Sooner or later, every new car owner knows the feeling. You walk into a parking lot at work, a store, restaurant, or, most frequently of all, the shopping center, and find your beautiful new car sporting a sharp dent or ding in the side molding. The problem has multiplied in recent years, as large sport utility vehicles squeeze into undersized spaces, where their high and wide doors slam into conventional-sized automobiles. To make matters worse, many new cars have abandoned the once-standard protective molding strip, leaving cars completely exposed to neighboring vehicle doors. These risk factors put every new car at high risk for dents and dings. In order to protect your car from dents and dings, the following preventative measures can be taken.
When shopping for a new car, look for models equipped with molding strips. Determine if molding strips can be added as an option.
Practice your parallel-parking skills. Choose to parallel park whenever possible.
When parallel-parking spaces are unavailable, choose distant spaces where other vehicles are unlikely to park beside your vehicle.
When distant, isolated spaces are unavailable, choose corner spaces. Maximize lateral distance from the neighboring parking space.
When parking between vehicles, position your car at an angle opposite from that of the neighboring vehicles, if possible. Doing so will maximize the space for doors to open without impacting the car.
