When you’re searching online for, “best auto body shop in Pennsylvania,” an interesting thing will happen. The first few results will be coming from “best of” lists on websites such as Yelp and Carwise. Even if you weren’t looking for the “best auto body shop in Pennsylvania,” those are the online results you get: just a list of lists.
So, what exactly has to happen for an auto body shop to have the coveted “best of” ranking? How can you judge a repair based on these reviews? There may be some things that a person is writing negatively about in their review that they were unaware is part of the repair process. However, reviews are like an unofficial detective providing you valuable information about a business.
Repair First, Then Review
No matter what, the most important part of finding the best auto body shop comes down to the repair. Naturally, you only want your car to be repaired at an auto body shop that knows how to fix your vehicle the right way. Car repair is not the same as it was even just 5 years ago. This is why it’s critical that you have your car returned back to you with the same level of engineer-designed safety it had when it left the showroom floor. An improper repair can cause more harm than good to the car and will significantly increase your chances of getting in an accident. We’ll get to that down below.
The Problem With Being The “Best”
It might come as a surprise, but being on one of “best of” lists on these various websites is not determined based on what the technicians or even the shop itself are doing. The manufacturer of your car creates strict repair procedures for each vehicle, known as OEM repair procedures.
However, here in Pennsylvania, there is no legal requirement for technicians to have a license to repair your car or follow these repair procedures. This means that nobody is regulating how an auto body shop is repairing your vehicle. They can literally do whatever they want because no one is telling them otherwise. Of course, you have to hope that’s not the case. However, it happens far too often which is why we felt you needed to know.
The One And Only Way Cars Should Be Repaired
Your car’s manufacturer releases these OEM repair procedures for technicians to follow because that is the only way your vehicle should be repaired. Any other way and your vehicle will be seriously jeopardized not just for safety, but for the overall integrity of the car. As mentioned above, an improper car repair can put you at a higher risk for being involved in an accident. A large reason for this is because of the ADAS systems that are seen in just about every car nowadays.
Some of the most popular features you’ll see in an ADAS system are:
Blindspot detection
Lane departure assistance
Forward collision warning
Rearview camera
Collision avoidance system
If your ADAS system gets damaged in a collision, it can only be repaired with following the OEM repair procedures. Anything less due to the negligence of a body shop having its technicians be up-to-date on the latest repair procedures is a serious problem. They can cause the ADAS systems to no longer work the way they were designed for. This is why it’s critical you do some research into why a body shop made a best-of list versus another body shop.
Why Choose Us
We at 3D Collision Centers have been serving Pennsylvania in our 7 different locations across Deleware, Montgomery, and Chester counties. At 3D Collision Centers, all of our technicians are I-CAR Gold Class certified, which is the highest level of certification that a technician can receive. Every technician is also up-to-date on the latest OEM Repair procedures.
We will work with you and your insurance company to ensure a stress-free repair and are committed to providing our customers with “quality on time, every time.”
We can even provide you with a free estimate, part of the 3D Difference. We are Driven. Dedicated. Dynamic. Our promise is you’ll be satisfied!
Feel free to give us a call at (877)-692-7776. For a list of the phone numbers for each of our 7 different locations and to schedule your free estimate, click here.
We look forward to hearing from you!
