We all know the feeling. The snow is finally receding, the birds are back, and the sun is actually starting to feel warm. But as the winter coat of ice disappears from your car, it often reveals a few things you didn’t notice in January.
April is “Recovery Month” for vehicles in the Twin Cities. Between the lingering road salt and the newly formed potholes in Coon Rapids, your car has been through the ringer. At Heritage Auto Body, we’ve spent over 34 years helping local drivers restore their vehicles after a long winter.
Here is what you should be looking for this month to keep your car healthy and looking its best.
1. The Pothole “Hangover”
April is peak pothole season in Anoka County. If you’ve had a jarring encounter with a crater lately, don’t ignore it.
The Hidden Damage: While your tire might look fine, a hard hit can cause structural or unibody frame damage that you can’t see.
The Signs: If your car is pulling to the left or right, or if you hear a new “clunk” when you hit a bump, your alignment or suspension likely took a hit.
2. Salt Etching: The Silent Paint Killer
You might think the rain will wash away the winter salt, but it actually does the opposite. Moisture “reactivates” road salt, allowing it to eat into your clear coat and create permanent etching or rust spots.
April is the time for a deep exterior detail and a high-pressure undercarriage flush. If you see tiny orange “freckles” on your white or silver paint, those are iron particles from the road that need professional decontamination before they turn into full-blown rust.
3. Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) for “Ice Dings”
Did a chunk of ice slide off your roof and leave a dent? Or maybe a runaway shopping cart caught you during a spring gust at the grocery store?
Why PDR? If the paint isn’t cracked, our Paintless Dent Repair is a gamechanger. Our lead technician has over 30 years of experience massaging metal back into place without the need for fillers or new paint. It’s faster, more affordable, and keeps your factory finish intact.
4. Windshield Chip Check
Temperature swings in April (20°F at night, 55°F during the day) are brutal on glass. A tiny rock chip from a winter salt spreader can turn into a massive crack across your windshield overnight when the glass expands and contracts.
Fix those small chips now. Once a crack spreads, you’re looking at a full glass replacement. If you need a recommendation on a place, reach out!
5. Don’t Let Scratches Go Unprotected
If you have deep scratches that go down to the metal, the spring humidity will cause them to rust faster than they would in the dry winter air. We take huge pride in our accurate color matching—we can touch up those spots so perfectly you’ll forget they were ever there.
We know that dealing with car repairs can be a headache. That’s why we try to make it as easy as possible for our Coon Rapids neighbors.
Is your car ready for its spring makeover? Stop by Heritage Auto Body this month for a free evaluation!
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