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When you take your car to a body shop for painting or other work, what type of warranty can you expect on the job? Many shops offer a "lifetime" warranty to the original owner, which sounds ideal - but typically such warranties come with many exclusions. What's important is that you patronize a shop you can trust to do a great job for your money. What A Warranty Typically Covers A warranty from a body shop usually protects you against problems you might experience after you had work done, including any mechanical work required after a collision. If you compare warranties you find on the Internet, you will see some standard language which states that the warranty covers: • solvent blistering, peeling, hazing, and loss of pigmentation for the paint and any stripes or decals that were installed. • cracking, flaking, pitting, or deterioration of materials used in repairing your car. • mechanical repairs that resulted from the original collision. Depending on the language of your warranty, this may or may not include suspension, air-conditioning and electrical assemblies and components. • parts replaced during the collision repair. The repair shop will not offer you a better warranty on parts than what the manufacturer offers, however. Some shops specify that the parts will be OEM replacements from the manufacturer, while others indicate they will use third-party aftermarket parts or used parts only with your knowledge and permission. Usually, there is an "unless…" clause that states the work will be redone unless damage is caused by or results from "unreasonable use, maintenance, or care of the vehicle." If you have another accident, or have paint chipped off by gravel that flies off the road, or get a ding from another careless driver who opens his or her door into yours, you are not covered by your original warranty. In addition, the warranty is not transferable, so if you sell the car, the next owner cannot make claims under it. What a Warranty Usually Excludes Warranties typically exclude future damage from rust on your car and often excludes some work done to repair rust. Unfortunately, rust occurs with age and exposure to the elements – factors out of the hands of the body shop. Needless to say, the warranty does not cover rust or any other damage to parts the shop did not replace. You may go to a great body shop, but it cannot overturn the laws of nature. Even though taking your car in for warranty repairs can be an inconvenience that might result in towing charges, car rental fees, and travel expenses, incidental charges are not covered by the warranty. Often, your auto club membership or personal car insurance will pay some of these charges. Most warranties will not cover assemblies, components, or damages caused by defective parts or installation of these items. For example, if the shop replaces a fuse for your heater, they won't buy you a new heating and air-conditioning system if you got a bad fuse. Claiming Warranty Damage Unless you had your car repaired at a national chain, most warranties specify that you must return to the original shop for repairs. In fact, if you let another shop or your cousin Pete alter, adjust, or tamper with the repair, you will void the original warranty and will be out of luck if you then take the car back to the original shop. To make a claim under the warranty, you usually need to present your original invoice and warranty. How Warranties Differ Though many warranties use standard language, there are differences among them. Some are long and legalistic sounding, while others are shorter and appear more customer friendly. Bottom line, warranties aim to offer both you and the shop some protection. They also aim to be reasonable; there is some damage your car's body will experience over time that you cannot tie to a repair made 10 years ago. No matter whether the shop offers a warranty for a year or lifetime, all shops have exclusions. The best shops, however, value your business, pride themselves on good work, and will give you good value even on repairs not covered by insurance or under warranty.
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