There are many factors that influence auto body repair costs. Obviously, things such as the make, model, and year of the car will make a huge difference. A brand-new Mercedes will cost much more to repair than a 15-year-old Honda. The second biggest factor that will influence auto body repair costs is just how much damage there is. A small fender bender might require you to replace only one of the bumpers, which is expensive enough on its own, but if that crash happens just a few miles an hour faster, you might have to replace headlights (or tail lights), the hood or trunk, and even a quarter panel. Obviously, things can add up pretty quickly.
One other major factor that affects auto body repair prices is how much technology there is in your car. An older car isn’t going to have as many technological bells and whistles, so repairing them will be cheaper. Another unexpected factor that goes into the cost of repairs is how much paintwork will be needed. Some car companies can ship pre-painted replacement body panels to your shop that will just need a little bit of labor to install. For others, you will need the replacement part installed and then have a paint job to match it with the rest of the car. Consider that paintwork is one of the more expensive parts of auto body repair costs.
One final thing that will affect the cost of repairs is where you take your car to get it fixed. Dealerships are notorious for charging more than your local repair shop, but that doesn’t exactly mean your local repair shop is going to be cheap. AAA estimates that labor costs vary from $47 to $215 per hour!
