At Express Autobody we’d love to adopt a blanket repair standard that will guarantee the finest repair possible on every vehicle we fix. The problem is the old adage of "We’re gonna fix your car right, regardless of what it costs your insurance company," is no longer viable in today’s economy. Most insurance companies are willing to pay a fair price for a repair that doesn’t significantly diminish the value of a vehicle, that will restore all of the structural integrity of the vehicle to it’s pre-accident values, and that will restore all of the safety features that vehicle had prior to its collision.

 While the structural integrity and the safety features of a vehicle are issues that cannot be compromised, there is much contention and disagreement on what constitutes not significantly diminishing the value of a vehicle. The truth is the value of that vehicle and the desires of the customer are what should determine what procedures are used, and what items are skipped over, not some arbitrary set of standards set to cover all contingencies at all times. To help clarify this issue Express Autobody has established three tiers of repair standards with suggestions as to how these standards should be applied. These standards are not cast in stone, and can mixed, matched, and interchanged.

 This is the highest standard of vehicle repair, and also the most expensive. Most insurance companies will not pay for all of these procedures in the majority of circumstances. Customers wishing to have their vehicles repaired to this standard should be prepared to pay for some or all of these procedures or processes. Generally this tier is recommended for vehicles less than 1 year old, or worth over $35,000. The criteria for this standard are as follows:

1. All repairs and procedures to be performed by trained, certified technicians.
2. Use of new, undamaged original equipment replacement parts.
3. Removal and reinstallation all of the hardware on all panels receiving paint.
4. Removal and reinstallation of any glass on all panels receiving paint.
5. Covering any exposed interior components with plastic.
6. Paint blending any panels adjacent to the repaired area and fully clear-coating that blend panel if the vehicle has 2, 3 or 4 stage paint.
7. Use of epoxy primers and substrate sealers on all replacement or repaired panels.
8. Use of top quality urethane paints cured with our hot air makeup system.
9. Use of the variance decks on the basecoat or color coat to insure an exact color match.
10. Use of the proper clear topcoat so as to exactly the OEM finish. (Note: this includes the use of ceramic clears on new Mercedes Benz products at a significantly greater materials cost.)
11. Removal or careful masking of wheelhouse panels, wheelhouses, jams, and any interior panels exposed to possible paint overspray, and the underside of the vehicle.
12. Use of liquid mask to protect any surfaces not being repaired.
13. Clear coating any cut-ins to match OEM appearances.
14. Color sand and buff topcoats
15. Restoration of all corrosion resistant materials.
16. Restoration of all textured substrates.
17. Restoration of all flexible substrates.
18. Use of flex additive on all refinished flexible parts.
19. Use of our dedicated fixture system to correct any unibody misalignment.
20. Use of our TVA measuring system or our Touch measurement system on any full frame vehicles with frame misalignment or damage.
21. Four wheel alignment on all vehicles requiring any unibody or full frame correction that may affect any suspension points.
22. Resistance welding whenever possible on any replacement structural panels. Mig welding in accordance to ICAR guidelines whenever resistance welding is not possible.
23. Metal bonding on any replacement panels that are not structural or bolt-on.
24. Replacement of any damaged suspension components, mechanical components, or restraint systems by a trained, certified mechanic.
25. Full clean up and detail before delivery.
26. Use of our comprehensive quality control checklist.