Month: February 2021

Common Types of Auto Body Damage And How We Repair Them

No matter how safely you drive, you cannot avoid collisions or prevent damage to your vehicle. Even when your car is parked, someone could open their door into it and cause a ding to your fender. A driver might not pay attention to the road and hit your bumper. It isn’t even other drivers that can cause damage. Stones thrown from the roadway by a passing vehicle or hail can also cause issues. Luckily, auto body damage can be repaired. In some cases, with the latest technology, these repairs may only take minutes. Here are some causes of damage to your car and what can be done to fix these common body damage issues.

Weather Damage

Your car’s exterior is vulnerable to the outdoor elements throughout the year. Paint can become faded in the summer. During the winter, road salt is known to corrode your exterior paint, and those frequent temperature changes can cause a crack in the windshield. For those spring storms, hail and heavy winds might leave your car with chipped paint and extensive dents. If you want to avoid these damaging elements, you should try to park undercover to protect your vehicle.

However, even if you keep your car in a garage or carport, chances are the vehicle spends a little time exposed to the elements. You may have to park in an open parking lot when you are at work. While you are in the grocery store, your car is sitting in the hot sun or winter cold. Weather can damage your vehicle’s finish, and that minor damage can lead to rust spots on your car. At Elmer’s Auto Body, we can sand and repaint any damaged areas to return your vehicle to its original beauty. If your car has developed rust, we may be able to cut out the affected area and replace the metal for a beautifully restored appearance.

Lack of Maintenance

Lack of maintenance might be a secondary source of auto body damage, but it is important to your vehicle. When you own a car, you need to perform routine maintenance on your vehicle. Regular maintenance can often feel like a burden, but it is crucial to protect your vehicle. You need to check your brakes, steering systems, and other components. If you fail to perform maintenance, you might end up in an accident. Keeping your vehicle in poor condition can cause damage to your car and pose a threat to you, your passengers, and others on the road. You want to make sure to service your vehicle at least twice a year.

Major Collisions

Any accident can cause severe damage to your car, especially major collisions. These accidents can break windshields, destroy body panels, and damage steering systems. If your car is damaged in an accident, you will want to have your vehicle towed to a professional auto body shop.

Minor Fender Benders

After a car accident, the damage is often visible on the vehicle. However, those minor fender benders cause many problems that might not be visible to the naked eye. Those small bumps can damage your steering, frame, engine, windshield, and other hidden parts. Like any accident, you want your car inspected before hitting the road.

Miscellaneous Factors

However, there are times when a random accident can cause damage to your car. These unexpected situations can come from a runaway baseball, a pothole, or a faulty car component. You can take some steps to avoid these common issues, but some things might be out of your control. No matter what happens to your car, you need to take steps to prevent any more damage to your vehicle.

Now that you know about the common causes of damage to your car, you can find ways to repair them. With a professional auto body shop, your vehicle will be fixed with the latest technology as they get it back to its original condition.

Scratches In The Paint

Despite your diligence, there will be scratches in the paint of your car. It could be as simple as a shopping cart that rolls into the side of your car or a key ring striking the door as you unlock it. You could even scratch the car while loading items into the backseat or trunk. A professional auto body repair shop can easily buff out a small scratch. However, those large scratches need filler and paint to seal the surface’s large depression. With the help of a professional, the paint can be electronically matched to the surface of your vehicle. In turn, you will never know that the car suffered from scratched paint, and you will be left with a seamless finish.

Body Dents

Almost anything moving can dent your vehicle. A rock from the car’s tire in front of you, a child’s bicycle handle when they ride too close, or a dropped object you are trying to load could lead to dents. These dents can range from massive craters to tiny bumps. After assessing the dent, the technician can use conventional repair methods or paintless dent removal tools. If the paint is still intact, we can use paintless dent repair to fix the damage. Paintless dent removal does not disturb the current coat of paint.

On the other hand, conventional methods require the paint to be redone or touched up. There are three different techniques to remove a dent. They often include a dolly and hammer, stud welder, or dent puller. These methods use tools that push, hammer or pull the dent so that the panel can be smoothed back into its original shape.

In some cases, the panels have deep dents that are irreparable and need to be replaced. If the dent is significant, we will drill a hole near the dent, insert a special tool, and pull it from the surface. We also use body filler to smooth the surface and paint the area.

