Learn how disassembly, documentation, supplements, approvals, reassembly, and quality checks fit into the repair process.
For car owners after a collision
RepairExplainer helps your selected body shop show you what your vehicle needs, why each repair step matters, and how insurance decisions may affect the process.
For years, collision repair estimates have been written in a way that makes sense to shops, estimators, insurers, and parts systems, but not always to car owners.
A typical estimate may include dozens or even hundreds of line items: remove and install operations, repair time, refinish labor, scans, calibrations, one-time-use parts, corrosion protection, trim access, safety system checks, and more.
That information matters, but it is rarely explained clearly.
RepairExplainer was created to help close that gap.
For most car owners, an estimate is the first time they have ever seen this kind of paperwork.
Same vehicle, same repair, same totals. On the left is the estimate most car owners actually receive. On the right is the same repair inside RepairExplainer.
Dense codes, abbreviations, and totals. Written for adjusters, parts systems, and accountants, not for you.
The same line items, grouped by what was done and why. With visuals, plain words, and the context you actually need.
Prepared for Alex Morgan by ABC Body Shop
RO 18949
07/09/2024
Repair total
$2,129.65
Sections
5 areas
Insurer
Sections 01
Before anyone opens a door or sands a panel, the car is washed and the interior is wrapped so dirt does not end up under fresh paint.
Section 02
Your XC90 runs on dozens of computers, cameras, and sensors. The shop scans the car before any work and again after, then verifies everything reads normally.
Section 03
The same exploded view your shop uses, shown so you can see exactly which panels and trim pieces had to come off to access the repair area.
Section 04
Section 05
Small details that signal quality work and protect the underlying repair from corrosion.
Real diagrams. Plain words. No jargon. Below are the kinds of things your repair shop can show you inside RepairExplainer.
Simple diagrams help show the areas of your vehicle involved in the repair, including damaged panels, replaced parts, refinished areas, and safety-related components.
Technical estimate language is translated into clear descriptions so you can understand what is being repaired and why it matters.
Learn how disassembly, documentation, supplements, approvals, reassembly, and quality checks fit into the repair process.
Modern vehicles often require scans, calibrations, OEM repair procedures, and system checks. RepairExplainer explains why those steps may be needed.
Diagrams shown are illustrative examples. They are not official repair procedures.
Collision damage is not always fully visible at the beginning. Once the vehicle is disassembled, your repair shop may find additional damage, hidden parts, broken clips, damaged brackets, corrosion protection needs, or required manufacturer procedures.
That does not mean something went wrong.
It usually means the shop is documenting the repair properly and updating the insurance company as more information becomes available.
RepairExplainer helps explain those updates so you can better understand what changed and why.
Your repair shop writes an estimate based on what the vehicle needs. The insurance company reviews that estimate and may approve some items, question others, or ask for additional documentation.
Commonly challenged items
Camera and sensor calibrations require a controlled setup with specific distance, target alignment, and lighting. That is why they show up as separate, documented steps.
A short pay happens when an insurer pays less than the amount requested for a repair operation, procedure, part, material, or service.
When that happens, RepairExplainer can help explain:
When insurance pressures shops to cut corners, the shop, not the insurer, bears the liability for the repair. That is why proper documentation matters.
Today, RepairExplainer helps explain your collision repair estimate.
In the future, participating repair shops may also use RepairExplainer to help customers track repair status, view updates, understand claim progress, and see where their vehicle is in the repair process.
Think of it as a clearer window into your collision repair journey.
Your repair shop uses RepairExplainer to help explain your estimate in plain language. It is designed to help you understand what your vehicle needs, why certain procedures are included, and how the insurance review process may affect the repair.
Many modern vehicles have cameras, sensors, driver assistance systems, restraint systems, and electronic modules that may need to be checked, reset, scanned, or calibrated after a collision repair.
Contact your selected repair shop. RepairExplainer helps explain the repair, but your shop is the best source for questions about your vehicle, repair status, charges, insurance communication, and next steps.