Frequently Asked Questions

Our answer is always "As soon as possible", but first we need to find out a little more about your situation. Things like the extent of the damages, whether you're feeling safe driving the vehicle in its current condition, and locating the right parts can all come into play. If a repair shop tells you a firm date without knowing anything about your vehicle or your situation, this should be taken as a red flag and you may experience a poorly managed repair.

Being without a vehicle while your car or truck is getting collision repairs can be a major disruption to your employment and lifestyle. That's why, for your convenience Discount Car and Truck rental is located right inside Dilawri Collision Centre and we offer a $10/day rental* to our customers that don't have coverage through SGI or Loss of use coverage on a package policy. If you have the coverage, a copy of the coverage will need to be provided.

*Rental rate may depend on location/availability.

In general, the insurance industry considers a totalled vehicle one whose repair cost would exceed its book purchase price. Hence, under some circumstances a perfectly sound and operational older vehicle might be considered totalled as a result of visually moderate damage. This is an issue to take up with your insurance provider – in all cases, we are simply performing repairs as authorized by your insurance carrier.

We have 7 Collision Centre locations across Canada.

Hours of operation vary from location to location, but are generally 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday, with some locational open additional hours or on the weekend. Please visit the Contact Us page for details on hours, location and phone numbers.

It is always advisable to schedule an appointment in advance. Our work flow is constantly changing, so it's best to know that your time visiting us is efficient and productive.

When you drop off your car for the repairs, we will give you a timeline based on the initial estimate. Our technicians will inspect the damages on your car. If there are hidden damages that were missed on the initial estimate, then the completion date may change based if additional parts are needed or more repair time needed. We would then contact you to advise of the changes and a new completion date.

Yes, we can coordinate to take your car to service when we are finished the repairs. We just ask that the customer contact the service department to advise what type service is necessary and Dllawri Collision Centre will take care of the rest.

Yes, we can take vehicles getting towed in from SGI. Once an estimate has been completed at the SGI centre, you would contact us to advise that it is getting towed here.

Yes, we do have a shuttle service that would be happy to drop you off at your home or place of work and pick you back up when your vehicles collision repairs are completed.

You will have 2 years from the date of loss with SGI on the claim repairs. In addition we have a lifetime workmanship warranty on our paint as long as you own the car against peeling, checking and fading.

We use advanced computer-aided color matching systems and the industry's finest polymer coatings, all in an effort to achieve the closest possible color match with your original finish. In addition, our team has years of experience in blending-in the areas where old color meets new. Most customers happily tell us "Wow, I can't tell where the damage occurred!" Nevertheless, you should be aware that 100% color matching is not achievable in every case. This is because original finishes become weathered over time and are affected by sun exposure. In addition, the paints used when a car is built are applied to the bare bodyshell, in some cases by dipping or electrostatic methods, and then baked at temperatures that would melt the interior! So collision repair paints always use a slightly different formulation.

In general, we recommend that you avoid machine washing or waxing your vehicle for 30 days after it is refinished. In addition, protect your vehicle during that period from harsh sunlight, acid rain, or any type of scrubbing or abrasive action., Give the finish time to cure and harden fully.

The deductible payment is based on the terms of your personal insurance policy, internal insurance company policies and the circumstances surrounding the accident (fault/no-fault). Please check your policy terms or contact your insurance company representative.

In the majority of cases the body shop is unable to cover the deductible. There are certain instances where a portion of a deductible may be absorbed.

If you have either a $500 or $700 deductible through SGI, you can contact SGI and find out if you qualify to make payments.

With exceptions, yes. Certain vintage vehicles or exotics that use unusual construction methods are not compatible with our finishing methods, and are best handled by antique-car or specialty-car specialists. Contact us with details and we will advise the best course of action to take.

We employ journeyman technicians. They continually take factory standard training courses, only offered by the manufacturer.

Generally yes. Running changes during a model year are surprisingly common, and it's therefore always advisable to check any part number against the vehicle's VIN.

This will vary based on the extent of the damage and the availability of parts.

We understand that accidents are just that – accidents. If you choose to pay for repairs yourself rather than making an insurance claim, our main focus is ensuring your vehicle safe to drive. From there, we can review affordable solutions, including prioritizing repairs according to functionality. The rates we offer you are the same as those we offer insurance companies.

Our warranty is a lifetime workmanship guarantee. This means we stand behind the repairs we make for as long as you own the vehicle repaired. The warranty does not cover rust.

If there are any injuries sustained in the collision, call 911 immediately for medical assistance. Any damage over $1,000 is required to be reported to a Collision Centre Reporting Centre within 24 hours.

We will arrange for a rental car on your behalf once we have authorization from your insurance company. If you are paying without an insurance claim, arrangements can be made immediately. At some locations, we have a limited number of rental options right on-site.

It is advisable to get multiple estimates before awarding the repair work. We provide estimates at no charge. It is your right to determine where you'd like your vehicle repaired, however, your focus should be on the reputation, warranty and quality of the repair facility, not just the final price. Always ensure your vehicle is repaired to your standards – regardless of who is paying for it.

Our goal is to always utilize manufacturer parts. However, the age of your vehicle, as well as the terms of your insurance policy can dictate that aftermarket parts may be used. It's important to understand what type of parts your insurance policy covers. In some cases, aftermarket parts offer a more cost effective way to execute the repairs.

Betterment is a situation where an insurance company replaces a natural wear and tear item with a new part and the driver is required to pay for a portion of the 'use'. For example, items that can be subject to a betterment charge include exhausts, batteries and tires.

The costs differences associated with painting one small area versus an entire vehicle are substantial. Preparation, materials, labour all must be considered. If your insurance company is paying for repairs, they will likely only authorize the cost of the affected panels. The products and procedures used on our facilities allow for matching colour and finish to exacting standards, providing the current condition of paint/finish has not significantly deteriorated.

Our facility will return your vehicle in its pre-accident condition. It is important to remember we only repair the panels or elements that were damaged in the collision – or those additionally requested through the estimating and consultation process.

Our customer service and quality repairs have earned us well-earned reputation throughout the industry. Therefore, our facilities have business relationships with a wide variety of insurance companies and automotive dealerships. It's quite possible we are on a number of preferred lists. Our commitment is focused on repairing your vehicle to your satisfaction and provides you with a Lifetime Warranty on the repairs completed by any of our Collision Centres.