Scrape Repair

[lexyblue]

Unfortunately, I scraped my car--just over the right rear wheel and just a tad bit on the lower portion of the right rear door (actually just at the door seam). Received 2 estimates for repair today. One at an independent--it was about $750. He said it would take him two days. I didn't ask him a lot of questions but he has done work for me one other time on another car and he did a good job as far as I could tell.

Then I went to Toyota for an estimate. The guy spent a lot of time telling me how nice my car was and how he would want to do a very good and careful job. He gave me a few more details, like how he would take off the door handle and not tape it and he would replace the seal around the wheel well though it appears to have no damage. He would also apply new clear coat after blending the paint and he would apply the clear coat along the panel just over the windows all the way down to the the bottom of the front windshield. All this for about the same number of labor hour and it would be over $900. He said he would need the car for 5 days--wanted extra drying time.

The truth is that at this point I don't know that the independent won't be doing the exact same thing. I, of course, can ask him. Anyone have any thoughts or advice about what is needed? I just want the best "like new" outcome I can get.

By the way, I did ask my Lexus salesman whether I should use the dealer. He said there was really no need because often they just take them out to a non-Lexus dealer down the road to do their work. He thought a good body shop would do just as well.

Thanks for any insights.

[The G Man]

If you have done business with the 1st body shop and was satified, I would just use them. Ask the body to use the procedure as the dealer even if it will cost you more.

[Member123]

It has been my experience here in the Portland area that dealers no longer do their own body work. Rather, they have one or two "certified" body shops they send their customers to. I would be skeptical of a dealer trying to do body work in house. It's all about outsourcing these days....

[Step Hen]

Yeah, I highly doubt the Lexus dealership does their own body work. All the NY dealers send their body work out of shop. Try to find out from the salesman which bodyshop they send their cars to and go there directly to get the best price.

[lexyblue]

Good points and thank you all for your replies.