What to check when receiving your car from a body shop in Tucson

  

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What should I look for when picking up my car from a body shop in Tucson Arizona?

Question: I am getting my car back today from the collision repair shop. That being said I just wanted to know if I should be looking for anything specific to tell if the repairs are of high quality. Any suggestions would help greatly, thanks!

Answer:

1.     Color match- First check for a good automotive paint color match. Take the vehicle out into the sun, and if possible try to get a look at the repair under some type of fluorescent lighting. The sun will change what you see depending on the time of day and may affect the color shift, but a man made light source can sometimes pick up issues. Also paint can sometimes match in the shop but look different in the sun.

2.     Panel Gaps- Make sure the gaps between the panels are even and uniform and match the rest of the vehicle. Manufacturers make vehicles with very tight panel gaps these days and a misalignment could be the result of a poorly fitting panel if it has been replaced.

3.     Sloppy over spray- Check for  over spray in the jambs and on the trim around the area that was repaired. over spray in these areas are a result of sloppy masking and poor craftsmanship on behalf of the shop. Over spray can look like a fogged area or an overly shiny are where it doesn’t belong such as on the black plastic areas. Some shoddy body shops will not mask mufflers and paint right over them.

4.     Proper function- All the panels that were repaired (hood, doors, etc.) should open and close smoothly. You should not be getting any error codes such as the airbag light coming on. All of your wipers and turn signals, power window and lock switches should all work properly.

5.     Drivability-  The car should drive, ride, and sound just as it did before the accident. Listen for any rattles, or squeaks that may be present. Often times these little issues can be resolved. Sometimes the vehicle just needs to be driven for a little while to let the new panels settle in.

6.     Headlight Aim- If the headlights were replaced, make sure they don't shake and wiggle when driving at night.

7.     No tire wear- Dive the car for a few weeks and note any tire wear. If the vehicle is out of alignment you might not even feel it, but it will not take long to begin to see the tell tale signs of tire wear on the edges of the tire. If you do see issues return the car to the shop and ask to have the alignment checked.

8.     VIN stickers, Under-hood decals- Replacement parts do not come with these because most panels will need to be re-sprayed to match your vehicle. A good shop will replace these decals as part of the repair, shops looking to cut corners will not. If you ever want to resell the vehicle, this is a dead give away that the vehicle has had a major repair if these decals are missing.

Most body shops want to do the best repairs possible,however technician's skills vary considerably. So choose a shop you trust and it never hurts to double check. A good shop will always warranty the work they performed.