What is a car smash repair?

How to tell if you need a car smash repair

This is a pretty obvious one - if you’ve been involved in an accident, you’re going to either need a smash repair, or your insurance will consider your vehicle a ‘total loss’ which means it’s either not safe, or more commonly that it will cost more than the vehicle is worth to repair it back to a factory standard. If this is the case, your insurer with provide you with a payout depending on the type of cover you have.

How important is it to repair car smash damage?

If you’ve only been involved in a slight accident, you may be able to continue to drive your vehicle as long as there are no panels at risk of falling off or lights that are damaged. However, it’s best to have any accident damage repaired as soon as possible. It may not look bad on the surface, but underlying issues may arise from components that are difficult to see and driving around with a damaged vehicle can put both you and others at risk.

How is car smash damage repaired?

Minor Smash Damage Repair:

Minor smash repairs tend to include damaged panels and lights, or accident damage that has not caused underbody damage. Damaged lights will get replaced as required, and panels will either be reshaped with Paintless Dent Removal or removed and replaced with new panels before being painted in the colour of your vehicle. Any mechanical issues caused by the accident will also be repaired, bringing your vehicle back to its pre-accident condition.

Major Smash Damage Repair:

Major smash repairs are categorised as any damage or impact that has physically affected the underpinnings of the vehicle, whether it be the unibody or chassis, as well as major mechanical damage. The majority of the time the vehicle chassis will need to be realigned with a special machine before any repairs can be carried out. This process involves removing damaged panels and other mechanical components to allow access to the frame, sometimes even removing the engine and transmission.

Once this repair as been carried out, the mechanical components are refitted or replaced as required, and new panels fitted and painted to match the original paintwork. The vehicle is then detailed, ready for collection.

How much does a car smash repair cost?

The cost of smash repairs can vary widely depending on the type of vehicle you own and the amount of damage that has been caused. A minor smash repair can be a few hundred dollars to rectify, whereas a major smash repair might cost more than what your vehicle is worth! This is when the insurance company will ‘write off’ your vehicle.

Where can you get car smash damage repaired?

Your insurance company will have recommended smash repair businesses that will be able to carry out the necessary repairs needed after an accident. They will carry out an assessment of the damage and provide a quote to your insurer, who will then decide if the vehicle is worth repairing or if it will be a total loss.

If your vehicle is not covered by insurance or the damage is minor and you do not want to make a claim against your insurance, any smash repair business will be able to provide you with a quote to carry out repairs, but you will need to bear in mind that additional repairs may be required once the vehicle has been disassembled.