After a collision, many people will want to do as much as they can to get their car back on the road as quickly as possible. However, it can be hard to differentiate what’s safe to do on your own, and what auto repair technicians should be taking care of.
Vehicles are complex machines with the potential to fail if just one thing isn’t taken care of properly. Without sacrificing safety, we’ve outlined what you can do before visiting a collision repair centre to make the whole process more efficient—and what you should leave to the collision repair centre.
What you should avoid doing
Don’t assume you’ve found everything wrong with the vehicle
It might be easy to take a walk around and spot the scrapes, dents, and breaks, but this doesn’t provide an accurate diagnosis of what’s going on inside the vehicle. Even if you try driving the vehicle and notice it’s pulling to one side, the drive is bumpy, or lots of dashboard lights are on, that still doesn’t give you enough information to know exactly what needs to be repaired.
The worst case scenario is if you feel you know what’s wrong with the vehicle and you ensure the technicians don’t even look for any other damage. This means they won’t spot dangerous changes to the vehicle and won’t be able to advise you on how to move forward.
If it’s a matter of budget, and not everything can be addressed at once, that’s fine. Just don’t assume that after a collision there’s only one thing to fix to make the whole car drive properly again.
Don’t try to fix things independently unless you’re a certified mechanic
While there are minor things you could fix on your own, like the rubber piece misaligning with the windshield wiper, or perhaps scrapes in the paint, there are many things that shouldn’t be dealt with unless you have the proper tools and experience. Fixing something incorrectly will only lead to further problems with the car.
For more complex problems that go beyond the superficial, visit a collision repair centre so a well-equipped technician can look over the car and fix it with the proper equipment. This will also be a faster and safer option.
Don’t ignore the problem and continue to drive the vehicle
Unless the vehicle is safe enough to drive just to get to the collision centre for auto repairs, don’t drive it. Even if it’s still functioning and doesn’t feel too rough, continuous driving will wear away at whatever damage has already been done.
Vehicle frames need to be perfectly balanced and coordinated for everything to work together unencumbered. When something is out of place or warped, that extra stress affects the rest of the vehicle and will eventually become worse. Not only is this bad for the vehicle, but it’s also a matter of safety.
What you can do before visiting a collision repair centre
Now that you know what to avoid, here are the things in your control to create a faster, more efficient, and more satisfactory auto repair experience.
1. Clean the vehicle
Don’t worry about there being dirt or splatter on the outside of your vehicle; that won’t affect how technicians can inspect and repair your vehicle. Take a look at the interior of the vehicle and make sure clutter won’t get in the way of repairs. Take out the garbage, take out car seats, move bags, etc.
Even if it’s not clutter and it’s simply a backup blanket in the backseat, consider moving it out of the vehicle as long as repairs are being done. This way technicians won’t have to work around what’s in the car and move things.
2. Understand the damage
Part of the auto repair process is a vehicle inspection so the technician can outline what needs to be repaired and what the priorities should be. For example, if the vehicle has a dent as well as a warped frame, the frame will take priority, and the dent can be addressed later if needed.
This is the time to go over the damage to the vehicle with the technician and fully understand the implications. Know what needs to be repaired first, what can be postponed, how long repairs will take, and if the car can still be driven.
3. Get an estimate
A conversation about the damage to the vehicle will lead to an estimate. The estimate can either be everything the technician finds, broken up into parts, or, if budget is a concern, the estimate can be altered by focusing on the priorities.
These steps are up to you because it’s your car, your money, and your time. Simplicity Car Care technicians are happy to walk you through the estimate and damages for the clearest understanding so you can make a decision you’re happy with.
Questions to ask and research to do
These steps will be easier to navigate having asked certain questions and done research. Here’s the knowledge you should equip yourself with to make smart decisions.
1. How long has the company been in business?
This could affect the experience and knowledge of the technicians. Know that Simplicity
Car Care is a franchise and creates opportunities for other auto repair shops to learn and grow at a faster rate.
2. Does the collision repair centre have the necessary licenses?
This will determine whether they have the right tools and permission to do the work they do.
3. Is there an available towing service?
This could make your auto repair process easier if the car can’t be driven and if you want to keep towing and repairing within the same company.
4. What do customer reviews and testimonials say about the company?
Customers are a transparent way of finding out how the business operates and whether others have been satisfied with the service.
5. How easy is it to communicate with the technicians?
Consider whether they’re easy to reach, what others have said about them, and if they’re clear with their information and happy to communicate with you when you have questions.
6. Is there a location close to you?
In terms of convenience, this is important. You don’t want to be driving across the city in a damaged car or finding a ride if the car isn’t available to you.
7. Does the repair timeline make sense to you?
The collision repair centre should be doing its best to repair the car properly and get it back to you quickly. Is that possible or does the timeline seem too extreme?
8. Does the collision repair centre offer other services?
This might be convenient (let alone necessary) if the car is already being repaired there. If there are other needs or even other services you’ve wanted to get out of the way regardless, a collision repair centre that offers multiple services can be quite helpful when resetting a car.
Simplicity Car Care gets its name from our strive to make car care simple. If you’ve been in a collision and need to repair your car, our franchise is an environment to ask questions, communicate clearly, and get the results you’re looking for. Find a location near you and book an appointment.
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