Most of the customers we surveyed rated their auto body shops high for service quality, but some didn’t fare as well as others. Some shops were rated “superior” for “overall quality” by more than 95 percent of their surveyed customers, while others were rated “superior” by fewer than 65 percent.
The best body shops not only do great work but also employ staff who can explain and justify exactly what needs to be done. If you will be dealing with an insurance company, an articulate representative at the body shop will be the key to getting all the work you need performed and paid for.
If there is even a possibility of serious damage to your car, take it to a shop that rates high for quality, and have the insurer send its estimator there. That shop will provide a better evaluation of the damage than an insurance company drive-in appraisal center, and will then serve as your advocate in dealings with the insurance company.
Since most repairs are paid for by insurance companies, most customers consider price less important than quality. The consumer is usually concerned only that the prices are acceptable to the insurer. If the customer is paying for the work, however, price is an important consideration—and we found big shop-to-shop price differences. Once you have an estimate from a shop, use the work order to collect prices from others to make sure you don’t overpay.
Also, if you’re paying for the work, carefully review estimates line by line before granting approval for the shop to begin work. Our undercover shoppers collected more than 100 estimates from shops for simple repairs and found some added unnecessary costs, such as replacing undamaged parts, charging an hour of labor for a post-repair test drive for a simple trunk lid replacement, and even a car wash.
Check your car thoroughly before taking it home from the shop. Look and feel whether repaired surfaces are smooth and paint has the proper gloss and color. Take a test drive if the damage was substantial. The car should function as it did before the accident.
