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How to choose a bodyshop: 7 questions to ask before you commit
Most people pick a bodyshop because their insurer told them to, or because someone said "they're alright." Both are bad reasons. Here are seven questions that will tell you, in five minutes, whether a workshop is going to do your car justice — or quietly cost you years of value.
Why this matters more than you think
A bad accident repair doesn't usually fail dramatically. It fails quietly. The colour match drifts under different light. The bonded panel edge lifts six months later. The ADAS sensors are slightly off and the lane-keep nags more than it used to. Three years on, when you come to sell the car, the buyer's HPI check flags the repair history and the price drops by 15%.
None of that is visible the day you collect the car. All of it is real, and all of it is avoidable if you choose the right shop in the first place.
So before you hand over the keys, ask these.
1. Are you BS10125 accredited?
BS10125 is the British Standard for vehicle accident repair. Any reputable shop will hold it. If they don't, walk away — there's no good reason for an accident repair specialist to operate without it.
Bonus question: "How did your last audit go?" A shop that passed with zero non-conformances will tell you proudly. One that's working through a list of issues will be evasive. We covered this in detail in our piece on BS10125.
2. Do you hold manufacturer approval for my car?
This one's a deal-breaker for warranty preservation. Manufacturer-approved bodyshops have been audited by the carmaker, use OEM parts, and follow the carmaker's specified repair methods. Repair at one and your warranty is preserved. Repair at a non-approved shop and you can void the warranty on any structural, paint or safety system worked on.
If your car is in warranty, this question becomes critical. If it's a Hyundai, we're approved (December 2025). For other manufacturers, ask. A shop that holds some approvals is usually better than one that holds none — it shows they've been through the audit process at least once.
3. What's your parts policy?
OEM parts cost more. They're also the difference between a repair that holds for ten years and one that has to be redone in three.
OEM means "original equipment manufacturer" — the part the carmaker themselves fit. Aftermarket parts can be cheaper but vary wildly in quality. Some are fine. Some are dangerous. The cheap aftermarket headlight that almost matches the original looks great until the first cold winter night when it fogs up internally.
A good shop will tell you, transparently, when they'd recommend OEM and when an approved aftermarket alternative is fine. They won't quietly substitute aftermarket parts to keep the insurer happy. They'll explain what's being fitted and why.
4. Do you do ADAS calibration on-site?
ADAS — Advanced Driver Assistance Systems — covers everything from automatic emergency braking to lane-keep assist to adaptive cruise control. Most modern cars have it. After almost any front-end repair, the cameras and radar that drive these systems need recalibrating.
If a shop sub-contracts ADAS calibration to a third party, your car gets transported off-site, the calibration happens somewhere else, and the documentation is patchy. If they do it on-site with manufacturer-specified equipment, the car never leaves their control and the records are clean.
Ask: "Do you do ADAS in-house?" Then ask: "Show me the equipment." A shop that has the kit will be happy to show it off.
5. What's your courtesy car arrangement?
Two parts to this:
- For fault claims through your own policy, the courtesy car is usually a basic small car. Find out the model in advance — some shops have a full fleet of decent cars, some have one tired Yaris that's always booked out.
- For non-fault claims, you're entitled to a like-for-like hire vehicle paid for by the third party. A good shop will arrange this for you automatically. A poor one will quietly stick you in their basic courtesy car and not mention you could have had something matching your own.
If you're handed a small hatchback when you drive a Range Rover, ask why. The answer should be a good one.
6. Are you EV-capable?
If you drive an EV or a hybrid, this is non-negotiable. The relevant qualification is IMI TechSafe. The technician working on your car should hold at least Level 2; the workshop should have Level 3 capability for HV-isolation work. They should have a dedicated EV bay separate from active welding, and they should be able to walk you through their HV-isolation procedure without hesitation.
If they look blank when you say "TechSafe," choose another shop. We covered the EV side in more depth in our piece on EV repair.
7. Can I see the workshop?
This is the simplest test of all. Ask if you can have a quick walk-round. A good shop will say yes — they're proud of the facility and have nothing to hide. A bad shop will get awkward.
What you're looking for: clean floors, organised workspace, modern equipment in clear use, technicians who look like they know what they're doing, separation between welding bays and finishing bays, dust extraction in the prep area, secure parts storage. None of this needs to be glossy. It needs to be ordered.
If you walk in and the workshop's a tip, that tells you something about the work that comes out of it.
Bonus: the questions not to lead with
"How much will it cost?" is the question every customer wants to ask first. Resist. The price answer is meaningless without context — the cheapest quote often involves aftermarket parts, no ADAS calibration, and a workshop that cuts corners on prep. Ask the seven questions above first. Then ask price.
Same with "how soon can you have it back?" Speed matters, but only if it's not at the cost of quality. A two-week turnaround done properly is better than a one-week turnaround that has to be redone.
What we'd say about ourselves
If you ran us through these seven questions:
- BS10125: yes, with zero non-conformances in 2024 and 2025
- Manufacturer approval: Hyundai approved December 2025; further approvals in progress
- Parts policy: OEM where the manufacturer requires, transparent on alternatives
- ADAS: in-house, manufacturer-specified equipment
- Courtesy car: yes, plus full like-for-like hire arrangement for non-fault claims
- EV-capable: yes, IMI TechSafe technicians, dedicated EV bay
- Can you see the workshop? Anytime. Drop in.
We're at Unit 31 Queensway Park Farm, Lytham St Annes, FY8 3FQ. Free estimates, no obligation. Call 01253 735544, WhatsApp 07822 012901, or email info@stanwaysautobodies.com.
And whoever you end up choosing, ask the seven questions first. Your car will thank you.