How Long Should Collision Repairs Take?

After an accident, big or small, a common question we hear at the shop is, “how long will this repair take?” In theory, this question seems like it should be simple to answer, but in practice, even “small” repairs have lots of variables to take into account- all of which influence the time it takes for the repair to be completed.

For example, a bumper repair seems like a simple operation that any shop could easily do, right? Again, this is true in theory, but in practice, even a bumper repair has many variables to take into account.

The technician will need to assess the full extent of the damages. Sometimes, the issue is as simple as removing and repairing or replacing the bumper along with any other external parts on the bumper. In other instances, the type of bumper required for that particular car model might be out of stock at the dealership, so the replacement might take longer.

There are also cases in which the technician sees that other components underneath the number have been damaged as well, which means a more extensive repair is in order.

Once a repair facility knows exactly what needs to be fixed, negotiations begin with the insurance companies footing the bill. The repair facility essentially has to prove to the insurance company which parts and procedures are necessary. Issues may arise if an insurance company wants to cut corners and enforce the use of inferior parts. Shops certified by the manufacturers should only be using parts from the Original Equipment Manufacturer. So there may be some back and forth there.

Finally, the car would have to be re-calibrated if the bumper cover has options such as a lane departure warning system, park distance control, and cameras.

As you can now see, a bumper replacement that “should” to take 1-3 days in the past, could drag on for much longer.

Now let’s take a deeper dive into the factors that influence how long a collision repair takes at a shop that follows the manufacturer’s specifications to ensure the job is done right:

Factors That Influence How Long A Car Repair Will Take:

• Part Availability
• Type of Repair
• Technology
• Insurance Company Cooperation

1. Part Availability

Whether or not the OEM parts necessary to complete the repair are readily available plays a huge factor in how long the repair will take. Acquiring the correct parts can sometimes take weeks for the following reasons:

1. Specialty parts are not in high demand and therefore, they are not readily available.
   • Structural parts such as frame rails and extensions or rocker panels, etc.
   • Certain attachment parts such as clips and brackets that mount simple parts such as headlamps and brackets to the car.
2. Exclusive and rare cars will have less part availability compared to high volume cars such as Civics, camrys, excetera.
3. Manufacturer production issues or holidays can stall even the simplest parts due stalls in production and distribution.

2. The Type of Repair:

The type of repair a car needs has a great influence on the length of time the repair will take. Here is a list of common types of repairs and how they influence the length of repair:

A Simple Scratch

Even a simple scratch can take a varying amount of time, depending on which body panel has been damaged. For example, repairing a scratch on a door may take longer than repairing a scratch on a bumper, roof or hood. This time difference can be related to a problem called “paint over-spray.”
Paint overspray is small flakes of paint that attach to unwanted parts of a car. It is caused when certain parts of a car are not removed or covered properly such as side moldings, headlamps or fixed glass parts. Since covering a part is not a guarantee to avoid paint overspray, removing the parts is usually the recommended procedure for a proper repair. For example, the rear bumper cover, tail lamp and fixed quarter glass are required to be removed when painting a rear side panel.

Body panel repair or replacement

If you have to replace a door shell, you’re talking about many different pieces that have to be transferred to the new door. The door shell doesn’t come painted, corrosion proofed, sealed, or fitted, which results in more required labor operations that go beyond a simple repair.

Structural repair vs. replacement

A repair for a frame rail, rear body structural panel, or radiator support requires a frame machine and specialty fixtures to ensure that the car is measured properly. In order to mount a car on the frame machine, the following must be accomplished:

1. Certain suspension/engine/ electrical parts will need to be removed in order to properly fit it on the frame machine.
2. Specialty fixtures are used to attach the car to the frame machine. Fixtures are fixed cast molds that fit on to the vehicle at appropriate points to make sure the car’s weight is evenly distributed on the frame machine.

Color

Even though paint formulas are available to body shops, the formula must be adjusted to match the car being repaired. Since the car’s paint has been exposed to sunlight or other elements, the original color has changed. Therefore, the body shop has to adjust the paint formula to match the new color of the car. The more complicated the color such as metallics, pearls and mattes, the more difficult the color match will be and therefore, it will require more time for a proper paint color match.

3. Technology

Every day, new technology is being added to the cars we drive. Although this makes our driving experience better and safer, new technology can make repairs take much longer than they took before. Here are some examples of how high tech options and specialty metals and materials influence the length of time it takes for a car repair:

High Tech options.

Repairing or replacing a rear bumper on a car with high tech options will require the car to be re-calibrated with expensive and specialty equipment. If not, your car may not operate properly after the repair. Examples of high tech options that require recalibration that are on many cars now are noted below:

• park distance control sensors
• rear view cameras
• lane changing warning systems

Special Metals and Materials

Many new cars have specialty metals and materials that require special equipment, training, and need to be repaired by technicians who have high skill and experience. Metals and materials such as high-strength steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber call for a range of highly specialized equipment and training the shop must invest in. Many shops don’t have the resources to do so, which is why you need to go to a shop that is properly equipped. Examples of cars that require special equipment and training are noted below:

1. Audi aluminum frame cars such as the Audi A8, TT, or R8’s
2. Audi hybrid construction cars which include the rest of their models
3. Porsche 911’s and Panameras
4. Mercedes Benz aluminum frame cars such as the SL, Maybach and all of the AMG models.
5. Toyota hybrids and hydrogen cell cars.
6. Cadillac CT6 aluminum structural cars.
7. Chevrolet Corvettes

and many more…

4. Insurance Company Cooperation

Now we get to the most complicated part of determining how long a collision repair should take, which is insurance company cooperation.

We can factor in variables such as part availability, the equipment required, and the duration of the labor performed, but things change once we add the insurance company cooperation factor. Some insurance companies are more cooperative than others. Compare AAA, Mercury, and Travelers to fly-by-night insurers such as The General, Infinity, Adriana’s Insurance, etc; the former is much easier to work with than the latter.

Insurance companies often attempt to use parts that are inferior such as aftermarket, recycled or remanufactured parts. This process can cause many delays as repair facilities have to go through insurance red-tape bureaucracy to prove the obvious.

1. New and original car manufacturer parts are superior to aftermarket, used or repaired/remanufactured parts.
2. Using cost-cutting procedures in lieu of the manufacturer’s recommended operations saves money for insurance companies but, they reduce the quality of the repair and lower the value of the vehicle.

Some insurance companies are not very responsive. Insurance companies cause further delays by not coming to inspect more damage in a timely manner. There have been situations when insurance companies have taken several days and even weeks to come to re-inspect more damage that was discovered.

Insurance companies might give inaccurate appraisals which result in more inspections and further delays. In other words, some carriers try and pay the shop less than required, which results in delays because the said shop has to call them back out to remind them what the correct pricing is. There’s no dispute here, there’s a set price for parts and labor when following a manufacturer’s specifications. So if the carrier skimps on the bill, a shop has to make out the proper bill again, all the while the customer is still waiting for the repair to be complete.

Conclusion

In the end, the most important factor to take into account when asking how long a collision repair should take is the quality of the repair. As opposed to a subpar repair, to carry out top-notch work, a body shop must follow the guidelines set out by the manufacturer in order to return the car to its pre-accident conditions. This entails the use of the right kinds of parts and materials, their availability at any given time, the equipment used at the shop, the labor itself, and above all, the degree to which a carrier is willing to cooperate. Together, these variables determine how much time is required to perform a quality collision repair