How to check your car has been properly repaired when you collect it

Collecting your car after a bodywork and paint repair is usually a relief. Even so, it is worth spending five or ten minutes looking at it calmly before you drive off. It is not about distrusting the workshop; it is about checking together that everything is as it should be. A good workshop is happy for you to look: if there is anything to fix, it is much easier to do it there and then than weeks later.

Look at the car in good light

Light is everything with paint. Under a dark roof or at night, a lot goes unnoticed; in harsh midday sun, some reflections are misleading. Ideally, use daylight that is slightly indirect, and look at the repaired panel from several angles: straight on, from the side, and crouching down to see the reflection along the panel.

What to check in the paint

• The colour. Compare the repaired panel with the ones next to it. With metallic or pearlescent colours, also look from a low angle, because that is where a difference in shade shows most.
• Gloss and texture. The finish should match the rest of the car. A rough texture, such as heavy orange peel, or dull patches suggest something has not gone right.
• Specks, runs or dust trapped in the clear coat. Run your hand gently over the surface: you often feel them before you see them.
• The edges of the work. There should be no visible line where the new paint ends, and no leftover masking tape on rubbers or trims.

What to check in the panels and fitting

• Panel gaps: the space between door and wing, bonnet and headlamps, or tailgate and rear lights should be even on both sides.
• Ripples. Look at the reflection of a straight line (a kerb, a lamp post) in the panel. If it distorts, the dent removal or filling may need improving.
• Doors, bonnet and boot: they should open and close normally, without rubbing and without needing to be slammed.
• Headlamps, rear lights and glass clean, properly seated and without gaps.
• Trims, badges and clips in place, with nothing loose or rattling.

Don't forget the paperwork

Ask for the invoice detailing the work done and keep it with the repair estimate you accepted. Check that they match and, if any work was added, that you were asked first. The invoice is also your proof of the repair warranty: Spanish regulations set a minimum warranty of three months or 2,000 kilometres on repairs, and in our case the paintwork also carries a lifetime warranty under the conditions we explain when we hand the car back.

If you see something, say so at the time

If something doesn't look right to you, mention it before you leave. Often it is a small adjustment or a quick polish that can be sorted on the spot. Other times it is a reflection or a shadow that is cleared up straight away when you look at it with the technician. What matters is talking it through calmly with the car in front of you.

And if an issue only shows up later, for example after washing the car or in different light, call the workshop and explain. A photo helps a lot. That is what the warranty is for.

To find out more about how we work with private customers or about our lifetime paint warranty, drop by the workshop in Las Chafiras or call us on 922 73 64 47.