Auto Body Collision Repair – If you bought a new car, you can argue every time the car needs maintenance. Should you go to a dealer or an independent shop for repairs? The debate is constant among car owners, and it seems that half the people you ask swear by dealerships and the other half swear by independent shops. There are risks and benefits to both options, and which one you choose is entirely up to you.
The first question people often wonder is whether or not dealerships even do collision repair. Dealerships will always have their own service department with trained technicians to handle all different types of collision repairs for your make and model. However, some dealers will typically have 3rd party shops perform body repairs due to time and cost constraints.
Auto Body Collision Repair
Dealers are highly skilled at standard repairs, but when it comes to post-collision body work, they tend to focus more on the time it takes to repair the car than on repairing the car properly.
How To Choose An Auto Body Shop: A Comprehensive Guide
Most dealers do body work for the makes and models they sell. Some dealers will outsource this housing if they do not have the current capacity to complete it. Many dealers are under a lot of pressure to complete body work quickly. Service charges and repairs at dealerships are often based on the department’s estimate of how long it will take to repair the vehicle.
This encourages service departments at dealerships to complete repairs quickly. If a technician can complete a job quickly, within the estimated hours, the dealer makes a profit. As dealers’ margins are squeezed by online competitors (Carvana), increasingly informed consumers (Autotrader, TrueCar) and automakers, they’re trying to recoup those lost profits through their service departments.
Dealer technicians are often factory trained and are very familiar with the makes and models sold at the dealership. But are they better than an independent body shop? Not always. Independent body shop technicians often have the same factory training as dealership technicians and may be more experienced if they have been in the industry longer.
Working on a variety of makes and models at an independent body shop gives these technicians greater experience and technical know-how when repairing any vehicle. Body shops may also be certified as Collision Centers for specific makes and models, meaning they are independently certified by that vehicle manufacturer for repairs. For example, Subaru, Honda, Volkswagen and Tesla require special training and certification to complete some repairs.
Dealerships Vs Auto Body Repair Shops: Which Is Better?
Here are 3 main factors in deciding whether to take your vehicle to a collision repair shop or your local dealership:
When it comes to repair costs, independent shops beat dealers. On average, people who go to dealerships to have their cars repaired pay more for those repairs. Independent shops can help conscious car owners save money on needed repairs. However, people who go to dealers claim that while they charge more on average, the repairs are done by more experienced workers, which, as we’ve discussed, isn’t always the case.
Arguments go back and forth about the experience and knowledge of mechanics for both sides. However, one thing that cannot be disputed is that the employees at the dealership almost exclusively work with certain car brands, while independent auto repair shops work with a wider variety. Dealer mechanics may have more information about that particular vehicle and, in turn, can do a better job with that knowledge. However, it does not always guarantee that independent mechanics know less. Many independent stores around the United States have the blue seal of excellence, meaning they have passed several tests that confirm their status. They must also be recertified every few years.
While most garages have access to the parts required for your unique vehicle repair, some parts are more convenient for dealers because they focus on those specific makes and models. They focus more on special cars and only work on them, which means they know everything about special parts and their availability.
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While there are costs and benefits no matter where you go, it’s ultimately your personal choice where you take your car for repairs. Dealers may have more information about your particular vehicle, but independent shops may be cheaper. The key is to do your research and choose the one that is best for you before making any decisions.
If you’re in the Portland, OR area and need body work on your vehicle, consider choosing Mackin’s Auto Body to get your collision repair done right the first time. Our chain of 8 auto body shops has been serving the Portland community since 1945. Call us for a quote or read our thousands of reviews here.
Chris Roberts has been the Director of Operations at Mackin’s Auto Body since 2018. With a career in collision repair that began in 1999, Chris brings a wealth of experience and dedication to his role. Prior to his current role, he served as Assistant Manager of Operations at Mackin’s Auto Body from 2013-2017. Chris holds a BA from Northwest Nazarene University. When he’s not keeping things running smoothly at Mackin’s, you can find him skiing the snowy slopes, wake surfing on sunny days, or cheering on his daughter at soccer games.
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Auto Body Shop
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Many people never consider bringing their car to an auto body shop until they are involved in an accident and file a claim with their insurance company. It’s usually easy to work with both your insurance company and the auto body shop when you need auto body repair after an accident or damage from any incident that didn’t involve another driver.
Even if an independent body shop isn’t listed as one of your insurance provider’s “preferred” repair shops, you can usually bring your car to one like ours and still have most of the damage covered. We work with all insurance companies so if your car is damaged, bring it in and we’ll explain how we can help.
Complete Auto Body And Repair Shop Nc
We are an Idaho Falls auto body shop that has been in the auto body repair business for a very, very long time. A family owned and operated company in business in Idaho Falls for over 50 years, there’s a reason why people trust us as their one stop shop for auto body repair.
Call us at (208) 522-9099 if you are looking for a family owned and operated business to help you with your vehicle today. We look forward to hearing from you! When you’re in an accident, one of the first steps you can take to make it look like it never happened is to get a repair estimate. The truth is, this process can seem overwhelming and most people don’t know what to expect. We’re sure you’re imagining the worst, high dollar amounts and long wait times, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Let’s shed some light on the guesswork so that if you’re ever in an accident, every part of getting back to normal isn’t a hassle. It should also be noted that an assessment is not always necessary in certain special cases.
Before your actual meeting with an estimator, it’s tempting to turn to Google to ease your fears. Although there are several online auto repair evaluation tools, proceed with caution. While some of these may give you a rough estimate of what you can expect (and we really do mean rough estimates), you should by no means hang your hat on the costs you’re given through one of these tools. Only a professional estimator will be able to give you an estimate that accurately reflects the best course