There is no general right answer, because the numbers that settle it sit in your car insurance policy rather than ours. Whether a small dent is worth a car insurance claim turns on three things: the excess you would pay, what a claim does to your rating, and what the dent is hiding. Work through those three in order and the answer usually stops being a guess.
We repair cars. We cannot see your policy and we will not tell you which way to go. What we can do is explain how car insurance handles a small claim and point you at the source for each part of it. We can also tell you what we find behind panels that looked fine from the kerb.
Your car insurance excess is usually payable whether or not the crash was your fault
An excess is, in ASIC Moneysmart’s words, “the amount that you pay when you make a claim”. On claiming, Moneysmart is blunt: “Generally, you have to pay an excess when you make a claim whether you’re at fault or not.”
So the first number to find is your own car insurance excess. The only place it is written down is your policy paperwork — the certificate of insurance and the product disclosure statement.
Two things vary, and both matter here. Policies can stack more than one excess, so Moneysmart tells drivers to “Check if the insurer always charges an excess”, including “Even if an accident isn’t your fault”. The excess is also a lever on the premium: “You may be able to save on your premium by increasing your excess.”
That last point is the one that catches people out. If the excess was set high years ago to keep the premium down, a small dent is exactly where that choice shows up. Read the figure off the policy before you do anything else.
A car insurance claim moves your no-claim rating, and fault decides how far
A no-claim bonus is a discount on your car insurance that builds while you stay claim-free. Moneysmart describes it plainly: “The discount increases each year if you don’t claim, up to a maximum number of years.”
What a claim does to it depends on fault.
If the accident was your fault, Moneysmart says: “Generally, if you’re at fault and you make a claim, you’ll either lose your bonus or it will be reduced.”
If it was not your fault, the excess still generally applies, and the rating is not automatically safe either. Moneysmart’s wording is that “Even if you’re not at fault, insurers may increase your premium after you make a claim.”
Insurers also apply the bonus differently from one another. Moneysmart lists insurers that:
- “limit how long you get the bonus for”
- “set a minimum premium that you must pay (which may mean you don’t get the full discount)”
- “reduce your bonus if you make certain claims”
We are not going to put a percentage on any of that. There isn’t one that holds across policies. Ring your insurer and ask what a claim of this size does to your rating.
Agreed value and market value are a car insurance renewal decision, not a mid-claim one
These two terms come up whenever car insurance does, so it is worth knowing where they belong — and it is not here.
Agreed value is “a fixed amount that’s decided by you and your insurer”. Market value is “the amount your car would have sold for, at the time of the accident”. Moneysmart’s warning on market value is direct: “If you use the market value, you don’t know how much you’ll get if you claim, and you can’t change the amount.”
Both settings decide what you are paid if the car is written off, so neither one changes the maths on a dent. What they should prompt is a diary note. Moneysmart advises that “As your car gets older, your insurer may reduce the agreed value every year. Always check the agreed value when you renew your policy.” Agreed value also comes with “a higher premium”.
Sort that at renewal. Do not try to change it in the middle of a claim.
A small dent can sit on top of something that is not small
This is the part you cannot judge from the kerb, and it is the part we deal with every time a bumper cover comes off.
A modern bumper is a cover. Behind it sit the energy absorber, the brackets that locate the cover, wiring, and increasingly the sensors that feed the car’s driver assistance systems. A shallow dent in the cover tells you very little about the condition of any of that.
Where sensors are involved, the stakes change. The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association’s ADAS Industry Code of Conduct states that calibration is required “whenever a sensor, radar or ADAS components alignment is disrupted due to vehicle collisions or damage”.
The same code explains why this is not something you can eyeball: a system that is out of calibration may “malfunction or operate erratically without providing any visible indication to the driver”. The dashboard can look completely normal.
Paint is the other thing people underestimate. A modern finish is built in layers, and matching a colour is only half the job. The new paint has to be blended into the panels either side of the repair, so the change is invisible in daylight. That is why a dent on one panel is sometimes not a one-panel job.
