What does each damage severity level mean: minor, moderate, major, severe

Minor damage is purely cosmetic. The classic minor damage is a paint scratch that hasn't reached primer or bare metal: you can usually rub it with your fingernail and feel only the topcoat disruption. Small dents under 2 inches that haven't cracked the paint also fall here.

Minor damage doesn't affect how your car drives or its ability to protect you in another collision. Most minor damage is repairable through paintless dent repair (for dents) or touch-up paint (for surface scratches). Many DIY enthusiasts handle minor damage themselves with a $20 touch-up paint pen and patience.

Cost multiplier: 0.5x relative to moderate damage. A minor scratch on a fender might cost $80-150 at a shop; a major dent on the same fender might cost $400-700.

Moderate damage means the paint disruption has reached primer or even bare metal, OR the dent is 2-6 inches across with some paint cracking. There's still no functional impact (the car drives, doors open, lights work), but the repair requires actual bodywork rather than just touch-up.

A moderate dent typically needs paintless dent repair plus a paint blend on the affected panel. A moderate scratch needs sanding, primer, base coat, clear coat, and a blend into adjacent panels to make the repair invisible. This is squarely body-shop territory; DIY is possible but very hard to make look professional.

Cost multiplier: 1.0x baseline. Most consumer parking-lot damage Chassly sees lands in this category.

Major damage involves either large panel deformation (dents bigger than 6 inches, or smaller dents where the panel is bent rather than just dented) OR damage to functional parts (a cracked headlight that still works but won't pass inspection, a torn bumper cover that's still attached but flopping).

At this severity, the damaged panel almost always needs replacement rather than repair. The economics flip: spending $600 on bodywork to repair a $400 fender doesn't make sense when a new fender costs $250 plus paint and labor. Functional parts (headlights, taillights, mirrors) are almost always replaced because the safety implications of trying to repair a broken assembly aren't worth the savings.

Cost multiplier: 1.5x. Insurance starts becoming a real consideration here: a major-severity assessment with cost over $1,000 often makes a claim worthwhile depending on your deductible.

Severe damage means the part has lost structural integrity or there's safety-critical damage. Examples: a fender that's bent enough to interfere with the wheel, a windshield with cracks that obstruct vision, a rear bumper hanging off after a backing accident, a hood that won't latch.

Chassly will almost always recommend professional repair for severe damage and frequently suggests an insurance claim. If multiple parts are severe (say, after a moderate collision), the cumulative cost can easily exceed $5,000 and approach the totaling threshold for older vehicles.

Cost multiplier: 2.0x. A severe-severity report should also prompt a professional inspection beyond just the body damage. Severe panel damage often correlates with hidden frame, suspension, or electrical issues that aren't visible in photos.

Each damaged part gets its own severity rating, then Chassly takes the maximum across all damaged parts to produce the overall severity. One severe part means your overall assessment is severe, even if everything else is minor. This matches how body shops think: they price the worst affected component first, then add the others.

Where this matters for you: if your overall severity is 'severe' but only one part is severe and the rest are moderate, you may have flexibility. You could fix the severe item professionally and DIY some of the moderate items to save money. The per-part breakdown in your report shows you which is which.