Questions people ask before they drive over
The things worth knowing before you bring the car in.
Estimates and booking
Do I need an appointment for an estimate?
No. Come in during opening hours and we will look at the car with you. Or photograph the damage and we will put an estimate in writing.
Is the estimate really free?
Yes, and it is written and itemized so you can take it away and compare it against another shop.
What should I bring?
The car, and the claim number if an insurer is involved. Year, make and model help if you are sending photographs instead.
Time
How long will a bumper repair take?
Most bumper repairs are 1–3 days. Tab repairs and small dents without paint damage are often done the same day.
And a fender bender?
Fender benders and express auto body work are typically 2–3 days.
Why do heavier jobs take longer?
Parts availability and insurer approval, mostly. Once a supplement has to be approved, the timeline stops being entirely ours — we will keep you told either way.
Repair or replace
Will you repair my bumper or replace it?
We look at repairing it first. Scuffs, scrapes, cracks and snapped mounting tabs can usually be plastic-welded and refinished. If it is beyond saving we will show you why rather than simply quoting a new one.
My bumper is not damaged but it sags. Is that expensive?
Usually not. That is normally sheared mounting tabs, which can be rebuilt. Replacing an undamaged bumper cover because of a broken plastic tab is an expensive way to solve a small problem.
Can you get a dent out without painting?
If the paint is unbroken, yes — paintless dent repair. If the paint is cracked or scraped through, it cannot be done that way and we will say so.
Paint
Will the color match?
We match to the panel rather than to the paint code alone, then blend into the adjacent panels. Arizona sun fades cars unevenly, so a formula that is technically correct can still be visibly wrong.
Insurance and warranty
Do you work with my insurance company?
Yes. Bring the claim number and we will deal with the adjuster directly. More on claims.
Is it worth claiming?
Sometimes not. We will tell you what the repair costs so you can weigh it against your deductible before you decide.
What does the warranty cover?
Our workmanship, for as long as you own the vehicle. The warranty page sets out the exclusions in full — a warranty is only worth what its exclusions allow.
The shop
Is anything sent out to another shop?
No. Bodywork, refinishing, dents, wheels, glass chips, headlights, tinting, film, detailing and interior work all happen in this building.
Are you in Tempe?
No — the shop is in Scottsdale, just under five miles north of downtown Tempe. Plenty of our customers drive up from Tempe, and we would rather say that plainly. Areas we serve.
Sun, heat and monsoon
The clear coat on my roof is peeling. Can that be repaired?
Yes, and in Arizona it is one of the most common paint jobs we do. UV breaks the clear coat down from the flat, sun-facing panels first — roof, hood, trunk lid, mirror caps — long before the vertical panels show anything at all.
Once clear coat is peeling it cannot be polished back. The panel has to be sanded past the failed layer, sealed and refinished. Doing the roof on its own is usually a false economy, because the hood is normally a year or so behind it.
Do you handle hail damage?
Yes. Monsoon hail is close to what paintless dent repair was invented for: a lot of shallow dents with the paint still intact, worked out from behind the panel with no filler and no respray.
Where a strike has actually cracked the paint, that panel needs conventional bodywork instead. A car can easily need both, and you will be told which panels fall where before anything starts.
My car has been parked outside for years. Is it worth fixing?
Sometimes the honest answer is no. On an older car, a quote to refinish several sun-damaged panels can get close to what the car is worth, and you deserve to hear that before you spend it.
You will get the number either way. Fixing the panels you actually look at and leaving the rest is a legitimate choice, and we are happy to price it that way.
Before you come in
Can I get an estimate from photographs?
Yes. For a scuffed, cracked or sagging bumper a photo estimate is usually accurate. Send one shot of the whole panel and one close-up, and the figure comes back in writing.
For anything that took a real impact you will get a range rather than a single number. What shows on the outside is rarely the whole job — brackets, absorbers and mounting points take load that does not photograph.
How do I get around while the car is in?
Most bumper work is one to three days and tab repairs are often same day, so most people arrange one lift rather than a rental. The shop is in Old Town, so there is somewhere to go if you would rather wait.
If your policy includes a rental, say so at drop-off and the estimate will be written so your insurer authorizes it before you need it.
Do you work on trucks, vans and larger SUVs?
Yes, and they are routine. If a vehicle is too tall or too long to go through the booth you will be told before you book rather than after.
Get a free written estimate
Still not sure? Call and describe it — you will get a straight answer.
Call 480-933-5635 — — or bring the car to 3002 N Civic Center Plaza Ste B, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. Get directions
Everything is done in house by our own I-CAR trained technicians, and the workmanship is covered by our lifetime warranty.