Every team member at European Collision Center takes exceptional pride in their work. Whether we’re repairing a minor scratch in the paint or extensive front-end damage, we take time to make sure every detail is perfect through strict quality control measures.
Auto body repair is more complex than many drivers realize, and even more so with today’s vehicles. Modern vehicles have more electrical components, sensors, and computer processors than ever before – and that’s a trend that will certainly continue as automotive technology continues to evolve. For this reason, greater care must be taken to confirm everything is working exactly as it should before the vehicle is returned to its owner.
Our Process
To ensure the quality of our work always remains high, we perform the following quality control measures on every vehicle:
- The first step in the quality control process is when our estimator meets with our clients and review the damage together. Making sure to get clear client expectations on what they want addressed and how the damaged occurred.
- The estimator will then do a thorough inspection of the vehicle with the client, noting damage the extent of the damage that we’ll be repairing, as well as any pre-existing damage.
- Once the estimator has completed their estimate, it’s given to the blueprinter, who researches the repairs. This includes factory-recommended repair processes, necessary equipment, and any new parts that are needed.
- The technician then takes the areas that require repairs apart and develops a repair plan with the blueprinter.
- Next, we check the torque specs for your vehicle. This is important because if any rotating part is even slightly off-level, it will create a wobble during rotation. It may not be visible, but it’s noticeable with high revolutions or RPMs. Over time, this can cause damage to the part, or nearby components.
- All parts that require welding are welded on, then the technician inspects all welds to make sure they’re of good quality and the correct type for the location.
- Once the technician has signed off on the welding, all gaps between doors, fenders, panels, and other areas are checked before the car is sent to the paint shop.
- The car is painted, then goes through a series of quality control checks before it’s refinished. Once this is done, they check that the color matches.
- The body man looks over the paint department’s work before the car is reassembled to make sure everything is flawless and a complete match.
- After the vehicle is reassembled we run a full systems check, including checking the emergency, safety, and ADAS codes, making calibrations as needed.
- The shop foreman does a final quality control inspection before the car goes to the detail department. All doors and windows are checked multiple times to ensure they open and close correctly, as well as the trunk and hood.
- The vehicle’s then sent to the detail department, where they use a high powered sprayer to test all the areas that could leak, like the doors, windows, and sunroof.
- The vehicle is returned to the estimator, who does another quality control check.
- If any mechanical components were disassembled, we’ll also take the car on a test drive for a minimum of 30 miles. This allows us to check for any unusual sounds, vibrations, or mechanical issues.
- The final inspection is performed by our Quality Control manager and then the estimator is notified that the vehicle is ready for delivery.
What’s Next?
Once your vehicle has passed every quality control check, we’ll notify you that it’s ready to be picked up!
As you can see, your vehicle goes through many different departments and steps after you’ve dropped it off. Although these checks do extend the repair time, it’s the best way to ensure your car will be safe and completely restored to its pre-accident condition. If you have any questions about our repair process, quality control, or you’d like to schedule an appointment, feel free to contact us at (415) 551-9700 or send us a message through our online form.