Here at National Assessing & Engineering, we keep repeating how important it is to get your car accessed after is has been repaired, to make sure the job was done right.
We’ve just had a perfect example come through our shop which demonstrates why we keep saying this.
The car was a Toyota Corolla which was repaired after an accident with damage to the front and rear.
At first glance it appears like a clean 2020 Corolla with just over 30,000km on the odometer.
However, after a closer look and a detailed inspection, it was found that out of 120 check points our technicians went through, 46 weren’t done properly, or just weren’t done at all.
We cannot stress how important it is that accident damage repair is handled with the utmost care, as certain things that were not done in this example render the car not safe for driving, as its structural integrity is not back to par.
Not even a simple wheel alignment was done correctly after this repair. This can cause the car to handle poorly and unpredictably, especially in wet and/or slippery conditions, not to mention that the tires will wear out much quicker and fuel consumption will increase.
The paint job was done poorly, with paint thickness being very different on all of the repainted panels – The paint itself was also not matched to the original paint that is on the car, and you can see the difference in shade between the front bumper and the guards.
The boot floor was repaired using excessive body filler, and the bumper support beam that was replaced was neither centred nor repainted. Instead, it was left in its factory black primer finish, which is porous and does not protect against water, and will corrode over time. Some bolts were also not installed, due to not being able to go into their holes because of the misalignment.
Also, there is evidence of certain panels not being repainted at all, simply “touched up” (if you can call it that) to hide the scuffs and scratches that were there.
All of the panels that were repaired weren’t properly aligned, having different panel gaps around the front bumper, headlights, front fenders, tailgate, rear fenders, rear bumper, and the list goes on.
Another problem with repairs like this one is the fact that if this wasn’t picked up now, and if this car was to get into an accident, or all this was somehow discovered at a later date, it would be very difficult to do anything about it. The owner would be stuck with a car that would be worth a whole lot less than market value, and potentially be unsafe to drive.
This is why, not only is it important to carefully choose the repairer and insist on using the one you know you can trust, but also to get the car assessed after the repair is completed. It will ensure that the job that was properly and that your car is safe, and repaired to the highest possible standard.
