Paint chip, should I repair? Options

[keystroke]

A few weeks ago there was a hit and run on my 2008 Elantra. Fortunately someone else left me a note with the plate of the car who hit me. So that person wound up having to have their insurance pay. Anyway I got my car back the day before yesterday. Yesterday I walk out and I have a flat! hah, I think I ran over a screw on the way home from the shop as my tire pressure light went on while I was driving home Anyway - I fixed the flat. At the same time I noticed the flat I noticed a paint chip on my hood! Not sure if it was there before, and the shop didn't touch the hood at all. Their work looked great so perhaps I just noticed the chip now because I was looking at my car more thoroughly. What a pain!

Anyway is this bad enough to warrant repair? It doesn't bother me too much but I don't want it to rust...



Thanks everyone!

[Alex2013GT]

The unfortunate thing with something like that is it will keep getting bigger. I personally would get it fixed before it becomes a bigger problem.

And I'm glad to hear there was someone that did the right thing and left a note for you. Nothing irratates me more than someone who doesn't take responsibility for their actions such as the guy that hit your car and didn't leave a note. I sure hope they got a ticket on top of having to pay to get your car fixed.

[roydjt]

It looks like the area exposed by the chip is all primer, so you're protected from rust for the time being. Still, at some point the moisture will get through and you will see rust there. A car's sheet metal needs more than a coat of primer to last in the long run. I'd get it fixed. An auto body shop can blend the area so that the change is only noticeable if you know where to look, but I would guess that it would cost maybe a couple hundred bucks, most of that going to labor.

-Roy

[keystroke]

Thanks guys! It was a bit discouraging to first have a hit and run (the third one I have had in a few years and the only time someone else left a note for me), then get a flat on the way back from having it repaired, and finally notice this new paint chip. It was a streak of bad luck! I hope it's over. Funny story... the woman who hit my car denied it even when the police called her. They had to go over to her apartment and show her how her car had damage consistent with having had an accident with mine. The witness was willing to testify and she had admitted to being in that parking lot when they spoke to her on the phone. Really strange. I'm not sure if they gave her a ticket or not, I was just happy to have her insurance pay.

On the bottom right of the chip see how there is a different color paint? Is that just another layer of primer? Does this look difficult to repair if I did it myself?

[LeMeez]

That's too difficult to do yourself, the area needs to be done by a professional who can blend the area with the rest of the hood. Red is a difficult colour to work with. Go get an estimate, it may not be too bad considering ther is no dent, just paint peeling. If I didn't know better, I'd say that hood has been repaired before.

[sarge]

That's unfortunate. And more than just a small chip. Definitely not something I'd try repairing on my own with the size and fact that you'd probably have to break off the peeled up edges.

Get an estimate, and I'd almost even go back to the shop that did the other work (assuming the fender?). Maybe the shop could put the extra repair towards the woman's insurance company and save you even more.

[RPW00Mirage]

holy crap! get that fixed or it will eventually peel even more.