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I am trying to determine the best way to repair some body damage to the exterior door shell on my 2010 Honda CR-V. I took a look at a bunch of YouTube videos on the process but most cover repairing rusted out parts of the body so not sure if that would apply. I am wondering if a bondo repair kit would work such as this one https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40067474/ or if there is a better product out there to get the job done. Looking to keep costs down from replacing the whole door skin. I am including an image of the damage. Anyone have an opinion on the best route I should take?

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  • Welcome to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair!
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented Apr 25, 2022 at 13:54
  • Is that just a dent that has been previously filled?
    – HandyHowie
    Commented Apr 25, 2022 at 17:43
  • "the best way" The "best" way to fix the door is to take it to a professional body shop. The simplest way to fix the door is to get a replacement from a junkyard. The cheapest way is to put some duct tape on it. What are your real objectives here? How much do you want to keep costs down? What's your budget? Do you care about cosmetics or do you just want it not to rust?
    – J...
    Commented Apr 26, 2022 at 18:36

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In my approximation, your "best bet" is to buy a replacement door out of a wrecking yard. Without extensive work, there's just about no way to fix what's there. If you can find a door of the same color, it would also preclude you from having to get it painted. Seriously, the amount of damage to the door would entail a lot of labor to get it correct. A door from another vehicle is by far your best bet to get it done right at a reasonable cost.

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    If the OP is good with a welder, he could cut the piece out, cut a replacement, bend the replacement to match the curve of the door, weld it in, grind down the welds, and repaint. But I'm guessing he's not good with a welder or he'd have already done that. This, therefore, is the better option.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Apr 26, 2022 at 12:51
  • @FreeMan - You are absolutely correct. Considering doors are relatively cheap, you have to consider the amount of time it would take to fix the door as you suggest. Some count time as money. If you are looking to do this cheap, easy, and relatively hassle free, replacement is the best bet, especially if you can find a door which is color matched. Getting it painted can be a relatively large cost in and of itself, then consider the work a body shop would need to put into it, which also costs more time.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented Apr 26, 2022 at 13:41
  • Yeah wish I knew how to weld...I'll have to work on learning that skill. @Paulster2 you are right. I will start looking around for a door I can pick up from a junk yard.
    – ThaKidd KG5ORD
    Commented Apr 27, 2022 at 23:58
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Do you want it perfect, or just look decent a few steps away from the car?

You can do a lot with "bondo" or "filler".

Bang in the parts that sticks out, try to remove all rust you can, and get to work with a sander or grinder. Then fill up, in small steps. Mix up bondo in small batches at a time, to give yourself time to apply it before it sets. Wait until it sets, grind it down, slap some paint on it.

It's not going to be like new, but it will look a lot better.

Do you have more time, or more money?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTBWgecm3Q8

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    While you can use body filler to fill this in, it is in no way the "right" way to work this. It will temporarily fill the crack, but given a few months to a year, the splits in the sheet metal will allow road vibrations to just pop the filler right back out. It also won't fix any of the rust which will encroach. The OP will be fixing this again in no time, and when they do, it'll be worse than it is now.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented Apr 26, 2022 at 14:06
  • I was concerned about road vibrations. Not to mention vibrations for closing the door. Had a feeling that would be the result.
    – ThaKidd KG5ORD
    Commented Apr 27, 2022 at 23:59

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