Imagine you’re driving from a long road trip and you get into a bad accident. What bad luck! Luckily, you’re okay, but now, you have to deal with the horror of vehicle damage and the headache of taking your car to a collision repair shop.
Would you approach the nearest auto body shop to get your vehicle fixed? After all, most collision repair shops are the same. No. Not really! Well, sorry to bust your bubble, but all repair facilities and collision repairs aren’t the same!
The methods and materials used and the skill level of the professionals are quite different! Handing over your auto to an inferior shop could result in negative ramifications for your vehicle.
Common Concerns with Inferior Collision Repair Shops:
Low-grade Parts
This is among the most common concern to think about when subjecting your vehicle to a collision repair shop. Most collision repair shops try to cut their expenses by using previously-used or substandard parts. Now, this can be a huge problem. A vehicle involved in a collision requires a lot of care. Experts advocate the use of replacement parts recommended by or parts coming directly from the manufacturer. When the repair shop promises that Original Equipment Manufacturer or OEM replacement parts assure strength, quality, and durability, this means that you can be assured that the parts will work at par with the original ones. On the other hand, already used or substandard replacement parts may not work as accurately as they should, and this could also impact their performance.
While some collision repair shops buy used or substandard parts to reduce their supply costs, insurance companies force other shops to use them to minimize the payouts. So, the next time you approach a collision repair shop, make sure that they use OEM replacement parts.
Poor Installation
Additionally, there are a few auto body shops that install the replacement parts in the wrong places on the vehicle. For instance, some shops may place a structural component like a rail or a panel in the wrong spot.
Unfortunately, if the shop installs the part in the wrong place, the full auto body repair goes into the trash bin. The shoddy job can weaken a vulnerable spot quickly. If the vehicle gets into another collision, you’ll have even more problems.
Second-rate collision repair shops are commonly categorized by the way they handle the repairs. It is quite common for them to install replacement parts incompletely or incorrectly. For example, if a worker welds a vehicle panel close to the airbag sensor’s wiring, there is a chance for the failure of the entire airbag system. Similar misplacements near the engine or the battery could impact the car’s performance. Additionally, such repair shops may not completely fix the dents, dings, or crumples. This would make the car structurally vulnerable, increase chances of making things dangerous for you and your passengers, and susceptible to possible injuries.
A shoddy collision repair could also result in corrosion and premature exterior deterioration of your vehicle. For example, if the repair shop fails to seal spots or paint the auto body correctly, it could make it vulnerable to moisture invasion. This could also lead to corrosion, which eventually reduces the lifespan of the vehicle.
Conclusion
Choosing the right collision repair shop is extremely important. Though a car coming out of the shop looks spick and span at first, make sure you inspect the job in its entirety. The quality of the work is how you gauge the care it received. Therefore, you need to take your auto to a reliable, trustworthy auto body shop.
