What to look for after an auto body repair!

1. Find out what repairs were done.

Many times the body shop will explain the repairs to you before performing any work but this is not always the case. If you're not sure what was done to your car make sure and ask before paying your bill. It's best to have the shop show you the repairs that were done.

2. Has the car been cleaned?

Body shops are generally very dirty places. Any car that has been in a body shop should be washed and vacuumed.  Now this is just one small step of a good repair but generally a very important one.

3. The finer details.

There are several obvious signs of poor repairs that can be spotted if you know what you're looking for.

• First, look for even body gaps.
  The body gaps should be even and level from panel to panel.
• Second, look for color match.
  Does the area that was repaired appear to be a different color than the rest of the car?
• Third, look for imperfections in the clear coat.
  When looking closely at the paint you may see a small bump or dirt nib that won't come off.

Although these may seem minor to the average customer these are all signs of a poor repair. If any of these are found you should ask the body shop to fix these problems.

4. Check your lights and other electrical controls.

Now is a good time to make sure all your lights, blinkers and electrical components work. A non-working electrical component may be part of the accident or the repair. There may be odd cases where your car was hit in the front end and your rear blinker doesn't work. Even if this is the case it is still a good idea to have the repair shop check it out.

When it isn't fixed right.

Don't hesitate telling the body shop if you notice a problem. It's best not to get upset because this will only create added stress. Any reputable shop will want to take care of the problem and make your car right. My best advice leads back to an earlier article I wrote on "Tips on Choosing an Auto Body Repair Shop". I refer to this because a reputable shop will have fewer problems and when they do have problems they will go out of their way to make things right.