Then there is rust, and here the timing matters. The Australasian Corrosion Association’s advice is short: “If the paintwork on your car becomes chipped or scratched, repair it as soon as possible.” Its reasoning is that intact paint keeps moisture off the metal. Salt combined with damp mud, it says, “is able to bite through metal in no time at all”.
Here is the one line in this article that is not a money decision. If the damage involves a sensor, a light, a windscreen or anything structural, the repair timing is not the part to defer. Get it looked at, then decide whether it goes through your car insurance or you pay for it yourself.
Have us look at it before you decide
Book the car in and we will tell you what the damage actually involves, in plain words.
Car insurance claim or paying yourself: what actually differs
| Question | If you claim on your car insurance | If you pay for the repair yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Excess | Generally payable whether or not you were at fault (Moneysmart) | No claim, so no excess |
| No-claim rating | At fault: bonus lost or reduced. Not at fault: the premium may still rise | No claim attaches to your rating |
| Who assesses the damage | Your insurer’s process decides the scope | You and your repairer agree the scope |
| What appears at renewal | The claim sits on your claims history | Nothing automatic — but see the section below |
Paying privately does not automatically take car insurance out of the picture
This is the part people assume, and it is worth checking rather than assuming.
Among the things Moneysmart lists insurers as doing with a no-claim bonus, an insurer may “increase your premium if you have a minor accident (even if you don’t make a claim)”. So the accident itself, not only the claim, can be relevant.
There is also a disclosure duty. Under the Insurance Contracts Act 1984, a consumer has a duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to the insurer. The Act treats whether the contract is “a new contract or a renewal” as one of the relevant circumstances. In practice, the insurer’s questions have to be answered accurately, including when your car insurance comes up for renewal. A repair you paid for yourself is not exempt from a question that covers it.
What that means for a later claim on the same panel is a policy question, and policies differ. Put it to your insurer before the repair, not after it.
You will find us at 8 Grace Way, Ravenhall VIC 3023, and you can reach us on (03) 8385 7748. We also cover car smash repairs in Deer Park and smash repairs in Caroline Springs.
Conclusion: decide your car insurance claim on three inputs, not two
A dent is a money question with three inputs: your car insurance excess, your rating, and the damage you cannot see. The first two come from your insurer and your policy documents, and they are worth ten minutes on the phone. The third comes from someone lifting the panel. We would rather you made this call with all three in front of you than with two and a guess.
Get the damage looked at properly
Bring the car to Ravenhall and we will show you what is behind the panel before you talk to anyone about your car insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth making a car insurance claim for a small dent?
That depends on your excess and your rating, and only your policy holds those numbers. Moneysmart notes that a driver “might decide that it’s not worthwhile to make a claim” where the damage is minor, and that future premiums are part of what people weigh. Get the excess figure, get a repair quote, and ask your insurer what the claim does to your rating.
Do I still pay my car insurance excess if the accident was not my fault?
Usually, yes. Moneysmart’s guidance is that “Generally, you have to pay an excess when you make a claim whether you’re at fault or not.” Whether your policy treats it differently is written in your product disclosure statement.
Does a car insurance claim affect my no-claim bonus?
It can, and fault decides how much. Moneysmart says that if you are at fault and claim, you will generally lose your bonus or have it reduced. Even when you are not at fault, insurers may increase your premium after a claim. Ask your insurer how your policy applies it.
Will my car insurance premium go up if I pay for the repair myself?
It can. Moneysmart lists insurers that “increase your premium if you have a minor accident (even if you don’t make a claim)”. Whether yours does is a question for your insurer.
Do I have to tell my car insurer about a repair I paid for?
If they ask about it, yes. The Insurance Contracts Act 1984 puts a duty on consumers to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation. Renewal is treated as a relevant circumstance under that duty. Answer the questions you are asked, accurately.
Can a small dent be fixed without repainting?
Sometimes. Where the paint is intact and we can reach the metal from behind, we work the dent out with paintless dent removal. The factory finish stays as it is. Where the paint is broken or the panel cannot be reached, it becomes a repair and refinish job. We will tell you which one you are looking at after we see the car.