Paintless dent repair (PDR), sometimes called "paintless dent removal", is a method for removing everything from minor dents and dings to larger damage from the body of a motor vehicle. A wide range of damage can be repaired using PDR; however, if there is paint damage, Paintless Dent Removal may not be able leave the body in a "like new" state.

Hail damage, door dings, minor body creases, and minor bumper indentations are all industry accepted issues that paintless dent removal can be used to fix. The techniques can also be utilized to help prepare the auto body for paint application. This is commonly referred to as "push to paint", or "push for paint".

Paintless dent removal has gained popularity in the last ten years because of the simplification that PDR offers. PDR is far less expensive than replacing the affected auto body pannels, priming, matching paint and repainting. And while the traditional process of repairing auto body damage involves filling the damage with plastic composite and painting, paintless dent removal does not cover the existing paint, and does not require the cost of the painting process.

While paintless dent repair is a valuable technique, there are limiting factors. The condition of the paint, and the amount of streaching the metal has sustained. Often extremely sharp dents and creases may not be repairable - at least not without painting afterwards.