First time at an auto body shop - $$$

[Mr_Dobalina]

Hey all,

The rear end of my 4Runner got hit in a parking lot. I took it to an auto body shop and the first quote I got was for $2,400 to fix.

There is a slight dent in the center and the rest is just scratches.

Is this a decent quote, or is it a "I am way too busy to do this small job but if you pay me a ton of money I will do it for you" quote?

Picture:

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

 

[Old Tanker]

Seems pretty costly to pull out a dent and replace some plastic.

 

[rdruss]

I'd say he's completely out of his mind and get a second opinion, if it's close to that one then it confirms the world is out of control!

 

[ArthurKotb]

You always want at least 2 quotes, preferably 3. If the shop you prefer isn't the lowest, ask them to match either of the other 2 quotes.

Body work is expensive. It doesn't take much any more to total a car.

 

[Billyrides]

Mine was hit in the rear and required replacement of the rear bumper and the hatch. Total bill was around $2800 if I recall. This was about a month or so ago.

 

[cosmo4r]

Definitely high. You also might want to get a quote from a PDR shop to just pull out the dent in the body first. Then its just a simple bumper paint job for the body shop...

 

[Bluesky 07]

Did they provide an itemized quote? They have to be figuring in the cost of new parts, otherwise they're out of their minds.

 

[aa010175]

If it’s covered by insurance I would take it to a dealership. Fix it with real Toyota parts.

 

[Mr_Dobalina]

Did they provide an itemized quote? They have to be figuring in the cost of new parts, otherwise they're out of their minds.

No itemized quote. There is a slight dent which I believe can be pulled out and then just the scratches you can see in the picture. Nothing needs to be replaced.

 

[Reinout]

I don't think that quote is bad since the dent is right on the corner and it's on the plastic bumper as well. Prep and paint will add up quick. But it's also going to depend on the quality of work this repair shop does. If you want to pay less, you'll get less too.

Everyone else has said it: get multiple quotes.

you COULD also try to pull it yourself. I don't know the access from the inside but you might be able to pop some of the dent out. And then live with the scratches.

 

[Bluesky 07]

No itemized quote. There is a slight dent which I believe can be pulled out and then just the scratches you can see in the picture. Nothing needs to be replaced.

I think someone else suggested paintless dent repair for the quarter panel and I'll second it. I've used it twice, first on my nearly-new Xterra that got absolutely pummeled by hail from a Texas thunderstorm. Damn thing looked like a golf ball, and it was black, which shows surface issues more than most other colors. Couldn't believe my eyes when I picked it up - it looked new other than one tiny dent in the curve from the side to the roof that couldn't be reached. I didn't even see it until they pointed it out. All for $600 less than a traditional body shop quoted.

The other time was more recent - what I call my $90 acorns. We had two 100-foot oaks right next to the driveway and a couple of acorns hit my 4R. Honestly, I wouldn't have cared other than that one hit the hood right in the middle of my field of vision when driving. Got them both pulled out and you can't tell anything ever happened.

 

[Too Stroked]

If it’s covered by insurance I would take it to a dealership. Fix it with real Toyota parts.

You don't have to go to a dealership body shop to get genuine Toyota parts. Any shop will quote you using OEM parts - if you ask them. On the other hand, a dealership body shop will use aftermarket parts if the insurance company refuses to pay for OEM. Many low-priced insurance companies do this.

The other caution I'd offer is that dealership body shops are not always the best body shops. I've seen some pretty poor quality repairs out of a large Toyota dealership body shop near us. All done with OEM parts I might add.