Bodywork and paint repair: what to know before you book

The quote: what it should show#

A good quote shows what you are paying for. Ask for it before work starts and read it line by line:

• Parts, with names and origin (original, equivalent or used) and the price of each.
• Panel-beating labour for each part: straightening, removal and refitting, replacement.
• Paintwork: which parts are painted, including neighbouring ones that only get a colour blend, and the materials.
• What isn't included: clips and trims that may break on removal, and calibrating sensors or cameras if needed.
• When you'll get the car back.

Approve any work beyond the quote in writing, with its price, not just over the phone. That way you won't be surprised by a bigger bill when you collect the car.

Repair or replace: how it's decided#

Not every damaged panel has to be replaced. It depends on how big the damage is, where it is and what the part is made of:

A car's structure is designed to absorb energy in a crash. After a serious impact, ask how the garage checks the body dimensions and whether it follows the manufacturer's repair instructions.

Colour matching and painting#

The paint code is on a label on the car, usually around the driver's door or under the bonnet. But the same colour can look slightly different from batch to batch, and older paint fades in the sun. A good painter:

• Matches the shade to the car, not just to the code, and checks it on a test card before painting.
• Blends into the neighbouring panels when needed, so the difference doesn't show at the edge.
• Paints in a booth that is clean and heated, so no dust gets into the paint.
• Tells you how long to wait before the first car wash or polish.

Metallic and pearl colours are harder to match than solid ones; ask from the start how the garage matches them.

Repairs through insurance#

If the damage comes from an accident, the repair can be paid for by the at-fault driver's RCA insurer or by your CASCO (comprehensive) policy. The steps, from the joint accident report to the claim and choosing the garage, are in our guide on what to do after an accident.

• The damage assessment on an RCA claim is made by the insurer's assessor, not by a firm you hire.
• Don't start the repair before the assessment unless you must: getting paid is simpler that way.
• Hidden damage found on disassembly is assessed too: ask the garage to tell the insurer before repairing it.
• Keep the quote and the final invoice, with parts and labour.

Photos beforehand and what to check on collection#

Photograph the car when you leave it at the garage: every side, the damage close up, the odometer and the interior. When you collect it, check in daylight:

• The colour of the painted parts, from several angles, next to the neighbouring panels.
• The gaps between bonnet, doors, wings and bumpers: even on both sides.
• Doors, bonnet and boot close easily and quietly.
• Paint marks on seals, glass, trims or lights.
• Lights, parking sensors and cameras work, and no warning light is left on.
• The invoice matches the quote you approved.

What matters at the ITP: rust, loose panels, the windscreen#

The body and the windscreen are checked at the ITP (Romania's periodic roadworthiness test). The EU directive on periodic roadworthiness tests (2014/45/EU), which Romania has written into its ITP rules (RNTR 1), classes, among others:

• Excessive corrosion of the chassis that affects its rigidity: a major deficiency.
• A loose or damaged body panel likely to cause injury: a major deficiency; if it's likely to fall off, dangerous.
• A cracked windscreen: outside the area swept by the wipers, a minor deficiency; inside it, major; if visibility through that area is heavily affected, dangerous.

A major or dangerous deficiency means a fail. More in our ITP guide.

The warranty and what to ask the garage#

Get the warranty on paint and labour in writing, on the invoice or a warranty certificate, and keep the invoice: without it, a complaint is hard to back up. Before you leave the car, ask:

1. What will be repaired and what replaced, and why.
2. Which parts they fit: original, equivalent or used.
3. How they match the colour and which neighbouring panels they paint.
4. When the car will be ready and how they'll tell you if anything new turns up.
5. What warranty they give on paint and labour.

How CariX helps#

In the free driver account you keep the repair and everything about the car in one place.

• The quote as a PDF: garages that work with CariX can send you the quote as a PDF, and you approve it online before work starts.
• "Is the price fair?" shows an indicative price range for bodywork and paint in your city, from the prices businesses list on CariX on their pages and quotes; the real price depends on the car, the damage and the parts.
• Warranties: if the garage records the paint warranty on the job line, you see it under "Active warranties" on the car and get an email 30 days before it ends (for a warranty in months).
• "I had an accident": the step-by-step guide, photos saved with the time, and a private report you download as a PDF for the claim.