It’s a common enough term—most of us have heard the phrase “fender bender,” but there can be some confusion about what a car’s fender actually is. Read on if you’re wondering how to tell what a fender is and what it does!

What Is a Fender, and Where Do You Find It On Your Car?

Fenders are often confused with bumpers on your vehicle. They are two different parts of the vehicle, but it can be easy to misuse the term fender to refer to bumpers. 

Bumpers are curved structures that extend outward across your car’s front and back. They protect your car’s engine and other important parts from direct damage during a minor collision.

A fender is the curved side panel of your car that sits over each tire area. It extends between your bumper and the door panel. Fenders can be made of plastic, various metals, rubber, or fiberglass.

What Does a Fender Do?

Fenders add to your car’s overall look and appeal, keep key parts working well, and improve overall vehicle performance. There are four functional aspects to fenders.

1. Accident Protection

This is the real key to fender benders. The fender area above your wheel area is designed to buckle or bend to protect the legs and feet of your passengers and direct force away from the engine bay when you have an accident.

2. Shield Vehicle Components

A fender is designed to protect the engine, brakes, and other areas from rainwater, mud, dirt, rocks, and other road debris that your tires can spin up. It also helps prevent scratches and dents to your car’s paint job.

3. Protect The Surrounding Area

Those pieces of debris that might become airborne because of your tires can also go further if effective fenders do not block them. Fenders can’t stop every small rock or piece of dirt on a rough or primitive road, but they help protect surrounding cars, pedestrians, and property from becoming damaged as you hit the road every day.

4. Improve Performance

Along with its protective nature and curb appeal, the design of your fender is an integral part of your vehicle’s overall ability to provide a smooth ride and improve fuel efficiency. Fenders’ aerodynamic nature helps reduce air drag and turbulence when you maintain normal driving speeds.

So, What Is a Fender Bender?

A fender bender is accident damage that directly affects the side panel area of your car between the bumper and car door, causing the fender to bend, buckle, or be pushed out of form and alignment.

If this happens, it is important to seek professional auto body repair services from the friendly technicians at CARSTAR to correct the problem. The fender’s structural stability must be restored properly to ensure your continued safety on the road.

Get Expert Fender Repair at CARSTAR

If you’ve experienced a fender bender or need other auto body repair services, visit your nearest CARSTAR location for expert service!

Find your nearest CARSTAR location