How Much Does Collision Repair Cost?

Type of Damage

To understand how much collision repair costs, we need to determine the type of damage to fix and how extensive it is. Below are the different collision repair costs by type of damage.

Front End Collision

Whether your foot slipped off the brake and you tapped the car in front of you, or your teenage son entered the garage like Batman and hit the wall, it’s an unfortunate expense. Damage during a head-on accident will affect the front bumper, fenders, and hood. The price range for fixing front-end damage is $400 – $2,500.

Rear-End Collision

Getting hit from behind will damage multiple parts of the vehicle. Depending on the crash’s impact, it may damage the left and right quarter panels, trunk or liftgate, rear bumper, and possibly cause rear-frame damage. The price range for rear-end damage is $500-$10,000. The higher-end costs target vehicles with a bent frame after the accident.

Side Collision

If the impact is significant enough, side collisions can damage the doors, quarter panel, fender, hood, windshield, roof, and subframe. Side collisions usually result in more expensive damage than other types of crashes. Therefore, the price range for side collisions is $2,500-$10,000.

Hail Damage

The auto body repair cost for hail damage differs from paintless dent repair. With traditional collision repair, the price covers labor and material since the vehicle’s surface needs to be sanded, filled, and repainted.

The price for paintless dent repair covers labor and R&I (removal and installation) of parts. On average, the cost for hail damage repair using PDR is $2,500 to $3,500, and the price using traditional body repair methods is $4,000 to $6,000.

Door Ding

If you go to the mall or grocery store, you’ll end up with door dents. Whether it’s a runaway shopping cart or someone opening their door and letting it hit your car, these dents ruin a nice smooth finish. The good news is minor door dents aren’t expensive to fix.

On average, fixing a single dent in the side panel using PDR is around $90, and having a single dent repaired traditionally is about $350. However, the price is usually higher for traditional methods since it requires sanding and repainting, so we recommend paintless dent removal for minor repairs.

FAQ

• Will filing an insurance claim to have my car fixed by an auto body shop increase my rates? According to our research, the average increase after vehicle damage caused by accidents is around 42%. However, this percentage depends on which driver caused the accident, how severe the damage was, and what type of policy you carry. Bankrate.com has helpful details on this topic.
• What’s a zero payout claim? Unlike filing a traditional claim for repairs, a zero payout claim is a claim you file after making repairs to your vehicle. For example, your rear bumper came off in an accident, you don’t file a claim and put it back. Then shortly after, you get into another accident and file a claim to fix the rear bumper. The insurance may deny the claim since you previously repaired the bumper without their knowledge. A zero payout claim won’t typically increase your premium if done less than two times per year, so it’s a good idea to file them if you plan to repair damage from an accident yourself.
• What type of insurance coverage pays for auto bodywork? Automotive insurance policies come with different levels of coverage, and the most commonly used ones include liability, comprehensive, collision, and uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM). Liability covers bodily injury or property damage caused by the insured driver while operating the vehicle. Comprehensive coverage is for damages to the car itself, such as dents. Finally, most comprehensive insurance plans cover collision repair.
• Can I use PDR to fix the dented body panels? Repair utilizing PDR is possible but will depend on the extent of the damage. For example, you can fix minor body damage such as a door ding or hail dents without traditional auto body repair services.
• How much does a bumper repair cost? Bumpers are usually steel and aluminum and are attached using bolts to the car’s frame. They also protect the front end of the vehicle from minor impacts. The most common damages don’t affect the bumper’s steel part but involve scratches, dings, and dents to the bumper cover. Depending on how severe the damage is, repairing the bumper can range from $100 for minor scratch repair to $500 for paint damage.
• What’s the difference between PDR and collision repair? PDR stands for paintless dent removal. It involves an auto body technician massaging a dent with a metal rod from behind to remove it from the surface. Collision repair typically consists of a body filler and paint to fix panels. Most people think that PDR is cheaper than collision repair because it doesn’t involve welding or painting. However, PDR requires a lot of practice and skill to get good results. After having PDR work, the dent should be gone entirely, and the rest of the panel should look smooth.