When you take your Acura RDX to be repaired here in Statesville, you would expect by now, technicians would know the importance of following precisely what the car manufacturer says when repairing your car. They couldn’t possibly take any chances in the repair process, let alone cut any corners to save some time if that means your safety would be a risk…right?
Unfortunately, most body shops across the country will repair your car the way they have for years. They’ll get right to work on your car, ignoring whatever repair procedures Acura (or any car manufacturer, for that matter) releases, claiming their experience is more important than what the manufacturer says. The problem with that is your safety is at risk, materials change, specified tools are required, and cars are more complex than they have ever been.
At Statesville Collision Center, we make it a point to let Statesville drivers know about the various repair procedures for their car and what it means for their safety. We do this because we refuse to cut corners on the repair process, no matter the size of damage done to your car.
In this blog, we are going to discuss repair on the tailgate of the Acura RDX. Recently, Acura released new repair procedures on how to properly repair the tailgate of their 2019 RDX vehicles. There has been a significant change to this vehicle, and we want you to know what these changes are. That way, you can trust we at Statesville Collision Center know how to repair your Acura RDX the right way, no shortcuts allowed.
Tailgate Repair on the 2019 RDX
Back in 2018, Acura issued a statement that a new high-strength resin outer ‘skin’ on the tailgate of the 2019 RDX would replace the plastic and steel skin on the 2018 model. “This new construction method for Acura retains steel for the inner structural tailgate, maintaining the essential strength and security of the tailgate.”
According to Repairer Driven News, Acura is referring to the outer as “all-plastic.” This makes repair technicians believe it’s not a composite like resin with reinforcement fibers. According to the OEM from 2018, cutting steel out of the outer makes the vehicle 7.1 pounds lighter. That may not seem like a lot. However, it would allow the car to have a more flexible design.
What Technicians Must Do
As of 2019, auto repair technicians were given new OEM repair procedures for the 2019 RDX that require a large amount of masking. A shop “must ensure no paint is on areas that do not have base court applied by supplier” on the tailgate. Collision repairers are required to mask:
- The rear window opening
- The holes in spoiler area
- The holes in rear lid light areas
- The tailgate frame
- The license light areas
- The rearview camera
- The tailgate open switch
- The license plate holes
This is important to note because any shop that doesn’t check these repair procedures might not mask these areas and paint them instead. It is common practice to paint everything including these areas, though as you read above, that is not the way you would repair the RDX vehicle.
Sure, this might seem a bit excessive, especially if the damage is minor. What you may not realize is when any of these areas get painted on the new RDX, it can compromise the ability for the glass to seal properly and may even affect the backup camera and other sensors.
What does that mean for your Acura or Honda?
Due to the new construction method of the tailgate, this means new OEM repair procedures on how to properly repair it have been released for technicians to follow. Some repair shops might still refer to the prior 2013-2018 RDX repair procedures. However, as you read above, the very components making up the tailgate are entirely different from the 2018 model.
Steel is a very flexible material. Plastic is the same except once it’s formed a particular way; it can’t go back to its original shape.
The 2013-2018 repair procedures instructed shops to read “Resetting the Power Tailgate Control Unit.” This is now an out-of-date repair procedure for the 2019 Acura and Honda’s. Repairer Driven News states that a shop will need to be aware of what is and isn’t allowed when it comes to tailgate repair. The new tailgate’s “programmable power status coming standard might carry additional electronics requirements and considerations.” If an auto repair shop is repairing the tailgate on your Acura or Honda using the 2013 to 2018 repair procedures, they are doing more harm than good to your car.
So why are we telling you all of this?
North Carolina is filled with body shops, all promising they can “fix” your car, take your stress away, and give you a fast repair. The problem with that is these shops aren’t actually repairing your car the way they should, which is by looking up any updates to the repair procedures throughout the entire repair process.
We never approach a repair unless we know precisely what we are doing, per the manufacturer’s requirements, which is why we made it a point to get our Honda Acura ProFirst OEM Certification. This means you get your car repaired done exactly as Acura wants us to and you maintain your resale value, which we know is extremely important to drivers nowadays. Not every autobody shop is Honda Acura certified, but we at Statesville Collision Center are and we know we can give you the repair you deserve.
In addition, 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!
