Why does your minor smash repair cost more than you expect?

Mysterious noises, disappointing results. When the drive home reveals a new rattle or metallic creak, it can be frustrating for anyone who thought they had taken care of their car.

Minor damage is all too common on modern cars and most owners are well-versed in the costs of major repairs—from bumper modifications to engine replacements.

However, even small dings can cost big bucks. Considering the average price of a new car is roughly $31,000 (or $22,950 for used cars), unexpected costs are frustrating, to say the least.

So why do minor repairs cost so much?

According to David Eames-Johnson, general manager at Toyota in Langley, the answer is simple: time.

“It’s easy to pop off a mudguard or door panel on some cars, but when you do that with others, the damage goes much deeper,” he said. “The fix is not always easily done and can take a lot of time.”

Eames-Johnson said some parts, such as an engine compartment, can take hours to access and repair. It could be more cost-efficient for the service department to preventatively replace it rather than make a simple repair.

“To install or remove certain items—like gas tanks or radiators—can require additional equipment, which adds to the time it takes to fix a car,” he said.

“If it’s not much money, the dealership will take care of it, but if it’s several hundred dollars, then they might just discount or replace that part.”

While new technology is keeping us safer, it is also making cars more expensive to run and fix. Front bumper repairs used to be easy. Now due to sensors and other new technology, there can be a lot involved in replacing a front bumper. A front sensor on the bumper alone can cost hundreds of dollars, the sensors then need to be recalibrated.

Some cars have upward of 10 sensors on the front bumper, so charging a couple hundred dollars per bumper isn’t surprising. A new hood can be anywhere from $500 to $2000, depending on how it is constructed and what type of engine is in the car.

On newer cars with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) if the windscreen comes out the camera will also need to be recalibrated.

Replacing an airbag sensor or deflector is also more involved than a typical service.

An airbag is made up of multiple components that need to be replaced with the full assembly. An example price for this was $1400. Recovering just an airbag can run anywhere from $700-$2000 depending on whether it’s a driver or passenger side bag, what type of car you have and how many sensors are attached to it.

Recovering a COMPLETE side airbag/seatbelt unit (including seat-mounted side bags, door modules and sensors etc.) can be expensive. We just had the airbags replace on a Land Rover, it cost us $14,000 all up.

If airbags go off the whole dash may need to be replacing. Once the new airbags are fitted, the car will then have to be transported to a dealer to have the airbags tested and recoded. If the airbag had been deployed, even the car’s ECU might need replacing.

Evidently, the cost of minor smash repair is not always minor.

At Busselton Panel and Paint we are able to do most calibrations onsite but a lot of panel shops need to send cars to dealers. We are trusted, have in-depth experience, and are able to save you money by doing the job onsite.

Get in touch or bring your vehicle in and we will show you why we are the leading choice for local car owners.