Suspension Damage

During the winter, those unnoticeable potholes can do a lot of damage to your car’s suspension. If the damage is quite severe, then the ball joint or shock absorber may need to be removed and replaced. However, in some less severe cases, the wheels might need to be realigned.

Cracked Windshields

Windshields are extremely important. They provide a clear view of the road as you travel in your car. When damage happens to a windshield, it can incur a small chip or break the glass. In those severe cases, the entire windshield will need to be taken out of the weld and replaced with new components. Any small cracks or chips can be easily fixed. Many of the issues just need a resin injection to prevent spread across the windshield and restore its strength.

Bumper Damage

Rear-ended accidents are a common occurrence for many vehicles. You could be stopped in heavy traffic and get bumped by a distracted driver. In some cases, you need to have your bumper replaced, especially for those components that are damaged beyond repair. However, some damage can be reversed. A cracked bumper will need body filler to smooth out any damage. After that, the new paint must be applied to reseal and protect your vehicle.

Collision Damage

After a collision, minor damage can be repaired quickly using similar body repair processes. However, a severe accident can cause extensive damage to the car’s frame. In those cases, your vehicle might be too damaged to drive. A bent frame may indicate that the vehicle was in a severe accident. With today’s technology, we can use computer-aided equipment to pull the frame back into position. In turn, you can hit the road without any worries for your car.

Find The Right Auto Body Shop For Your Vehicle

After encountering any type of damage to your vehicle, you need to find the right professional auto body shop. There are a few simple steps to ensure that you find the best shop to complete your repairs. You should always do some research before selecting an auto body shop. These professionals can be vetted by reading reviews, checking certifications, and asking your family and friends. You will find a shop that provides top-notch service and backs up their work.

It is also important to ask questions. You want to make sure that your professional auto body shop has the experience to complete your required work. When these questions are answered, you can have some peace of mind that your car is left in reliable hands. Finally, any reputable shop will provide a free estimate for your repairs.

Find The Best Auto Body Shop Near Me

After you have received a few quotes, you can find the right shop that has the combination of reliability, fair pricing, and experience. At the end of the day, you will find that Elmer’s Auto Body will meet all those requirements.

If your vehicle has suffered damage, contact Elmer’s Auto Body by calling (856) 218-0202. Our technicians will work to get your car back on the road as quickly as possible.

Does The Color Of Your Car Affect Your Insurance Rate?

Many car owners believe that specific colors have an impact on insurance costs. In fact, some insurance companies state that potential customers often ask if red cars have higher insurance rates than other vehicles. In a study conducted by Insure.com, about 46 percent of those surveyed believe that insurance companies charge higher rates for red cars because they are pulled over more often by police. According to the National Motorist Association, white cars are pulled over more often than red vehicles. However, many drivers still believe this myth. The color of your vehicle has no bearing on car insurance rates, and it will not increase your risk of getting a ticket.

Undoing the Myth

Auto insurance will protect your car in the case of damage or injury. It can cover you from financial loss if your vehicle is stolen. The amount of coverage you will need always depends on your residing state and personal circumstances. When it is time to get a quote for your vehicle, the insurance company will factor in some details about your car. For example, some insurance companies will offer discounts for vehicles that are less than three years old. However, many people wonder about the color of their vehicles and insurance rates. Despite this car color myth, many people continue to believe that their car color will factor into policy rates. Here are a few things that you should take into consideration for your insurance rates.

Does Car Color Affect Insurance Rates?

Many variables go into calculating an auto insurance premium, but the color of your car is not one of them. However, certain situations, such as supply and demand for a specific color, can increase the vehicle’s cost. In turn, you may see an increase in its premiums. According to insurance experts, insurers never ask about the color of the car when a customer requests a quote. The car’s color is not even a question on a car insurance application. Insurance for a red car is no more expensive than a black, green, or white car. In fact, the insurance company has no idea what color vehicle you have purchased. Although your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is provided to the insurance company, the VIN does not reveal the car’s color. The VIN includes information on when and where a vehicle was built, the level of trim, and some warranty information, but it does not include the color of the car.

The price of a car can change based on several elements, but the most important factor is supply and demand. When you are looking for car insurance, your particular vehicle’s market demand can play a significant role. The car’s color popularity can determine how expensive it will be to insure the vehicle and whether it is a target for car thieves.

