the car is moving. However, leaving your car parked out in the open overnight or for hours on end is another way that it can get easily damaged. If you park your car on your driveway or on the street overnight, it can experience damage from extreme weather such as hail or from falling objects such as tree branches. It’s always safer to cover your vehicle, either by parking in a garage or even by using a vehicle tent on your driveway. If you do need to park outside overnight, look for a wide open area far from any trees, tall objects, or other cars.

3. Parking too close to other vehicles

One of the most common things we see at Bumper Buddies is a door ding. Whether someone swiped your mirror with theirs or dented your bumper pulling out of a parking space, being parked in close proximity to other cars is a major source of vehicle damage. It can be tempting to nestle into the open spot closest to the building you’re visiting, perfectly aligned between two cars. However, you never know how recklessly they’ll back out or how poorly the next driver will pull in and park. Look for parking spots that don’t have cars already on either side of your vehicle. Park toward the back of the lot where there are more open spaces in order to decrease the chances of someone parking right next to you and therefore decrease your chance of a door ding or paint scratch.

If your bad parking habits result in a dent or scratch to your vehicle, trust the mobile dent repair experts at Bumper Buddies. We’ll make it look as good as new in just a matter of hours and at a highly affordable rate. We’ll travel to wherever you are in Southern California or the Greater Phoenix area and repair your car on-site for a completely hassle-free experience that all of our customers love. Experience what’s made Bumper Buddies 5-star rated for more than 20 years by giving us a call today at (888) 711-5074 for a free repair estimate.