We wanted to address a common question we get from customers about, “What does Certified Repair mean?” Here is why you need to understand Certified Collision Repair or Certified Auto Body Repair after an accident.
With Federal CAFÉ standards and fuel economy rating continuing to go up, the automakers needed to change the way that they design and build vehicles. When that happened, the collision repairers otherwise known as body shops, need to change their approach to repairing these collision damaged vehicles. The problem is frankly, most didn’t change. Some of the issues are education.
Now, this is education from the repairer’s perspective and also the insurer’s perspective. Some insurers still believe you can repair new vehicles the same way as we did just five years ago. That is simply not true. Unfortunately, vehicles are being unsafely repaired at the expense of the consumer to simply save money.
Simply because some shops offer a lower cost does not make the repair better, or worse yet, it should cause a variety of questions to be asked:
- Why or how can another shop repair my vehicle cheaper?
- What will be different in their repair plan? Is it parts?
- Have they factored Aftermarket or Used parts?
- Have they changed the labor operations to not include required procedures from your manufacturer? How will this impact your resale value going forward?
- How will this affect you and your families’ safety in this vehicle both now and in the future?
These are all questions that you need to ask to make sure that you are receiving what you contractually agreed too with both your insurance company and your repair shop.
Most insurers and collision repair shops may not understand your vehicles design or the material composition. This can and will greatly affect the repair planning/estimate and the amount of time that it will take to repair. Stop by Dorn’s and talk with us about your concerns. You make your decision on who repairs your vehicle. Don’t let anyone push you to make a quick choice.
