If you’re trying to evaluate whether a body shop does quality work without cutting corners, Ian Shin recommends the bumper test.
Ask the shop to bend the bumper of a recently painted car. If the paint was applied properly—that is, with a primer that lets the paint withstand impact without cracking—they won’t hesitate.
“Some will,” says Mr. Shin, owner of Bryant Auto Body, “but usually they won’t. They’re afraid it will show inferior work.”
Many auto body shops use aftermarket parts, often on the instruction of an insurance company. It isn’t necessarily a problem, says Mr. Shin—except for bumpers. He believes car owners should insist on either a new bumper or a “remanufactured” one, which has virtually the same safety profile as a new one. Aftermarket bumpers, he warns, are more prone to shattering.
Bring your car to several shops if possible—or bring in photos if you can’t—and collect a few estimates. If one shop quotes a substantially lower figure than another, ask why. Then return to the first shop and invite them to either match the estimate or explain why they can’t.
Mr. Shin also recommends using a shop with a heated booth that promotes bonding, so the paint fuses more permanently to the chassis. It’s the same technology auto manufacturers use. Mr. Shin estimates fewer than half of all shops in San Francisco own heated booths.
If you have a shop in mind, ask for a tour, says Mr. Shin. Watch the repair work in progress. Observe the finish on completed vehicles and run your hand over the paint. If you don’t like what you’re seeing and feeling, don’t expect you’ll get anything different for your car.
