FAQs

Washing may be done at any time after repairs, however, we suggest that you do not use any brush or drag type car wash. This may damage not only the new paint, but also your original equipment factory finish. You may wax your vehicle’s new finish after 90 days. This allows all solvents to evaporate from your fresh paint, and not be trapped by wax or protective polishes.

Parts that wear out and need replacement with time and use (i.e., tires, batteries, and suspension parts) are commonly subject to betterment charges when they are replaced during the repair process. These betterment charges are determined by your insurance company and are pro-rated based on actual miles on your vehicle.

It’s important at the time of an accident to realize that you, as the vehicle owner, have rights and responsibilities. No one, not the insurance company or your agent, can tell you where you Must take your vehicle for repairs. It is against the law to “steer” a consumer to any particular shop. Companies will try to send you to shops that they have Direct Repair agreement with, and sometimes that can make the process go smoothly. But the final decision is always the vehicle owner’s to make.

The problem comes when the insurance company insists that you go a particular shop and doesn’t listen to your preferences. If you have a shop in mind, and make that shop known to your insurance company, they should respect that decision and work with that shop. Intimidation is a device used by unscrupulous companies to make the consumer feel they have signed over their rights when signing their policy. Nothing could be further from the truth. You are in the drivers seat throughout the repair process.

After an accident, it is understandable that you feel your vehicle will never be “quite the same” as before. At Steve’s Automotive and Collision, it is our main goal to get your vehicle back to pre-accident condition. By pre- accident condition, we mean that you should not be able to tell that your vehicle was ever damaged. This is the most important and hardest goal to maintain.

The big concerns, like drivability and color match, are addressed with our state of the art equipment and certified technicians. If your vehicle has frame damage, we have the capability to get your vehicle back to factory specs -sometimes even at a closer tolerance than the vehicle had been originally.
Our painters are truly artists when it comes to color matching. A factory color can have as many as seven variances. That means that the factory runs different formulas of the same color and that it will vary from one batch or one factory to the next. The painter starts with the factory formula and then paints test panels until he is satisfied that the color is the same as that of your vehicle. So you can see where the artistic talent comes into play.

To ensure an undetectable repair, it’s important to pay attention to the little things like overspray and compound build up – two things that are a telltale sign of a repair area. At Steve’s Automotive and Collision, we make it a point to go over the car before delivery, so we can answer the question,” Will my vehicle ever be the same after an accident?” with a confident, “YES it will”. If there is ever a concern after the delivery, rest assured we are always here to address your concerns.

If you need a rental car, we can help you make the necessary arrangements. Insurance companies will only pay for a rental car if you have that option on your policy or if you are the claimant. Check your policy and/or call your insurance company to find out if you have rental coverage and what your specific limitations are.