When you have the need for an auto collision center you will want to find one that will do the work the right way the first time. This is very true when the only vehicle you have may be sitting in the repair shop. If you have a newer vehicle, this is especially true as you do not want to continue paying for something that will continue to have problems. It would make things much easier on yourself if you found the best possible collision repair.

Insurance companies are not supposed to force you to use their chosen shop. That’s called “steering.” But most insurers keep a list of approved shops that they’ve worked with in the past. And it’s one way to narrow your choices down. Once you have that list, ask friends, colleagues — your mechanic — if they can recommend any of the shops on the list. If not, maybe they have another strong recommendation.

Next, check out the reputations of the shops people have recommended by calling or going online. Contact your local Better Business Bureau (BBB), your county consumer affairs office (if there is one) and your state consumer protection office. You should be able to find out the number of complaints, the nature of those complaints and how they were resolved. Find out whether the body shop belongs to any professional organizations.

Once you go to the shop, make sure it has a professional appearance and works on newer, nicer cars. Ask the shop if it regularly works on your make and model and has the equipment recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. You may also run into junkyard parts. If your car is fairly new, don’t accept junkyard parts. If you have an older car, it’s not as much of a problem.

When it’s time to pick up your car, study it carefully. Test every single button, switch and lock in the car to make sure it works — even the stereo. Make sure the doors, hood and trunk open and close smoothly. Examine the paint in bright sunlight to make sure the colour matches. I once had to have major body work on a car after somebody fell asleep at the wheel and plowed into it as it sat parallel parked on the street. For three months afterward, I discovered additional problems because I didn’t test every last thing before I left the body shop.

Carefully choose which collision repair facility will work on your car. Don’t feel pressured to accept generic parts or junkyard parts. Remember, the body shop works for you, not your insurance company. Put your car through its paces before you take it home.

If you’re unhappy with an auto body shop, report them to any professional organizations they belong to and file a complaint with your county or state consumer protection office. Also file a complaint with the BBB.

Spring is right around the corner and your car might need a little brushing up due to the winter kicks. Here’s 5 maintenance tips you can do to gear up your vehicle this season.

• Check the following:
  – batteries, plugs, and wires
  – tire pressure
  – belts and hoses
  – brakes
  – suspension and wheel alignment
  – fluid levels
  – engine air filter
  – windshield wipers

• Clean the interior. During the cold winter months, it is possible that your car has been a storage space for a lot of your stuff. It’s time to move those things back to where they belong. Losing an extra weight can actually increase your car’s mileage.
• Clean the exterior. Ice and snow might have stuck to your car by now. Prolonging that might cause rusting in some parts. Take it to a car wash to say goodbye to those.
• Flush and refill your car’s cooling system according to the service manuals’ recommendations. Periodically check them afterwards.
• Have hard starts, rough idling, stalling, etc. corrected before hot weather sets in.

Of course, taking your car to a skilled technician is probably the best way in ensuring its performance and state for spring.

After an auto accident, it is extremely important to file an insurance claim as soon as possible. This guide below helps you out to figure out how to file an insurance claim so you can get the repairs you need to continue driving your car.

Call the Police: It is important to call the police even if no one was injured in the accident. We recommend that you should still call the police so they can file an official report about the collision or accident. The police report will come in very handy as you start to fill out your insurance paperwork and file your claim. Make sure to have a copy of the report so you can show it to your insurance company to help them process your claim.

Exchange Information: It is also important to get information and give out your personal information during the accident. You and the other driver should exchange important information that might be useful on your insurance claim. Write down the other driver’s name, phone number, address, and driver’s license number. Make a note of their license plate and their insurance information. If any witnesses pulled over after the accident, you should also collect their name and phone number in case you need to call them when you file your claim.
In Case of Hospitalization: If you aware hospitalized because of the collision, then you need to secure the forms from the doctors and admitting section. These papers will not only be helpful in your car repair but also for your medical insurance.

Call the Insurance Company: You should call the insurance company as soon as possible after the accident to start the paperwork regarding your claim. If you have a cell phone, it is recommended to call them from the scene of the accident. Make sure you have your own insurance information so they can start to work on the claim. Even if the accident was a result of the other driver’s actions, you should still file a claim with your own insurance company so you can get the fastest repairs. Your insurance company can deal with the other driver’s insurance company to get the money they are owed.

Each and every year cold temperatures, snow and ice, road salt, potholes, frost heaves, batteries, tires, brakes and suspensions put our vehicles to the test. While most new vehicles have “smart” computer systems that can alert us about this and that there can be some components that can make our vehicles unsafe if left unattended. Spring is the time to “thank” our hard-working vehicles for their great winter performance with a maintenance overhaul. There are plenty of things you can do yourself to help your vehicle get back to 100%. A spring checkup can help uncover winter damage but there may be some components that are harder to check without requiring a skilled technician to pinpoint the problem. You should have your engine analyzed by a competent technician and determine if any of your vehicles components are in need of servicing.

Here are five spring car maintenance tips to keep in mind:

1. Remove leftover salt. Salt, used on roads to melt ice and snow, can cause serious damage to cars, especially their undercarriages where metal can rust. Take your car to a highly rated car wash to eliminate salt, and check that the business has sprayers that clean the undercarriage.
2. Check alignment and suspension. Driving over potholes can damage your car’s alignment and suspension. You might have a problem if you notice that the car pulls to one side or the steering wheel vibrates as you drive.
3. Change oil and check fluids. If your last oil change was before winter, then this is a great time to do it. Spring is also an ideal time to flush your transmission fluid. It’s one of the most neglected services. Mechanics recommend changing your car’s oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Don’t forget to check window washing fluid levels, as well as your brake and cooling system fluids.
4. Rotate tires and check air pressure. Check the tire pressure, including the spare should you ever need it. Mechanics recommend tire rotation every 5,000 miles to keep tread wear even. One of the biggest issues we see is the front tires wearing out prematurely that can lead to handling issues.
5. Inspect brakes. Nothing, perhaps, is more important than having brakes that function properly. Have a technician check the pads and rotors to ensure there are no safety issues. Neglecting them can lead to a costlier repair down the line.

Regularly cleaning out your car helps with numerous things, but one important factor is resale value. Taking good care of your car interior is one of the best ways to ensure that your car will hold its value. While you can’t control a big rock bouncing down the highway and chipping the paint on your hood, you can control if your interior is kept in tip-top shape. Not to mention, it’s just a great feeling to slip into a freshly cleaned car and hit the road. April is designated as National Car Care Month by the Be Car Aware organization. National Car Care Month is designed to bring attention to the importance of car care and preventative maintenance. At the beginning of spring, driving brings its own hazards, such as slick, wet roads. It is important to make sure you tires, brakes and windshield wipers are ready for the rain.