How Auto Body Shops Decide to Repair or Replace a part. Part 1

There are nearly 400 auto accidents every day in San Antonio. With each accident Auto Body and Paint shops all over the city are left to decide whether a part on a car should be repaired or replaced. Sometimes the auto body shop is told what to do by the insurance company. However, more often than not it is the auto body and paint shop technicians who decide what is best based on each individual repair.  After an accident, there are four possible outcomes for your car’s collision repair. Over the next few weeks, we will break each down for you.

The first option depends on the value of your car compared to how much damage your vehicle will cost to repair. Depending on your insurance carrier, if your vehicle sustains damage equal to as little as 70% to 80% of your vehicles value it may be declared a total loss. This means the insurance carrier feels it is better to pay you for your car and sell it for parts than to pay for your car to be repaired.

Your vehicle does not have to be involved in an auto accident to be considered a total loss. One of the most common causes of declaring a vehicle a total loss is Hail damage. In those cases, several small dings can be worse than one large one.  If your vehicle is a deemed a total loss that does not always mean it is gone. You can arrange to keep your vehicle with your insurance company with what is called a salvage title.  You are usually unable to get collision or comprehensive coverage on these vehicles.

Next week we’ll discuss how an auto body and paint shop handles damage that is repairable. If you are in need of a quality San Antonio auto body shop, stop by Miracle Body and Paint and let us show you how much money we can save you on your deductible.