Unless you’re experienced in auto body repair and have all the necessary tools for the job, it’s probably just best to leave auto body repair to the experts. Yes, auto body repairs can be expensive and usually they come at unexpected times. No one wants to pay the costs out of pocket and using insurance to pay will most likely result in higher insurance rates. Unfortunately, your choices are limited, but at least there are still some things you can do to save some money or make sure you get what you pay for.
The first thing you can do is to minimize damage to your car in the first place. Having an accident is one thing, but you can avoid things like potholes, curbs and other obstacles that can damage your car. Drive carefully.
If you do get into an accident that requires auto body repairs, make sure you get the best price and get what you pay for. Check the rates of the shops you are considering. Most body shops have different labor rates for mechanical and auto body repairs. After the work is done, check your bill to make sure you are charged the correct rate for the work that was done.
If the damage is minor, find out if paint less dent repair is possible. Sometime if the damage consists of a small dent it can be taken care of using paint less dent repair which is less expensive than traditional auto body repairs.
Before you take your car to the body shop to repair scratches, consider repairing them yourself. This is a personal choice of course but if you really want to save money just look up the cars paint code from the door jamb and get some touch up paint.
Again, doing auto body and paint repairs yourself will probably not get you the same results as when a professional does them, but that’s your choice.