Expert: Dan Gardener - 10/25/2010

Question
took a 2008 ford focus into the body shop for hail damage and was told paint-less dent removal was the method they would use to repair. instead they cutoff the roof to replace the sheet metal. is this going to compromise the safety of the vehicle?
not to mention the corrosion protection and future wind and water leaks

Answer
Hello Perry
Well, you should have been notified about the shops change in plans.

Replacing a body panel, like the roof, is a pretty standard operation. The OEM parts from Ford come with an anti-corrosion /transportation primer which is applied via an electrostatic operation,  so rust should not be an issue. The panel should be spot-welded back into the factory locations, with the appropriate sealers used at the roof reinforcement  seams. If it all goes back together like it came off you should not have any issues with wind noise or water leaks.
Thank you for the question.

Dan