What is a Car Dent? Is pronounced depression or hollow caused by a significant blow or by pressure to a certain spot (s) of the vehicle that requires extensive re-shaping, massaging, pushing or pulling to restore that area (s) as close to its original factory condition as possible. The difference between a Ding and a Dent is based on the size (range from small to large) and type of damage as well as the effort, time and expense needed to make the repair. Common causes of car dents are fender bender accidents, run away shopping carts, extreme weather conditions, other car doors in parking lots, falling tree branches, kicked up road debris by other vehicles & spurt of the moment domestic or wildlife collision.