Car repair is one of the most stressful times a person can experience. Not only are you without your car, but you don’t know who to trust and where to get your car repaired that has safety and quality as the top priorities. If it’s been a while since you got your car repaired, there have been significant changes even over the past couple of years. The advancements in car safety technologies have made car repair incredibly complex and only able to be performed by the best technicians.
Not to mention, getting a repair estimate is just as stressful and confusing as the actual repair process. Several repair shops give you different estimates, and it turns into a battle of finding the best shop that also is recommended by your Insurance provider versus where you want to go. But then, a different shop comes in out of nowhere, giving you a significantly higher than the others. It seems like that shop only wants your money, right? Keep reading to find out the real difference between a $600 and a $6,000 repair estimate.
What Is A Repair Estimate?
So, what exactly is a repair estimate? In the auto repair industry, an estimate is just a starting point for the work that a technician needs to accomplish. Keep in mind that a repair estimate will differ from the repair plan, which is an itemized list of things that the technicians need to do. Until your car is taken apart and technicians can get a thorough look inside your car, the repair plan cannot be created. Think of a doctor needing to perform surgery on his patient. He wouldn’t be able to give you an accurate diagnosis unless he read your X-Rays, MRI, etc. Symptoms are only part of it, just like the exterior damage is only part of your car repair.
Difference In Repair Costs
That brings us back to the difference between your $600 and $6000 repair estimate. Chances are, the $600 estimate was made with a guy walking around your car with a clipboard, checking off different boxes, and coming up with that price with just looking at your car. That estimate is merely a guess of what needs to be repaired since they haven’t taken apart your car. When that happens, that’s when the shop will call you and say, “well, we looked inside your car, and you’re going to need X replaced. Your rotator belt also looks a bit worn, so we should probably replace that too.”
Sound familiar? This is why there is something known as a supplement.
What Is A Supplement?
If a repair requires a supplement, the body shop will send the request to your insurance company. Until the insurance provider approves the supplement, the repair is on hold. It can take anywhere from days to a week, which can be a real inconvenience to you, the customer. Sometimes an insurance adjuster may need to have an inspection of the car before they can give the shop approval on the repair.
Overall, the real difference between repair estimates comes down to one that was created after taking apart your car and one that just looked at your car. The price will always change, as things always come up in the repair process. The biggest thing you want is to make sure you take your car to a repair shop that knows what they are doing and provides you with a thorough, accurate estimate.
Where In Pennsylvania Can I Get My Car Repaired The Right Way?
We at Rocco’s Collison Centers know that you have many choices when looking for a car repair shop, especially in the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey areas.
The problem with high production body shops isn’t just here in Pennsylvania and New Jersey but across the country. We are writing about this because we feel you deserve the highest quality repair out there for your car. No substitutions. No short cuts. Only the best.
We aim to show you why we are the best out there, which is why we are dedicated to giving you the best repair possible for your car!
We have six different locations across Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. We invite you to see for yourself why Rocco’s is the best out there! Feel free to give us a call at anytime at (888)-9-ROCCOS. Or to schedule an appointment or to call any of our locations directly, click here.
We look forward to hearing from you!
