How Do You Pick a Body Shop After an Accident?

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Whether you’re cruising through Santa Monica City to get some ocean views or heading to Beverly Hills to check out Rodeo Dr., being in an accident in Los Angeles (or anywhere) is a good way to ruin your day.

Whether you’re at fault or another person is at fault, the aftermath of an accident is stressful and leaves you with the burden of finding an auto body shop in Los Angeles or the surrounding area. How do you pick a body shop after an accident though? You may be tempted to go with the repair center your insurance company provides, but not just any repair shop can do the work. Most shops recommended by your trusted dealership will point you in the right direction of a shop that will follow your original manufacturer’s vehicle specifications. 

To avoid precarious repairs, it’s important to take the time to research and find a certified body shop near Carson or Pasadena that will repair your car properly. This will ensure your safety and the safety of your family. Read below for some tips on how to find a collision repair center near Beverly Hills and why you should avoid shops recommended by your insurer. 

How To Find A Certified Body Shop

Finding an auto body shop in Los Angeles or the South Bay area may seem like a daunting task, but it only requires a little research from your phone or computer! Downtown L.A. area drivers want a certified body shop that offers collision repair and provides body shop estimates. Read below to see what to do when researching for professional collision repair.

Reviews: Online reviews are a great way to tell what quality of work a collision repair center provides. However, you should take some reviews with a grain of salt. Many people don’t understand all the challenges that are involved in fixing a damaged car. Unless the reviews are all bad, a local auto body shop in Los Angeles is probably a good bet. If you have a good experience with a body shop, make sure to leave a review too! It will help the shop and help others get the repairs they need. 

Family & Friends: Asking your family and friends is also a great way to find a certified body shop – especially if they have a new driver. Insurance rates for new drivers are very expensive, and if they’re involved in an accident most families would rather visit a professional collision center and pay out of pocket rather than file a claim. These folks will know the certified body shops in town that will meet your needs and your budget.

Get Body Shop Estimates: When you’ve narrowed down your search to a few Mid Wilshire-area shops, contact them to get an estimate! You can compare their price with other body shop estimates to find the best deal for your budget. When you get an estimate you can also ask if they’re using new factory OEM parts, remanufactured parts, or used parts so you have a better idea of how your car will be repaired. 

Location: There are a variety of professional collision centers in the West L.A. area that drivers can take their vehicles to. However, rather than finding a chain repair center, it’s worth the time to find a local shop that will treat you as a welcomed guest and not just another customer. Local shops are more likely to be a certified body shop and they will be transparent with their repair processes.

Intuition: The best tool you have is your own intuition. If you get an estimate from a shop and you notice the shop is dirty and disorganized, or maybe the owner seemed annoyed by answering your questions, you’re under no obligation to take their services. Finding a shop that is welcoming, organized, and transparent will always be worth the extra time. Also, does the shop have certifications hanging on the wall? Eli’s technicians are not only ASE certified, but the shop is certified I-CAR Gold class and is able to work on various vehicle brands to the manufacturer’s specifications, leaving your car in its original condition.  

Questions To Before You Choose A Body Shop

When you visit a body shop to get an estimate, there are some questions you should ask to ensure your vehicle will be taken care of properly. Asking these questions will help you narrow down which shops are right for your needs and your budget, while also making sure that your vehicle will be repaired to its previous condition. 

Do they offer a lifetime warranty? – Most reputable body shops offer a lifetime warranty on their repairs, but in some cases isn’t transferable if you sell the car later on. The lifetime warranty should cover the work done to your vehicle’s mechanical parts. However, the warranty will most likely not cover structure, panels, bumpers, and or other impacted parts.

Do they have experience working on your type of car? – If you own an all-electric car, a hybrid model, or a luxury brand like a Porsche, you may need to find a specialized shop. Most Inglewood-area car shops have the ability to fix standard, gas-powered vehicles from major manufacturers, but it’s always worth asking if they have the ability and the expertise to repair a specialized model. At Eli’s, we’re not only certified to work across most luxury brands, but are also equipped to handle Audi, Porsche, Chevy electric vehicles.

How long have they been in business? – Finding a shop that has been in the area for at least five years shows that they have a good reputation and that they will most likely be around for a while. The auto-repair industry is a tough business to stay in, and shops that are struggling to establish themselves may disappear after your repair work is done. 

Is there a chance the estimated price will go up after repairs have started? – This will depend on how badly your vehicle is damaged. A minor dent or superficial body damage most likely won’t cause your repair costs to go up unexpectedly. However, an unfortunate reality is that your vehicle may have more damage than an initial inspection reveals. You’ll want the shop to do as thorough of an inspection as they can so you can plan your budget appropriately.

Why You Should Avoid DRPs

When you file an insurance claim after an accident in Echo Park, your insurer will most likely refer you to a DRP – or a Direct Repair Program. DRPs are shops that have a contract with an insurance company to do repairs on any vehicles that come in with a claim. While DRPs are pitched as the convenient option, you are under no obligation to choose them. In fact, there are many reasons why you should choose an auto body shop that’s recommended by a dealership instead of an insurance company:

• DRPs repair a vehicle the way your insurance company wants your vehicle repaired and not the way your car manufacturer requires your vehicle to be repaired. This can lead to parts being repaired when they should be replaced instead.
• DRP technicians are only allotted a certain amount of time to repair each vehicle, which means the repairs made could be fast, cheap solutions that are poor quality. This is a dangerous practice that could compromise your safety on El Segundo roads.
• DRPs often don’t follow the vehicle manufacturers protocol for repairs, which can cause your vehicle to break again from improper repair work.
• DRP technicians may not have all the necessary certifications to perform repair work properly.

Being in one accident is scary and stressful on its own, don’t risk being in another by choosing an uncertified and overworked DRP recommended by your insurer. Find a local Santa Monica auto body repair shop such as Eli’s as they will ensure your vehicle is repaired back to its manufacturer specifications according to the manufacturer repair guidelines and by using OEM parts.

Get An Estimate From Eli’s Collision Repair

A great way to find a local auto body shop in Los Angeles is to visit one of the Eli’s Collision Repair locations or through our dealership partners! Not only are we a certified body shop that offers professional collision repairs, but we’ve been in business for over 40 years! Get an estimate from our team today and leave your car repair in the hands of trusted and experienced professionals.