Costs Involved In Collision Repair
If you have been involved in a collision or are simply considering the possible consequences, knowing what types of costs are involved in an accident can help you decide how to proceed or prepare. Here are some of the typical expenses you will encounter.
Initial Inspection
After any accident, no matter how small, it's important to at least do an inspection to make sure there was no major damage. Changes to the structure of the vehicle may not always be apparent at first glance, but they can permanently affect the safety and handling of the vehicle. Likewise, an engine light may not always come on right away after a collision. A collision repair specialist at a shop like Fenza's Auto Body Inc. will be able to do an in-depth check of the most critical systems that are often damaged in a collision.
Repairing Damaged Parts
Your collision repair shop should give you a list of parts that need to be repaired, along with how urgent the repairs are. From there, you can create a plan for repairing damaged areas based on your budget and time constraints
Auto Body Repair
Auto body repair is often an optional cost. Dents and scratches bring down the value of the car, but they may not have a lot of mechanical bearing on the car unless they begin to cause rust. Get an opinion from your collision repair mechanic on whether auto body treatment is needed.
Preventative Care
Some mechanics will recommend that you do some preventative care and maintenance on the vehicle to prevent a repeat accident. For instance, if the accident was caused by brakes that weren't strong enough, your mechanic might want to replace the parts or even put in ceramic brake pads.
Rental Vehicle
Renting a vehicle for the week, or however long your car is in the shop, is an expense that many car owners neglect to factor in when they're considering their total repair costs. See if you can find a shop that has loaner vehicles or shuttles available.
Financing Costs
If you need to take out loans or credit to finance your repairs, don't forget to factor those financing charges into the amount.
Getting Good Auto Insurance Coverage Can Save You
As you can see, the costs of a good collision repair can quickly add up. It's a great idea to get collision auto insurance added to your policy to protect you from these additional charges. Depending on your insurance carrier, they may reimburse you for both the costs incurred when repairing your vehicle and the temporary rental costs to keep your transportation options available.
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