At Liberty Collision, we are ready and able to help you with all your repair needs regarding unforeseen dents, scratches, and cracks that are out of your control. We also know, if minor repairs go unfix, they can become costly major repairs or replacements. We want to help you avoid these incidents so you can keep your money in your pocket.

We never know when a dent, scratch, or crack will happen to our cars while parked, but there are warning signs to help keep your vehicle safer. If you do not have the option to park in a garage at home or you’re out-and-about parking at different locations, follow the tips below to keep your car safe to preserve the value of your vehicle from drastically decreasing. 

Avoid parking under trees

Most of us live busy lives running errands to the grocery store, the mall to meet up with friends, or grabbing a cup of coffee to make it through the rest of the workday. One of the decisions in this process is finding a place to park and all the pitfalls and consequences that come with this simple decision.

Sure, the shady spot under the large beautiful trees seems like the ideal place to park a car, especially on a hot summer day. However, if you get to choose a parking space, go for the spot that’s not surrounded by many trees. Trees house more than leaves on their branches. Squirrels, birds, acorns, and fruit are exactly where they’re supposed to be — in trees, but they can also cause damage to your car when they fall and land on your vehicle.

Some trees can even have trash stuck in them, blown in from debris off the street. Leaves can also find their way into your car’s nooks and crannies, getting caught under wipers and clog air intakes and drain holes, such as those around the sunroof. In addition, wet leaves contain tree sap, which is acidic and can also ruin your car’s paint.

The truth about squirrels & birds

Birds and squirrels seem like cute, little harmless animals, right? Yes, they are; however, those small animals can cause damage to your car. Squirrels are super busy and fast, and no matter where you park, there’s a chance one of them could find its way under your hood and start snacking on your car’s wires. These furry little vandals are attracted to the car engine’s warmth during the winter to provide a cozy nesting spot. Another interesting fact (that can lead to unexpected repair costs) squirrels often chew on things to help control the constant growth of their teeth, which may make wires the perfect target for dental work.

Birds, while beautiful and pleasant to watch flying around in the sky, are also wild animals. And if your vehicle is in its way, it may cause some unintended damage to it. For example, a bird might use your car as a landing plate to feast on a captured dead animal, causing its beak to rapidly hit your car and damage the paint. Oh, but when it comes to birds, their beaks are not the only thing that can cause car paint damage. Keep reading, these little critters are capable of much more.

We love to watch birds in the sky but not on our car!

While we love to look outside the windows in our homes to watch red robins and blue jays perch on fences and fly around the trees, we don’t enjoy the waste they leave on our vehicles.

Bird droppings contain a chemical called uric acid. In the daytime, your car’s metal heats, causing expansion. The paint also expands, and the molecules open up just enough to allow a little bit of that uric acid from bird droppings to get into the paint. At night, the car metal cools and causes the metal to contract, trapping the acid dropping inside the car paint.  Over time, the acid starts to erode your car’s paint.

If your car’s been a victim of a bird poop crime, the first thing you want to do is clean the crime scene as soon as possible. Especially if it’s a hot day, you want to move quickly because the acid can start damaging the paint instantly. You can quickly and easily remove the droppings with a clean cloth and some mild soap and water.

Avoid tight spaces

What’s worse than a crowded mall full of children? A packed parking area full of tight parking spaces that seemed to be developed for Smart Car-sized vehicles!! Most people love a parking space close to the mall entrance door. It’s a short walk to the entry and easier to find when leaving the department store.  However, you may want to think twice when the spaces are tight, and the parking area is full of cars. Especially when parking next to an SUV with car seats strapped inside. Children move fast and are sometimes unaware of their surroundings.

Forego the accidental dents that may happen to your automobile from a neighboring vehicle with a child flinging open a car door. Park away from the other vehicles, with careless drivers parking while on their cell phones. Use the longer walk to the entrance as a chance to make up for missing those days at the gym *wink wink.* Your body and your car will thank you!

We love to see our customers at Liberty Collision. Nevertheless, we also want to help you avoid minor repairs of dents, scratches, and cracks. Follow these tips, and hopefully, they can save you time and money. However, accidents happen, and when they do, Liberty Collision will be here to repair your car back to its original state.

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