The amount of people using body filler to fix alignment issues is wild

Saw a guy at the shop yesterday trying to build up a quarter panel gap with filler instead of just adjusting the striker or the hinges. I get that it's faster but that stuff cracks out in a year tops. Had a customer come back with a car I fixed 3 years ago and the filler I used on a tiny dent is still solid. How do you guys talk customers into waiting for proper metal work?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_fiona12d ago

Start with this: proper body filler has its place for small dents and minor surface imperfections, but using it to fix door or panel alignment is just asking for trouble down the road. The stuff expands and contracts with temperature changes way more than metal does, so no matter how good the prep work is it will eventually crack or shrink in high stress spots like a door gap. I've seen it happen time and again on cars that looked great for a year or two then started showing issues. You're right that adjusting the striker or hinges is the real fix, even if it takes more time and patience. I think the problem is a lot of younger guys learn from YouTube videos that skip the basics and go straight for the quick fix. It's not that filler is bad, it's that people use it for things it was never meant to handle.

the_leo12d ago

I used to think filler was a decent shortcut for gaps too until I had to redo a car someone else packed full of it to fix a door alignment. That stuff just doesn't hold up long term under vibration or weather changes. Now I always push for proper adjustments or metal patches even if it means a longer wait.

umar4912d ago

Pfft I dunno man, feels like you're making it sound worse than it is. I've seen cars running around with filler jobs that lasted years without any issues. Maybe the problem was the guy who did the work, not the filler itself.