If you're like me, you drive your car everywhere. But after 15 years of reliable services, dents and rust now cover my car's hood, trunk and doors. I don't want to sell my car and buy a new one, so I decided to take it to an auto body and paint shop. Not only did the shop repair the dents and remove the rust, the technicians repainted it. If your car or truck looks less than stellar, take it to an auto body shop for repairs. My blog shows you where to look for the best auto body services and how to even perform your own repairs at home. Don't sell your car. Give it a makeover instead.
Were you recently involved in a relatively minor automobile accident? Do you now have damage to your vehicle that needs to be repaired as soon as possible? Whether you've gotten into a minor fender-bender or you've crumpled one of your vehicle's body panels, nobody wants to be driving around with a damaged vehicle. But you also don't want to spend too much money to get it fixed if you don't have to. Before you agree to any repairs, here are some things that you need to ask in order to ensure that you've found the right shop for the job:
Will you work with the insurance company? When you're eligible for an insurance claim, there are a couple of ways that this can work. The first way, you leave your vehicle at the auto body repair shop and they contact your insurance company to let them know how much the repairs will cost. The insurance company will then send them a check to cover the cost of the repair, minus any deductible that your policy dictates you owe. The second way is that you act as an intermediary between the repair shop and the insurance company, handling all of the paperwork yourself. Neither is wrong or bad, but most people prefer to have to deal with as little paperwork as possible.
Is the vehicle going to be like-new after you're done? If the only auto body repair that is needed is to replace a body panel or even one of your doors, your vehicle should be just as good as it ever was once the repair has been completed. On the other hand, if the frame has been damaged in any way then the vehicle may no longer be as structurally sound as it once was. It may not be totaled but it may be close enough that you should consider getting another vehicle as soon as you're able to do so.
How long will the repair take? In some instances, the damage might appear to be superficial but that can change once the body panel comes off and the technicians get a good look underneath. A good auto body repair shop will give you a low estimate and a high estimate as well as the length of time that your particular repairs will take. If there is nothing amiss with your frame, you could have your vehicle back in just a day or two. For more serious damage, expect your vehicle to be out of commission for a significantly longer period of time.
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