Back in 2018, Volkswagen doubled their sales of the Atlas SUV from 2017 and sold close to 60,000 Atlas SUVs. When it comes to repairing these vehicles, Volkswagen has specific repair procedures for technicians to follow when working on your car to ensure your vehicle can protect you the way it was designed to.
Because cars have gotten incredibly advanced over the past few years with their various safety technologies, it has created the need for body shops to follow the repair procedures laid out by manufacturers. Otherwise, there’s no guarantee your car will be able to protect you the way it should.
We at 3D Collision Centers want West Chester drivers to know what the required repair procedures are for the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. It is our hope that you’ll feel more confident going into the repair process having this knowledge about what repairs your car should have that guarantee you’ll be safe on the road, even after the repair process. Volkswagen, along with every other car manufacturer, requires technicians to follow their repair procedures for the 2018 Atlas because it ensures your car is working exactly the way it should be. There’s no shortcut to collision repair, and any auto body shop who knows the importance of OEM repairs knows these procedures are the only way your car be repaired. Unfortunately, not every shop follows these repairs and as a result, your safety will be compromised. Your car will be given a “band-aid” repair and potentially create new problems that weren’t even there in the first place.
Below you’ll find the necessary repair procedures when repairing a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. If you do not see any of these repairs on your estimate from a body shop, then that shop is repairing your car incorrectly.
Calibration requirements for Volkswagen:
One of the newest repair procedures required for your vehicle’s ADAS systems is something known as calibration. These systems are composed of a variety of different ultrasonic, radar, and camera sensors. Calibration is a necessary procedure to check if these systems are working the way they should be.
According to AAA, “an ADAS calibration is a process carried out to correctly align the cameras and sensors of a car so its ADAS systems can work as intended.” Calibration requires specialized equipment and tools performed by highly trained technicians capable of adjusting or setting these systems.
Because the Atlas has many different sensors placed throughout the car, calibration is a mandatory procedure. If you don’t see calibration on your repair estimate, then your safety is at risk.
Here at the different sensors in the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and when calibration would be necessary for each sensor:
-Front radar sensor behind the VW emblem on the grille, referred by Volkswagen as the “Distance Regulation Control Module.”
Calibration for this radar would be required if:
- Radiator core support system procedure was performed
- Radiator core support was removed and inspected (R&I) or removed and replaced (R&R)
- Rear-axle toe is adjusted
- Changes were made to the suspension, affecting the vehicle’s height
-There are two radar sensors located on the left and right of the rear bumper. These sensors are part of the rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot detection systems.
Unlike the other systems in the car, these sensors typically calibrate automatically. However, if any Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) appear, static calibration will be required. DTCs will show up when a technician hooks up a scanner to your car’s diagnostic port to assess what needs to be repaired on your vehicle.
-There is an optional camera sensor in the front grille, part of the peripheral of the 360-degree camera system in the vehicle. The 360-degree camera system also includes cameras on the side rearview mirrors and the liftgate.
Calibration for the 360-degree camera system would be required if:
- Camera replacement
- Certain changes in ride height (such as the suspension)
- Wheel alignment
-There is an optional Driver Assistance Camera near the rearview mirror. This camera assists in lane departure warning, pedestrian detection, and collision warning and braking. According to Volkswagen, “static calibration of the forward-facing camera requires an alignment rack.” A static calibration ensures these sensors are directionally proportionate to their original design.
Calibration for the Driver Assistance Camera is required if:
- The control module is not correctly programmed
- The Driver Assistance Systems Front Camera was replaced
- The windshield was removed or replaced (R&R)
- The rear axle toe was adjusted
- Work was performed on the chassis (since this influences the height of the car)
- The level control system sensor was readapted on vehicles with dampening regulation.
Additional reasons why following VW repair procedures are necessary:
Volkswagen also has various sectioning and welding procedures across different areas on the 2018 Atlas. In case you didn’t know, welding and sectioning repairs are all about where a technician can cut, weld, replace, or section different parts of your car (depending on what the manufacturer tells them).
Part of what makes the Atlas unique is Volkswagen states there are many sectioning and replacement areas on the car that can be chosen “depending on the damage.” Of course, there are still welding requirements that a technician must look up, despite the many areas where sectioning is allowed in the car. Just because a vehicle is manufactured a certain way, doesn’t mean it should be repaired this same way. A lot of body shops make this mistake, assuming a good repair is restoring your car back to factory condition. This is not necessarily the case, which is why a shop must look up the manufacturer’s repair procedures to know precisely where they can cut, weld, replace, or section.
The roof on the 2018 Atlas was laser welded. Now, lasers aren’t something you’d find even in the best body shops (for now). Because of this, Volkswagen has specific requirements during a replacement procedure requiring the roof to be cut off at the laser welds. If a shop chooses to ignore these repair procedures, your roof would only have a band-aid level repair and would be unable to protect you in case you’re in an accident. Think about that: you wouldn’t want to be driving in a car that had a bad roof repair, right? Most shops will repair the roof on your vehicle the same way they would for every other car in their shop. It takes a highly trained technician to know how to do a proper repair.
Why trust us with you Volkswagen repair needs:
Here at 3D Collision Centers, we have committed ourselves to provide you with the highest level of collision repair that Pennsylvania has to offer, especially when it comes to repairing your Volkswagen. That’s why we are proud to say that we are among the 10% of auto body repair shops in the country that are I-CAR Gold Class trained. This is especially important when looking for the best place to take your car to be repaired when technicians aren’t legally required to follow OEM repair procedures.
In addition to providing you with only the safest and correct repair, we will work with you and your insurance company to ensure the process is as stress-free as possible. You can think of us as your agency/policyholder liaison!
We have 7 different locations across Delaware, Chester, and Montgomery Counties. Feel free to give us a call at anytime at (877)-692-7776. For a list of the phone numbers for each of our locations or to schedule an estimate, click here.
We look forward to showing you the 3D difference!
