If you or someone you know drives a Honda or Acura, listen up. This post is for you. Car manufacturers like Honda and Acura will release new position statements for technicians to follow regarding specific repair procedures on their vehicles. They do this to ensure your car is repaired with only the highest level of quality and that your car is able to protect you with the same level of safety it was originally designed with.
If a body shop chooses to ignore these position statements and repair your car solely based on “experience,” your safety will be severely compromised. We at Statesville Collision Center are always looking up what the manufacturer has to say because your safety is our top priority.
When it comes to repairing any Honda or Acura that comes into our shop, Honda insists on for any of its cars is they get a diagnostic scan before and after any repairs are made. This is important because not all body shops know to take this step, but here at Statesville Collision Center, we know how vital this step is in the repair process.
Diagnostic scans are an important part of the repair process because, as the position statement states, just because the car isn’t illuminating different lights on the dash, it doesn’t mean it’s free from problems. You could have damaged components or non-functioning safety equipment, but it wouldn’t be detectable without scanning. Honda reserves the dash warning indicators for vehicle information for the driver, and are not designed to alert a technician to a fault code.
One example of this could be the airbag control module. It there is a fault code in the airbag control, it may not be visibly noticeable with warning lights, which is where scanning comes in.
Here are Honda’s exact words on scanning:
It is the position of American Honda that all vehicles* involved in a collision† must have the following minimum diagnostic scans, inspections, and/or calibrations done to avoid improper repair:
• A preliminary diagnostic scan during the repair estimation phase to determine what diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) may be present, so proper repairs may be included.
- A post-repair diagnostic scan to confirm that no DTCs remain.
- Any repair that requires disconnection of electrical components to perform the repair will need a post-repair diagnostic scan to verify if the component is reconnected correctly and functioning.
- Damage that requires the replacement of body parts will always require a post-repair diagnostic scan.
Honda model years impacted by this position statement
According to Honda, this requirement for pre- and post-repair scanning is true of all Honda and Acura vehicles dating back to the mid-90s and even some as far back as 1992. Honda states that some systems will require inspections, calibration, and/or aiming after a collision or other body repairs have been made. We list those systems below.
When a technician hooks up a scanner to your car’s diagnostic port, several codes appear, known as Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC for short). These codes give the technician an idea of where to begin the repair.
Honda’s position on recalibrations:
As mentioned above, Honda also states that some systems within the vehicle will require inspections, calibration, and/or aiming after a collision or other body repairs have been made. Honda has a list of safety systems and features that must be re-calibrated after collision repairs are made. These include:
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
- Collision Mitigation Braking SystemTM (CMBSTM)
- Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
- Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)
- Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)
- Blind Spot Information (BSI)
- LaneWatchTM (Honda Only)
- Multi-View Camera System (MVCS – Acura Only)
What this means is that any of these systems will require a scan and a complete recalibration to ensure they are working properly. This process is pretty lengthy and could require a trip to the dealer. In cases where this is needed, we handle that for you as part of the repair process. This would show up as “dealer recalibration” in your estimate.
Honda’s rule on scanning software:
Honda went a step further and limited the scanning software that is allowed to scan a vehicle to Honda’s i-HDS software. What this means is that any old scanner will not work and it is one more investment a shop needs to make, or risks putting their customer’s lives at risk by not being able to pull up a hidden trouble code.
So, what does all this mean for North Carolina Honda owners, specifically?
Most likely, you or someone you know drives a Honda or Acura. After all, Honda was the best-selling car and lightweight truck model across the world in 2018. No matter the size of the damage, it’s critical to take it to a shop that has all the right tools and equipment to be able to accurately perform this type of repair and not neglect any additional repairs that your car might need. The best option would be to take it to a Honda Acura ProFirst Certified OEM repair shop in North Carolina.
Who In North Carolina Can Repair My Honda/Acura The Right Way?
We at Statesville Collision Center are proud to be OEM certified in multiple vehicle brands, including having our Honda Acura ProFirst OEM Certification. Collision repair requires a specific skill set to bring your car back to pre-accident condition and the way the manufacturer would want.
We also are among the 10% of body shops in the country that are I-CAR Gold Class Trained. We care about our technicians receiving the highest level of training possible so you can provide you with the quality repair that you deserve.
Feel free to give us a call at (704)-881-0410. If you’d like to schedule an appointment 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! Just click any of the buttons below to get started!
We look forward to hearing from you!
