Hi All

Please excuse my English as it is not my first language.
My 3 months old NX350h recently got a door ding on the rear quarter panel (passenger side), the dent was quite small but it really bugged me.
I went to a top rated local PDR (paintless dent removal) shop, and they were able to fixed the dent completely. However I think in order to fix it they took off the tail light housing and might've drilled a hole in order for the tool to be able to reach the spot.

I told them before start that I do not want to have any hole drilled, and I was not there during most of the fixing process, I arrived when they are about to finish and I can see there are holes on the body panel part, behind the tail light housing and they seem to plugged it using a black plug. They told me no holes was drilled and those was already there earlier, but I am a little suspcious....

My question is if they indeed drilled a hole there, would that have any affect on my car? like affect the structure of the car or will water get in there and cause rusting?
sorry I didn't take any pictures, but it is behide the tail light housing, I cannot see it unless I take it off.

thank you!

 

I'm no body expert but if I was you, I'd remove the tail light and inspect. If it's a new hole you should be able to tell because the metal will be shiny and raw metal, no paint or coatings. Pretty much look and see if it is in a bad location for exposure to moisture. If it is raw metal, I would get some paint or coating and protect the area right away. Take a little sandpaper and rough the spot up and then apply the coating/paint. They sell plugs of all sizes. If they did plug it, put the plug back. this would stop some of the moisture getting in as well. The critical part is protecting the paint by making sure the area is painted.

Another thing you can do is remove the Driver side tail light and compare the sides to see if there are differences. It may not be 100% the same but you should be able to tell a difference, if there is one.

Good Luck.

 

Thank you so much for the suggestion! do you think this is something that I can take it back to the dealership and have them check?
unfortunately I have zero experience nor the tool required to take off car parts....

 

@nicelynice623 I believe you only need a screwdriver but I haven't tried it yet on my car. More than likely the dealer would check it for you. The problem is they will most likely charge you for it. If they find it was drilled, they can advise best on what is necessary to protect the area.

 

Don't sand the area, the factory paint is still best there. You can deburr the hole if it's new, paint it with a q-tip, and when dry, dab a little silicone around the plug and reinstall.