Product Description
Bondo, sold under the Mar-Hyde brand before its 1977 acquisition by 3M, allegedly contained asbestos fiber as a reinforcing additive in its two-part polyester body filler formulation, according to publicly filed asbestos litigation records. The product was mixed with a cream hardener, spread over dented panels with a plastic spreader, and cured before being roughed out with cheese-grater files and sanded smooth with progressively finer grits — a process that allegedly liberated respirable fibers from any asbestos-containing batch.
Workers Exposed
Auto body technicians, collision repair workers, autobody sanders, used car reconditioning workers, and paint-line laborers allegedly worked directly with Bondo daily in production body shops. DIY auto restoration hobbyists and weekend restorers allegedly used the same consumer-package Bondo at home to repair rust-through, dents, and quarter panels on personal vehicles, often sanding by hand or with electric DA sanders in unventilated garages.