Car repair. We all need it at some time in our life, no matter what it’s for. It can easily be one of the most stressful experiences in someone’s life, especially if they don’t know what to expect during the repair process. Questions like, “how much will the repair cost?” and “how long will the repair take?” are what body shops are often asked by inquiring customers.
Regardless of what your question might be, you’d expect that a body shop would give you the best repair for your car. It seems like more body shop would be performing higher quality repairs, especially with how advanced cars have gotten in recent years, right?
Unfortunately, people across the country are victims are bad collision repair every day. They typically not until you’ve left the shop where you notice that your car isn’t running the way you’d expect. It might not even be something you can see, but rather an internal problem that came as a result of this poor service.
Perhaps you haven’t even had your car repaired yet and you simply want to know the signs of bad collision repair. Whatever the case may be, we at Statesville Collision Center are here to help North Carolina drivers throughout the repair process.
Although most states do not require technicians to be licensed to operate on a car, it is the shop’s responsibility to pay for the technician’s training in collision repair. The best body shops have highly trained technicians capable of performing any repair that comes into the shop. These shop owners know the importance of their technicians being trained and never take any short cuts in the repair process. Reassuring answers mean nothing if you pick up your car and notice it’s not the same. A good repair will have your car looking, feeling, and driving as if it was brand new.
What Are The Signs?
Below, you’ll find a list of what you need to check once you pick up your vehicle. They are a combination of things to test, listen, and look for in your repaired vehicle. Check them out:
Test to make sure:
- The steering feels normal (not “gravelly” or “choppy” when you turn the wheel).
- The car drives straight even when you take your hands off the wheel momentarily
- The brakes work properly and stop in a straight line (no pulling to one side or another).
- There’s no delay in the handling through turns, and it’s responding normally
- Electronic accessories work
Listen for:
- Unusual noises such as whistling or roaring from the wind, whining, or grating
Look:
- The paint looks different than other parts on the car and in different lighting settings
- Water leaks (which can lead to corrosion to the body structure and interior damage)
- Gaps between body panels
- Bumper is misaligned
- The doors, hood, and lift gate open and close smoothly
- No warning lights illuminated on the dashboard
- Headlights, brake lights, and blinkers work properly
- Uneven gaps between body panels
- Distance between tire and fender is the same on both sides of the car
In addition, your car must be returned to you cleaned. Believe it or not, a car that isn’t washed when it’s being repaired is a sign of bad repair. This is because your car is bound to get dirty once it is in the service bay. A quality body shop will not only repair your vehicle properly but will also return it to you looking brand new.
What to do if you suspect that you have received improper collision repair?
If you believe you’ve received improper collision repair, you are not alone. You can request what’s known as a, “post-repair inspection (PRI).” This may be an out of pocket expense at first (typically just a couple hundred dollars). However, if you’ve received bad repair and it’s proven so with documentation from a qualified auto body shop or appraiser, your Insurance company could get involved. They would then deal with the body shop that gave you the bad service and the right steps will take place.
Because of how often people are bad collision repair victims, more body shops are offering providing this documentation as a service. It might take a while to get a resolution, but the end results will be worth it. Your safety is at stake with a bad repair, along with anyone else who rides in your car. You simply can’t put a price tag on safety, which is why it’s critical you get your car repaired somewhere that puts your safety as the top priority.
Where In North Carolina Can I Get Proper Car Repair?
Here at Statesville Collision Center, we are committed to providing North Carolina drivers with the highest level of collision repair they deserve. We get people coming into our shop all the time who have been victims of bad collision repair who know we are a shop they can trust. We have invested in our technician’s training because we believe a safe repair is the only way to go.
Our technicians are all I-CAR Gold Class certified, which only about 10% of auto repair shops achieve. 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’re more than happy to help out! We offer these on our website to make the car repair process as stress-free as possible!
We look forward to hearing from you!
