Baby got hit and run

Originally Posted by v8zracer260z

Don't sign any thing untill repairs are completed to your satisfaction. Do you have an electronic copy of the estimate? If so email it to me and I'll look for anything missing or fax it to my work at 352-373-8366 and I'll look it over tomorrow. I posted this on a previous post hope it helps

As for selecting a body shop do your homework on selecting a shop. I have been managing body shops for over 15 years and have over 25 years in the bussiness. Unfortunately the last place you should go is where the insurance company sends you. These shops often give discounts and concessions to the insurance company to recieve their work. This is only good for the insurance company and not the body shop. The body shop must then cut corners, buy cheaper materials, hire cheaper techs, ect in order to counter the dicounts they offer the insurance company. This does not lead to quality repairs.
As for going to where the dealership recomends this is usually a better choice because the dealership has there reputation at stake and if they refer a lousy shop the customer will remember when it comes time to buy a new car. Reguardless ask around and ask to see work they have done and inspect the facility. I have found that body shops that are clean and we kept generally do better work. It is a matter of taking pride in your work and what you do. The best shops I've seen have been small Mom & Pop shops because they put their name on every job. In your case insist on brand new OEM parts as your car is so new. Generally most insurance companies will do this for cars less than 1 year old and with less than 12,000 miles. You can still insist if you are a claimant (not your insurance company) as your car had original parts on it before the accident which was caused from their client.
Also make sure the shop offers a Lifetime guarantee on their repairs as sometimes it can take months or years for problems to occur. Such as rust from improper welding or damage from a water leak to develop. When the repairs are complete inspect the car very carefully as it is easier to correct any problems before the car leaves the shop. If problems are found get with the owner or manager and arrange for this to be fixed before you pick up the car or return your rental (Always inspect the repair before turning in the rental car or they may not put you back in one).
As for inspecting the repairs you the first thing to look for is color match and the texture of the paint. It must be consistant with the panels that were not repaired. This is often refered to as orange peel and most cars have some degree of it in the paint. Next check for panel alignment making sure gaps are even and straight. Now look down the sides using reflections to see and minor defects fron repaired areas not fixed properly. At the same time look for die back/ Sanding scratches under the paint (these appear as Blotchy or hazy areas where the top coat of paint was applied before the primer had fully cured). Nor open the hood doors and liftgate and check for paint edges in the jambs. Also check for loose missing or incorrect fastners. Look for part decals that were not removed from new parts. Under the hood look for emissions and other decals that need to be replaced. If major panels have been replaced the shop should have replaced the vin decals (only a few manufacture allow this) or provide you with the old ones cut from the original damaged parts. Now make sure the doors other panels open and close properly with minimal effort and no unusual noises.
Last test drive the car and listen for noises. If you had suspension work done check for any alignment issues (pulling, wandering, or excessive drifting), Vibrations (caused from damaged wheels, Debris inside wheel, or improper balancing). Check the air conditioning, radio, lights and any other electrical sysems affected from the collision.
Now back a the shop before you sign over the insurance check look over copies of the invoices to make sure they agree with what the insurace estimate says. Make sure you get copies of any frame print out and parts invoices and a copy of the shops Guarantee. Hopefully this will help you thru a difficult time. Unfortunately no matter how well the shop does the repairs you will still know that the car has been hit but at least you can make shur it was repaired correctly.
Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

Hope this helps
Rick