If you are like most SUV owners you take a lot of pride in your vehicle and go to great lengths to keep it looking good, but sometimes no matter how safe and careful you are accidents occur. It is especially crucial to choose a quality body shop as an SUV owner just because of the value of the vehicle. If the repairs are not done right it can cost you thousands when you are ready to trade. It is necessary to find a body shop that can bring your vehicle back as close as possible to the condition it was in before the accident.

There are a few factors that can help you to avoid the rip-offs who aren't much better than a drunk with a spray can, hey come to think of it some of them are drunks with a spray can. Anyway, here are some hints to help you find a good body shop.

Just as when looking for a good mechanic, the reputation of the body shop is an important factor to consider. Ask for references from your insurance company, they don't deal with inferior service providers because they have a vested interest in the vehicles being repaired properly as well. Another thing you can do is ask your mechanic, if he has been around the area awhile you can bet that he knows who the best body shops are and which ones to avoid. Don't buy into big ads in the yellow pages or on billboards, anyone can buy publicity. A good reference is priceless.

Next, you want to be able to view their work. If they are unwilling to show you before and after photos and even let you see jobs they are currently working on just walk away. Any reputable body shop will be more than happy to show you the quality of their work, the ones that won't have something to hide, maybe it's that stolen car they are chopping the paint booth!

Another thing that you definitely want to look for from a quality body shop is a guarantee. A good shop will always stand behind the repairs they have done and will usually give some kind of warranty on paint, parts, and labor. Ask them specifically what their policy is regarding guarantees and what they will do for you if you are not happy with the quality of the work that they have done on your SUV. If they get indignant with you leave and find another one, any decent body shop knows and understands a customer has concerns about there vehicle being repaired properly.

You invested a lot of money in your SUV; make sure you invest some time in finding the right body shop to repair it.