The Insurance Myth of the Car Color

While car color does not increase your insurance cost, some cars are more expensive than others to insure. These factors can include the car’s age, make, and model. When it comes to this myth of car color, those popular colors can raise your policy rates. For example, many people believe red cars are more expensive to insure than neutral car colors. In most cases, this is not correct. If a neutral color car, like silver, is in high demand, you may see a higher insurance rate.

Tickets and the Insurance Company

When an insurer looks at your driving record to determine your rates, they want to know whether you are a high-risk driver. Just one speeding ticket can raise your rates as much as 15 percent. Two tickets can raise your rates by as much as 40 percent. That means tickets do have an impact on rates, but only for the driver who got the ticket. Claims are a bigger factor to insurance companies as they cost the company money. Cars with higher frequencies of claims or higher payouts than other vehicles will be rated higher. In those cases, higher rates are paid no matter your car’s color. In other words, if you are buying a Corvette, your rate will be the same no matter if the car is red or black.

When Color Does Matter?

If you have a custom paint job on your car, your insurance rates may be higher as it would be considered an additional part or equipment. However, the rate would only be slightly higher than a vehicle with a regular paint job. The color of your car may have an impact on other factors. In 2012, CCC Information Services reported that car thieves prefer green, gold, black, or white cars. Silver is the most commonly stolen car color. For those who think that red cars are popular with auto theft, these cars do not even make the list.

Custom Paint Jobs and Insurance Rates

While your car’s color does not affect your insurance rates, some modifications can cause your policy to be more expensive. If you modify the paint or get a custom paint job on your car, you might want to include your custom paint job in your insurance coverage. When it comes to car insurance, your insurance company will consider your vehicle to be in the same condition as you bought in its original form. If you want a customized paint job added to your car and need it to be covered in case of damage, you should notify your insurer.

Many insurance companies will have special coverage for those aftermarket modifications. These upgrades can fall under the “custom parts and equipment coverage” categories. If your car is damaged in an accident, your insurance will cover the repair and replacement of those customizations. Your policy will ensure your custom paint job and other custom parts, such as lights, wheels, and sound systems, are covered by insurance.

How Are Car Insurance Rates Calculated?

Although car color does not affect car insurance price, many other factors can increase the policy rates. When you are insuring your car, the insurance companies will ask for a lot of information about your vehicle. In many cases, the insurance company will never ask about the car’s color. Car insurance premiums are calculated based on other information about you and your vehicle. Your insurer uses this information to estimate how likely you will get in an accident and file an insurance claim. These factors include:

The amount of coverage
Your driving record
Credit score
Driving habits (such as your yearly mileage)
Your age
Your residing state
Your deductible amounts
Make and model of your car

You will also want to select the right insurance coverage. There are several insurance coverage policies for your vehicle. You might want to include the following policies for your car:

Bodily injury liability covers your medical bills if you have injured someone in an accident.
Property damage liability covers the cost of property damage you have caused in an accident.
Personal injury protection covers medical expenses for you or your passengers after an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist covers the costs if you are in an accident caused by a driver with little or no car insurance.
Comprehensive insurance policy covers damage to your car that happens when you are not driving.
Collision insurance covers damage to your car after a car accident, no matter who was at fault.

With more coverage for your vehicle, you can expect to pay some premium rates. However, it will be protected from any potential threats from other drivers or accidental damage.

Factors Do Affect Your Insurance Rate

In conclusion, car color does not affect your auto insurance rates, but many factors can raise your policy premiums. Your age, years of driving experience, gender, driving record, make and model of the vehicle and vehicle options are all more important than the color. These variables can increase or decrease the rates of your auto insurance.

However, car color can indirectly affect those auto premiums, but the insurance company does not factor it. If the color changes the car’s value, you may see a rise in your rates. Those custom paint jobs and equipment will increase your premiums. The market value and likelihood of incidents also determine your insurance cost. The bottom line is, if you want that shiny convertible or sports car, your insurance company really doesn’t care if it is red, black, or green. Does car color affect insurance rates? The answer is always a definitive no. You can choose the right color that matches your personal style without worrying about an increase in your insurance rates.

Find a Professional Auto Body Shop Near Me

Whether you have a black, green, white, or red car, we can help you bring your vehicle back to its original condition after an accident. Our team uses the latest technology to make your vehicle look as good as new. You will never know that it was involved in an accident. If your beautiful car has been damaged, contact Elmer’s Auto Body today for a no-obligation estimate for repairs. You can schedule an appointment by calling the office at (856) 218-0202.