Body and accident repair
With body damage there are two separate questions: what you can see, and what is structural. A dent in a door is cosmetic; a bent longitudinal member is a safety matter, because the crumple zone will no longer behave as designed. Only a measurement on a jig says which case you have.
What it covers
- Recording and documenting the damage, with photographs for the insurer
- Measuring the load-bearing structure where the impact was heavier
- Repairing or replacing affected parts — bonded, bolted or welded as designed
- Restoring corrosion protection everywhere work was done
- Calibrating driver assistance systems where sensors were involved
When it is needed
- Panel gaps at doors, bonnet or tailgate are uneven
- After an impact the car pulls, or the steering wheel sits off-centre
- Rust at a seam or weld — that is almost always where it starts
- Before selling, where an old repair was never done properly
Worth knowing
When buying used, a paint thickness gauge is the simplest way to find a resprayed panel — the tool costs little, and a clearly deviating reading on a single panel says more than any assurance. Resprayed does not automatically mean an accident: a car park scrape gets painted too. It only means you should ask.
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