If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering how long will your repair take? You might also be wondering how long you’re going to be without your car and in the rental car you’re currently driving? It’s understandable that you have these questions, and we at Statesville Collision Center are here to answer them for you.
The collision industry will track anything that has to do with car repair. Insurance companies across the nation will measure everything from the time involved to average costs for repairs. One of the biggest things they’ll track is something called, “length of rental,” or LOR for short.
Recently, the length of rental average has increased to 12 days and it could possibly increase even more should repair technicians not properly adapt to these changes in auto repair. The biggest reason why these repairs take longer is because of the technology and sensors that require recalibration in the repair process. This takes time and time is money.
Average Car Repair Duration
Below you’ll see a list of various auto repairs and the average amount of time it takes to perform the repair. One word to become familiar with is “cycle time,” which refers to how long it takes to repair your car. The durations listed below are not 100% accurate, but they are very close and can provide you with a basic idea of what to expect when taking your car to be repaired here in North Carolina:
Windshield Replacement: 1 day
Bumper repair/replacement: 1 day
Minor Auto Body Work: 1-2 days
Paint Repair: 1-2 days
Internal parts replacement: 1-2 weeks
Extensive damage to multiple parts (if not deemed a total loss): over 30 days
Length Of Rental (LOR) Explained
There are quite a few reasons as to why the length of rental is now just shy of two weeks, no matter where you get your car repaired. While some repairs may only take a couple of days, more significant repairs can take over a week. However, the LOR is not based on the repair time. Length of rental also includes the time required for insurance adjusters to view the vehicle and approve any repairs that need to be done to your car. This is known as “claims frequency.” We’ll get to that below.
Some auto body shops might feel pressure from insurance companies to perform faster repairs to minimize the LOR. This can create a severe problem as some repair shops might cut corners to “save time.”
Why Some Auto Body Shops Cut Corners
When we talk about auto body shops cutting corners in the repair process, what exactly does this mean? And what can you expect when it comes to repairing your vehicle?
The best way to put it is to image your insurance company has two faces. They know what an inconvenience it is for you to be without your car and want your vehicle repaired as quickly as possible. They are advocating on your behalf, being your voice to the body shop. On the other hand, or the second face, they want to spend the least amount of money possible in the repair process. This means technicians could use repair parts that can cause more harm than good to your car because they are unaware of the complexity of today’s advanced vehicles.
That said, not all auto body shops are created equally. In fact, it is entirely possible for a body shop to perform a fast repair and do the best job for your car. Though, most body shops that feel pressured by insurance companies to perform fast repairs will cut corners.
Other Factors To Increased Length of Rental
Two other factors that can increase the length of rental have to do with repair complexity and claims frequency. Because of the complexity of car repair nowadays, technicians need extensive training to know how to repair a car properly following OEM repair procedures. These are the repair guidelines your car’s manufacturer releases that tells a technician exactly how to repair your vehicle make and model.
In addition, most modern-day vehicles come standard with advanced driving features, known as ADAS. The ADAS features in your car include blind-spot detection, lane departure assist, forward collision warning, and much more. Repairing these is very complex and can require recalibration at the dealer, which also means a tow to and from the auto body shop. This can add time to the repair process.
Claims frequency is based on how often insurance adjusters have to calculate the repair estimate. Very rarely will the initial estimate be total repair bill, which why adjusters will frequently return to the shop to approve any repairs. There can be some resistance from the insurance company paying for specific repair procedures, which can delay the actual repair process. When this happens, the LOR increases more and more.
Who In North Carolina Can Repair My Car?
We at Statesville Collision Center are here to help you in North Carolina with any of your auto repair needs. We are in 10% of auto repair shops to achieve Gold Class status. This means that our technicians have received the highest level of training and know what it means to repair your car the right way. We are always checking OEM repair procedures and know what it takes to give you the best possible repair out there!
Our motto is, “we may not be related, but you’ll feel like we’re family!” This is because we genuinely care about North Carolina drivers receiving the highest level of repair possible for their vehicle.
Feel free to give us a call at (704)-881-0410. If you’d like to schedule an estimate or get an online quote, we can provide that for you as well!
We look forward to hearing from you!
