What To Know About Your Dealership’s Preferred Auto Body Shop

Auto body shops that repair your vehicle the right way

It might seem challenging to figure out which car repair facility performs quality work, and which ones don’t, but it’s actually very simple.

The shop that follows the manufacturer’s protocol and whose repairmen have the right certifications is the one that restores your car to its pre-accident conditions according to factory specifications. A shop recommended by a dealership should follow standard operations and employ factory parts; it should not deviate from established procedures to reduce costs or use aftermarket parts would be a big problem.

The problem is, that some shops perform makeshift, poor-quality repairs because they’re looking for fast, cheap solutions. They’ll dodge the requirements laid out by the Bureau of Automobile Repairs (BAR), even when it comes to performing a high-caliber repair.  You might wonder, is it a big deal if a repair facility decides to skip the book and cut corners?

Yes, it is a big deal. And it happens.

A faulty repair is a recipe for disaster. It’s the difference between the assurance of a vehicle’s safety, especially in the event of another accident, and finding oneself crushed under a roof that was glued back on with an adhesive instead of being welded as required by the manufacturer.

What’s more, subpar repairs amp up costs if you try to correct them further down the line – something that may be impossible – and at the same time they diminish the vehicle’s value; it’s the worst of both worlds.

A body shop operating according to an insurance carrier’s guidelines, and not the instructions set forth by a manufacturer, could easily be more concerned about reducing costs and saving time. This runs the risk of producing a shoddy repair that allows for an unsafe vehicle to be returned to the streets.

You could end up with hidden damages left unfixed and you won’t know they’re there until you either lift the car up to inspect what’s beneath the frame with a borescope or until it causes your car to break down. You could find yourself driving home with a busted tail frame that’s been concealed from view, and an aftermarket windshield not approved by the OEM (original equipment manufacturer).

As Anderson Cooper made clear on CNN, there is widespread concern with shops pre-selected by insurance companies, because these shops are given strict terms and quotas when it comes to carrying out their repairs, which frequently prevent the job from being done properly.

Conversely, a shop recommended by a manufacturer or dealership must comply with factory specifications that prioritize quality and safety, something which according to the BAR, a repair facility is obligated to do.

This means that its repairmen must undergo proper training to be certified by I-CAR or ASE; it means that only manufacturer-approved parts will be used, and it means that the shop will have invested in state-of-the-art equipment.

So ask yourself, who is more likely to do a better job? A shop like Eli’s Collision Repair near Beverly Hills, certified by manufacturers and recommended by dealerships because it follows established standard operations, or a shop taking orders from the entity required to pay the bill?