OUR 10 STEP PROCESS
Collision repair is the bodywork, paint, glass work and replacement process required to restore a car to "pre-loss condition" following an accident. Collision repair is a highly specialized area of automotive service that meets a different set of customer needs and operates differently than standard maintenance or repair services.
At North Columbus Collision Center, we utilize state-of-the art technology that literally allows you to "see" the progress of your vehicle repair through our interactive web site. Each day, digital photos are uploaded and posted along with the latest vehicle repair status. If you provide us with an email address and/or cell number you will even get a notification every time your vehicle moves through the process. You can check the status of your vehicle at home, work or the wee hours of the night!
PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE
We like for you to bring your car in so that we can look at it, assess the damage, and have parts ordered, in place and actually in hand by the time you bring it in, which could be a day or two later. This step also typically cuts out you seeing Step 2 - Waiting on Insurance or Step 4 - Waiting on Parts. In the Damage Report process area the vehicle is inspected, and relevant data is entered into a damage report (estimate) that determines the initial cost of repairs. Additionally, there is often hidden damage that can not be seen until after the vehicle is disassembled.
WAITING ON INSURANCE
After the damage report (estimate) is completed, the insurance company reviews it. The insurance company determines if the vehicle is repairable. Typically, the only time you may see waiting on insurance would be if it was a carrier that we may not have an existing relationship with. In these cases, once we find additional damage, we have to notify the insurance company that there is additional damage and wait for them to see it or make arrangements for us to furnish them digital photographs, invoices, or evidence that there is additional damage before we can continue on with the repair.
WAITING ON PARTS
The required parts for your vehicle are ordered, and availability is checked. When a part must be special ordered, that will be done as soon as possible. Typically the maximum it takes for us to get a part for an automobile is two days.
DISASSEMBLY
Our goal is to begin disassembly within a couple of hours of you dropping the car off. This allows us to see any hidden damage and determine any inner structure repairs that we couldn't see in our preliminary estimate. Then we know immediately before we even start the repair that we have other parts we need, which allows us to order those other parts and get them here quickly.
REASSEMBLY
Final moldings and detail pieces are attached to the vehicle in the reassembly area. All of the vehicle's systems are checked during this process. The vehicle is almost complete and ready for delivery when it is in this stage.
PAINT
Expert preparation is a critical step in the refinishing process. All panels are prepared for refinishing, then primed and sealed to assure good adhesion when the final top color and clear coats are applied.
BODY REPAIR
The Body Repair Department replaces exterior panels, and/or repairs all sheet metal that is damaged. The vehicle begins to come back to life as sheet metal is installed and aligned to exact specifications. From here the vehicle will go to the refinishing preparations department.
STRUCTURAL REPAIR (If Any)
Structural repair is repairing parts of the vehicle that affect the structural integrity of the vehicle. A computer based measurement system is used to analyze any structural damage to your vehicle. This assures an accurate repair. The unitized body is now returned back to the factory specifications.
FINAL PREP & DELIVERY
During the repair process the vehicle accumulates dust from the repairs which will be thoroughly cleaned inside and out. Delivery is the last step in the repair process. When you arrive to pick up your vehicle, the paperwork is explained and completed. You can then drive away satisfied that your vehicle has been restored to a safe pre-accident condition.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Although your automobile is going through constant quality control procedures by our Body Shop Manager and Vehicle Technicians, after reassembly your vehicle goes through about a 30 step Quality Control Checklist to ensure everything is functioning correctly and restored to it's pre-accident condition.
