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Kundert Volvo Collision
Center
We will take you through every step of the way.
Call Mike Mazzaro at (201) 288-7117 x 1150
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| 1. Prepare estimate |
| Our Estimator will inspect your vehicle and begin to document the
damage caused by the collision in the form of an estimate. In some cases you may
already have a preliminary estimate of this damage prepared by your insurance
company. In any event, this step must be accomplished prior to beginning the
repair process. | |
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| 2. Owner signs repair
authorization |
| Before any work can begin, you must first sign a repair
authorization allowing us to repair your vehicle. At this time it is not unusual
for our Estimator to request another signature in advance to cover any
additional damage that may be found once the repair is
underway. | |
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| 3. Insurance approval |
| The insurance company that is involved must also approve the repair
estimate before we can begin work. | |
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| 4. Parts ordered
electronically |
| Upon receiving approvals from you and the insurance company, we
will begin the process of locating and ordering the parts necessary to repair
your vehicle | |
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| 5. Parts received |
| Once all of the parts are received and accounted for, we can
schedule your vehicle for repair. | |
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| 6. Completion date given |
| At this time we will provide you with an Estimated Completion Date.
It is important to understand that certain types of damage become apparent only
after your vehicle has been disassembled. Therefore, your vehicle's completion
date may need to be revised. | |
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| 7. Vehicle scheduled for
repairs |
| We can now contact you to schedule a convenient time for your
vehicle to be repaired. In some cases your vehicle may already be at our Repair
Center, in which case it will be available for immediate
repair. | |
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| 8. Vehicle dissembled and
re-inspected |
| As your vehicle's outer panels are removed and the physical
structure of the vehicle is revealed, often additional or "hidden damage" is
discovered. This additional damage is difficult to diagnose at the time of the
original estimate as it cannot be seen or predicted until we perform this
thorough inspection. Please note that any additional damage may alter your
vehicle's completion date. | |
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| 9. Supplement damage report written, if
necessary |
| This report is written to cover any additional or "hidden" damage
that may be discovered once your vehicle's outer panels are removed and the
physical structure of your vehicle is revealed. This is referred to as
Supplement Damage in insurance terms. | |
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| 10. Supplement approved |
| The insurance company must authorize this additional damage before
we can continue the repair. | |
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| 11. Additional parts ordered, if
necessary |
| Should we find additional damage, we will need to repeat steps 2,
3, & 4. For this reason, our Estimator may have asked you to sign an
authorization document in advance to cover these additional repairs. Please note
that this additional damage may alter your vehicle's completion
date. | |
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| 12. Customer updated |
| With your permission we will contact you and update you on the
progress of your vehicle's repair at this point. Should anything have affected
the completion date we originally gave you, we will let you know now and tell
you why. | |
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| 13. Vehicle set on unibody equipment (if
needed) |
| Your vehicle was manufactured in compliance with tight structural
standards. Exact location and fit of integral parts are critical to the
operation and appearance of your vehicle. In this process we measure your
vehicle against published factory specifications and return your vehicle to
within the manufacturer's prescribed tolerances to ensure proper operation,
location and fit of body and structural
parts. | |
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| 14. Structural and body
repairs |
| Our Repair Technicians will now undertake structural and body
repairs. | |
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| 15. New panels installed and checked for proper
fit |
| All collision-related repairs require some degree of cosmetic
repair and often require replacement of factory panels. We will check for proper
fit here and ensure your vehicle's parts look, fit and align the way they
should. | |
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| 16. Corrosion protection reapplied to repaired
areas |
| Most of today's vehicles incorporate some form of corrosion
protection applied by the original manufacturer. We will reapply this protection
to ensure that your vehicle conforms to the original manufacturer's
standards. | |
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| 17. All metal work done and initial tests
done |
| It is at this point in the repair that we begin to check systems
for proper functioning and perform quality control systems for the repair work.
An example of a systems check would be the resetting of your safety systems,
involving your passive restraint or air bag
system. | |
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| 18. Customer updated |
| Once again with your permission we will be contacting you to update
you on the progress of your vehicle's repair. Should anything have effected the
completion date we originally gave you, we will let you know now and tell you
why. | |
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| 19. Vehicle prepped, primed and
blocked |
| Our technicians will begin the refinish process by applying a
primer. A surface filler is sprayed on to ensure a quality, uniform and smooth
surface. Block sanding is the method of further preparing the surface of your
vehicle for paint. | |
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| 20. Vehicle is masked, taped and placed in paint
booth |
| To ensure that the highest quality standards are met, we carefully
mask your vehicle to protect it from overspray during the refinish process. Only
the area that needs to be refinished is left uncovered. We then place your
vehicle in a controlled atmosphere called a paint booth, where paint material is
applied. | |
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| 21. Vehicle is chemically cleaned and
tacked |
| This process removes all outside contaminates that may have been
deposited on your vehicle during the repair process. Tacking the vehicle then
removes any dust particle that may remain. | |
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| 22. Vehicle undergoes multi-step refinishing
process |
| Most of today's vehicles are coated with what is known as a
basecoat/clearcoat refinish system. Sometimes a single-stage system is used. In
any event, all systems involve several application steps to ensure a quality
finish. We will only use refinish products that meet or exceed the original
manufacturer's specifications and are backed by a lifetime paint performance
guarantee. | |
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| 23. Reassembly, wheel alignment, air
conditioning, detailing, final inspection, and test drive |
| Once your vehicle has gone through the refinish process we then
reattach the other parts such as mirrors, moldings, and other hardware. Should
your repair require a wheel alignment or services such as air conditioning
repair, we will perform them at this time. Your car will undergo a thorough
cleaning, test drive and quality inspection prior to being returned to you.
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| 24. Confirmed delivery date
given |
| We will contact you and make arrangements to get you back in your
vehicle at your earliest and most convenient
time. | |
