When a car crash happens, the owner can easily go into shock twice. The first wave of stress comes from the actual collision and that’s followed by the bill for repairing the damage. This leads many to try to find a cheaper option but experts warn that cheaper isn’t always better. Shawn Vogel, manager at Price’s Collision Center in Murfreesboro, says “correcting badly done repairs are always more than what the initial repair would have been in the first place.”
The cost of collision repair is affected most heavily by the parts that are damaged. The five most expensive parts that add to the cost include many of the things that we don’t think about when it comes to collisions, specifically computers, headlamps, Safety Systems, Bumpers/Grills, and mirrors. The biggest reason why these are so expensive to fix boils down to one thing: Advanced Technology. With all the cameras, sensors, motion detectors, etc., these items come with a surprisingly hefty price tag in the thousands.
1. Computer
The computer for a car is one pricey computer. Just doing an inspection of the computer can run between $150-$500 depending on just how complex the control unit is. If you need to replace it, it often costs between $1000 to $3000, and to reprogram the computer takes another $150-$600.
2.Safety System
Just as expensive is the safety systems within the car. As our technology has advanced, so has the safety of our vehicles, but this means that there are more airbags and sensors than those older vehicles. Individual airbags can cost $1000-$1500 per airbag to be replaced. This doesn’t even begin to look at safety belts that were perhaps cut or the sensors that need to be repaired or reprogrammed.
3.Bumpers & Grills
Another expensive fix is the bumpers and grills. No more are they just a piece of metal, wood, or plastic to be replaced. Vogel says this change is because “bumpers and grills have the extra added costs of those back up cameras, sensors, and extra lights.” To replace just the bumper can run as much as $700. Bumpers and grills have the extra added costs of those back up cameras, sensors, extra lights, etc. While backup cameras are more standardized and therefore fairly cheap, the rest of the add-ons from lights, trim, warning systems, airbag sensors, and air intakes pile into the cost. Removing all of these parts completely can take two to three hours minimum, but the individual replacement costs add up quick to go well above $1000.
4. Headlamps
Headlamps and Mirrors are the two most surprising item repairs that are on this list, and though it does depend on manufacturing, brand, add-ons, etc., they are surprisingly expensive across the board. The replacements cost for these items can be in the high hundreds to low thousand, and the answer to why they are so expensive is once again answered by technology advancements. If you happen to have a vehicle with HID headlamps expect to pay around $1500 for each assembly replacement, but even older headlamp systems can cost up to $700 to replace.
5.Mirrors
Mirrors also are no longer just about getting a new mirror attached. Mirrors not only have dimmers, but heaters, sensors, motion detectors, cameras, and sometimes lights on them now. Once you add in labor and part cost on all those tiny little pieces, you end up with a surprisingly big price tag of up to $1500. “Often this doesn’t even include the full cost, as once it is attached, because only the dealer can do the reprogramming necessary for making the mirror function with the car,” Vogel added.
Other general things that can add to the cost of repair is not only the type of vehicle, but the material the vehicle is made from. Luxury, sport, and heavy duty vehicles automatically cost more to repair because their parts are generally more expensive. Material also factors in as most newer cars are made using aluminum. The new material not only requires a special training to know how to repair it, but it also requires more labor time in order to fix it.
Visit a local Price’s Collision Center near you.
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