So you finally got that new car or truck. Congratulations! I really don’t want to be the one to blow out the candles on your cake, but have you got the first dent yet? Maybe a parking lot door will ring? If not, I’m sure you already know that you’re likely to get at least a few as long as you own that car. So how do you defend yourself against this? Is there a way to protect my car?

The best way to protect your car or truck from door dings and bumps is by installing a professional grade side body trim. You can also protect other areas of the vehicle in the same way with wheel well trims and door sill guards.

Body side moldings These are usually rubber or vinyl strips that adhere horizontally to the side of your vehicle. By installing them in the center of the door, this rubber strip usually protects you from another door hitting yours. Usually the trim sticks out more than the vehicle body, so if someone opens the door to the side of your car, they will hit the body side trim first. They usually come in black, chrome and there are some colors available as well.

The body side molding installs easily. Almost all car moldings are attached with 3M automotive grade tape, which is the same way car manufacturers use to attach factory side moldings. If installed properly, the trim should never come loose. There are other areas of your car that need to be protected as well. These areas are the wheel well area and the door edge areas.

Wheel well molding it is fixed in the same way with a 3M tape. These moldings will trim the wheel area nicely with a thin bead of rubber that will protect this exposed area. You can also use this molding to cover an existing dent in this area. Once applied over the dent or scratch, you will never know the damage was there. This truck is used in car dealerships all the time. Sometimes it was only used to dress the vehicle in a chrome or black trim.

Door edge protectors protect just that: the edge of your car door. They also protect anything that hits your door. Due to the soft rubber trim, if you were to open your car door to another car, the probability of damaging either car is minimal. The door edge guards will act as a shock absorber and help prevent any damage that would otherwise occur.

For most of us, buying a new car or truck is one of the biggest investments we will ever make. We are proud of what we drive. It doesn’t matter if we drive a Hyundai or a Porsche (okay, maybe yes, but follow me here for a second). We like to drive in shiny clean cars with no dents. To be sure, spending a few dollars now on trim protection will potentially save you hundreds of dollars in the future repairing and repainting your new car or truck.