why is your check engine light on?

No one walks out of their home in the morning or work in the afternoon and expects to be involved in a vehicle accidents. Collisions just happen, and they often happen when you least expect them to. If you have been an unfortunate victim of an accident and your vehicle has suffered damage that requires repair, then it is going to need a visit to an auto painting and  body repair shop. To ensure your vehicle is fixed properly, here are a few things that you need to know:

1. You Have the Right to Work with Any Body Center

Your insurance company is going to refer you to a particular body shop or give you a list of collision centers that you are "allowed" to use. Most of the shops on this list are generally legitimate and will perform quality repairs. Unfortunately, there are sometimes a few scattered in there that don't mind cutting corners whenever necessary to get vehicles out the door.

When they provide you this list, the insurance company doesn't tell you that you have the final say in who your vehicle goes to. So, prior to deciding which repair shop that is, talk to your friends, family members and colleagues, and get online and do your research. Make sure that you aren't choosing a shady collision center to do business with.

2. Get Multiple Estimates

After you get one estimate from one auto body repair shop, don't stop there. While that shop may be legitimate and trustworthy, you just never know. You may be able to find another shop in the vicinity that can offer the same type of work at a more affordable price.

When getting your multiple estimates, make sure that you don't just stick with one type of business, such as a dealership. Instead, get them from everyone: dealerships, chain outlets, and independent repair shops. Also, don't just find out how much it will cost for the repairs, get an estimate on the timeframe for the work as well so you know how long you will be out of a vehicle.

3. Be Wary of Collision Centers That Utilize Aftermarket Parts

When you visit the auto body shop, you need to make sure that you speak to someone about the type of parts that are used on vehicles. Each collision center will be different. Some will use new, original parts, while others will utilize used parts. Then, some will use aftermarket parts.

New, original parts are always best. However, used parts are typically made by the manufacturer of your vehicle and will perform just as well. The kicker is with aftermarket parts. These parts are not made of high-quality materials and can often rattle, corrode and potentially reduce the overall value of your vehicle.

4. Find Out If the Shop Has a Paint Color Matching Guarantee

While it is important that you have a vehicle that is operating on the road again, you also want to ensure that it looks great again. After all, you have probably seen vehicles on the road with mismatched paint, and it isn't pretty. This is why you want to ensure that the paint matches.

The best way to ensure that the paint matches on your repaired vehicle is to find out if the collision center you are working with has a color matching guarantee. If they do, they will use your vehicle's information to get the exact mix that the manufacturer used when making your car. This ensures that the paint will match exactly.