Overview
Formed in 1979, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) is an international nonprofit that’s dedicated to promoting high standards of quality among professionals from all segments of the collision repair industry. By pursuing its mission to “deliver increasingly accessible, on-demand and relevant education, knowledge, services, and solutions for the collision repair industry,” I-CAR’s vision is that all professionals will possess “the information, knowledge and skills required to perform complete, safe, quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer.” Read more

If you need to go to small claims court, watch this video for some helpful tips and information. Read more

Sometimes when an auto body shop fixes a damaged car, the color of the newly painted bumper may not appear to perfectly match the color of the body. Considering the complex nature of paint matching, there are a few possible explanations that may account for this:

• The character of paint often differs between metal and plastic surfaces due to dissimilar rates of evaporation during the drying process.

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Some car owners think body work can be completed in one day, but the reality is, it often takes several days (and sometimes weeks) to bring a vehicle back to its pre-accident condition. One of the most typical causes of body work delays is parts. If a mechanic has to wait for ordered parts to arrive, discovers the parts don’t fit properly or accidentally has the wrong parts shipped, it can tack another day or two onto the repair.

Another frequent instance of delay is with painting. The nature of paint makes it one of the most difficult and time-consuming areas of body work—even if it looks perfect upon application, it’s impossible to tell whether it’s successful until after it has dried, Read more

Watch this video to learn how you can take advantage of the Bureau of Automotive Repair’s Auto Body Inspection Program. Read more

Watch this video to learn about the latest auto body repair scam targeted at women and what you can do to avoid it. Read more

Before you drop off your vehicle at a body repair shop or have it towed in for repairs, you should talk directly with the shop owner or service manager. The questions you ask and the responses you get will help you choose the best collision repair facility for your particular needs. You may want to write down the shop representative’s answers and take note of any strengths, weaknesses and impressions that could influence your decision.

Questions to ask auto body shop owners on the phone:

• Does your shop work on my make and model (Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda, Lexus, BMW, etc.)?
• Do you specialize in the type of body repair work my vehicle needs (fender repair,

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