How Long Does Collision Repair Take?

If you have ever stopped by our Toyota of Orlando Collision Center, you’ve probably seen our daily arrivals of cars for accident repairs. When these damaged vehicles arrive, the top question our technicians hear is always “How long does collision repair take?”. There can be various answers to this question that can be confusing to understand, but that’s how we can help! Toyota of Orlando is reviewing the collision repair timeline and all the factors that can impact it.

Understanding How Car Repairs Work

How long will your repairs take? There are several factors that can impact the timeline, including: 

• Luxury, foreign, or vintage cars may take longer due to the search for the right parts. Cars sold in high volumes, such as the Toyota RAV4, have more readily available parts, so it takes less time to find the parts and repair your ride.

• If you ask, “How long does collision repair take?”, then our tech will ask, “How bad is the damage?”. The more extensive the damage is, the longer it will take to fix your car.

• Your insurance company could be backed up with answering other customers, so it could take longer to approve your claim and our estimate. Our Orlando body shop technicians can’t start working on your Toyota’s repairs without the approval of your insurance company!

• Like other businesses, repair shops have busy seasons. This can be an influence on how quickly the technicians can get to your car for repairs.

How Long Does Collision Repair Take: Phase One

So you've brought in your car to our Toyota of Orlando Collision Center for repair. First, they need to inspect and review the damage for your Toyota repairs:

• Our techs will examine your vehicle from bumper to bumper to check for any damage while taking pictures for the assessment.

• The techs will establish a plan for any parts in need of repair, adjustment, or replacement. As we said before, this can be a main influence when answering “how long does collision repair take?”.

• After the review, we’ll send these estimates to your insurance company to complete their own review. Minor estimates shouldn’t take long to approve, but approval for larger repairs can take up to five days.

• The evaluation portion shouldn’t take more than a day to complete, but the actual length will vary based on the repair size.

How Long Does Collision Repair Take: Phase Two

Next in the Toyota repairs process is the actual repair. Once your insurance company approves the final estimates, our techs get to work! 

• Once your Toyota is disassembled, a second inspection will take place to determine if there’s hidden damage. If any is found, the techs have to resubmit an estimate to your insurance company and wait for approval again.

• If a replacement part is needed, it may take up to seven days to arrive, as it may not already be in stock. If it’s during a heavy shipping season (like the holidays), it could take longer!

• After the second inspection is completed and all required parts are in stock, it’s time to start the Toyota repairs! If you’re looking for the simplest answer to “how long does collision repair take?”, then this is it! Minor repairs can take anywhere from one to three days, but major repairs could take a couple of weeks to complete.

• Once the repairs are complete, the tech will repair and refinish your car to make it look brand new. This process can be short depending on your Toyota repairs, and won’t take more than four days at the most.

How Long Does Collision Repair Take: Phase Three

The final phase is the review. Our Orlando body shop techs will ensure your car is fully repaired and ready to go! They’ll also detail and wash it so when you come pick it up, it’s fresh and looks like new.

Any Other Questions Like “How Long Does Collision Repair Take?”

Simply put, answering “How long does collision repair take?” isn’t that easy, but we hope you have a better understanding of everything that influences it! Need more help determining how long does collision repair take for your car? Visit Toyota of Orlando today at 3575 Vineland Road to talk to our Collision Center techs, or give us a call at 407-298-4001.