If you have to have parts replaced when your car is repaired, it’s likely you’ll have a choice of parts: OEM, aftermarket, or salvaged. You may have heard the general difference: OEM is the exact part your car had when it was new, aftermarket parts are like off-brand replacement parts, and salvaged or recycled parts have been used on another car. In general, that’s true. But there is a little more to aftermarket parts than meets the eye. There are other names for aftermarket parts. You might hear aftermarket parts referred to as non-OEM parts, generic parts, or competitive replacement parts. S ..read more

After you’ve been in an accident, you have a lot going on. The last thing you need when you’re worried about getting your car repaired quickly, safely, and affordably is a bunch of confusing car insurance terms to work through! Check out our guide to auto insurance words you might hear in a collision repair shop. Act of God When something out of human control or influence happens (that damages a vehicle) it’s called an Act of God. Things like forest fires, tornadoes and other storms, earthquakes, floods, or a volcanic eruption fall into this category. Acts of God are generally covered under co ..read more

Your car has been to the collision shop, it’s been repaired, made to look new, and you’ve taken it home. If it had a new paint job, your body shop technicians were meticulous in ensuring that the new paint matched the old paint. Paint is tasked with protecting your car from rust, so it’s up to you to keep it in shape. Look for Flaws As with any repair, if you notice something isn’t right, say something as soon as possible. This goes for paint too! One of the hardest parts about painting a car after a repair is matching the original paint. Look at the color on a bright sunny day. Check up clos ..read more

So you’ve been in an accident, you’ve gotten estimates, selected your collision repair shop, and you’re ready to have your car back! Your repair technician brought up something called a pre and post collision diagnostic repair scan, but you’re not convinced it’s necessary. So, what do you need to know to make an informed decision? A diagnostic scan looks for errors in your car’s computer systems. A diagnostic scan looks at every computer system, sensor, or automatic feature in your car to make sure they’re working right. Today’s vehicles are full of so much technology that they often have hund ..read more

According to the CDC, car accidents are the number one cause of death and injury in children. AAA reports that when compared with seat belt use, using safety restraints specifically designed for children, like car seats, can reduce the risk of injury by up to 82 percent. The older a child is at the time of an accident, the less difference a child safety seat makes, but the difference is still significant up to certain heights and weights. To ensure your child is safe, safecar.gov recommends the following four steps: Find the right car seat based on age, weight, and height. There are four mai ..read more

Does your Auto Repair Shop Perform Pre and Post Repair Scans? When you take your car to a repair shop after it’s been in a collision, your repair technician should walk you through the repairs and have your approval before moving forward. Depending on your insurance policy, your insurance provider will also be made aware of the repairs to be performed and their cost. But, as a consumer, are you aware of the auto manufacturer requirements for safe repairs? Your repair technician and your insurance company should be. Currently, there is an industry-wide discussion over the need to scan vehicles ..read more

Chances are, if you’ve been in an accident or if your vehicle was vandalized or damaged by weather, you’ve been shopping around for repairs. You may have noticed that lots of the advice online recommends comparing estimates at different repair shops. But, if your car has the same damage, why would different repair shops give you different estimates? Which one should you trust? There are a lot of reasons an estimate may vary from shop to shop, and understanding what they are can help you make an educated decision about which shop should repair your car. The materials used can vary. Different sh ..read more

Car insurance is a legal requirement for drivers in most states, but understanding an auto insurance policy is not an easy task. It’s important to know what your coverage includes now whether you’re choosing a new policy or you have one that you’ve never (or rarely) used, before you’re in an accident, so we’ve put together a basic explanation to help you get started. Liability Coverage Generally, liability coverage is the minimum required insurance. It covers accidental damage to property or personal injury caused to an accident to the other party involved in a crash but not for you, your vehi ..read more

Car accidents are stressful at any time of the year, in any weather, no matter where you’re driving. But during the summer, with so many more drivers on the road, driving in unfamiliar places, an out of state car accident is much more likely! Do you know what to do when you’re in an accident out of state? Do you know if your insurance covers you when you’re out of state? What about finding a new auto repair shop, or visiting a doctor? Auto Insurance Check-Up Before you embark on a road trip, call your auto insurance company to verify that they cover you where you’re going. Most policies cover ..read more

Hopefully, repairing your car beyond general maintenance isn’t something you have to do too often, if at all. Car accidents can be serious, dangerous, and expensive. But, if you do have to repair your vehicle following a collision, these are three common and false ideas floating around that we’d like to clear up before you make any decisions. Myth #1: You have to use the body shop your insurance company selects. This is probably the biggest myth in the repair industry, and insurance companies may perpetuate it. You can choose to use a recommended repair shop, and you (and your insurance compan ..read more