3 Common Mistakes That Inexperienced Auto Body Shops Make

Tony Mers • December 24, 2018

Auto accidents happen extremely often on U.S. roads. In fact, on average, there's a rear end collision in the country once every eight seconds. That's a lot of auto body repair work. Luckily, there are plenty of quality auto body shops that focus on collision repair across the country. But there are just as many -- if not more -- auto body shops that aren't as experienced.

When an auto body repair shop makes a mistake, it could result in you having to spend a significant amount more money down the road, as well as you driving an unattractive and potentially unsafe vehicle.

Here are some common vehicle repair mistakes that auto body shops regular make:

Improper color matching -- Even if you have your vehicle repaired and it's working properly, if there are different shades of color on your car, it will look terrible. Certain auto shops will only carry a handful of paint colors. If you bought your car a few years ago, the original color most likely changed over time -- which is fine. If the shop matches those worn-down colors with a brighter, original color, it will look quite bad.

Gaps in the car's paneling -- Today's vehicle makers have done a great job manufacturing panels that fit nice and tight with only the smallest gaps in between. However, auto shops still often weld these panels on improperly, resulting in visible, wide gaps between the panels.

Not performing an alignment -- No matter what collision repair work is needed, an alignment should be performed immediately afterward. If an auto body shop doesn't do this important step, there could be serious issues impacting your brakes, suspension, shocks, or more.

In order to avoid these potentially dangerous and costly auto body mistakes, you need to find a trusted, experienced, and professional repair shop. If you want to work with a collision repair service that will avoid these common mistakes and offer quality auto body work, give River North Collision Repair a call right away.

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Why Ignoring Small Dents Can Lead to Bigger Problems

January 30, 2026

It is an awful feeling when you walk out to your car after a long day and see a small dent on your passenger door. While it may appear to be just a cosmetic issue, you should still get it fixed, because ignoring small dents can lead to bigger problems for your vehicle. Don’t let small dents on your car go untreated; let's talk about why you need to tackle these issues ASAP. Rust Loves Chicago Winters We all know the drill here in the Windy City. We have beautiful summers, sure, but we also pay the price with brutal winters. And what comes with winter? Salt. Tons of it. Your car’s paint job acts as a suit of armor protecting the metal body underneath. Even a minor dent often comes with microscopic cracks in the paint—sometimes too small to see with the naked eye. Once that seal is broken, moisture and road salt sneak in. They settle against the bare metal and start a chemical party you definitely don’t want to host. Oxidation begins immediately. By the time you notice bubbling paint or that tell-tale orange stain a few months later, the rust has already been eating away at your door panel from the inside out. Resale Value Takes a Nosedive For many people, maintaining their car is a valuable part of purchasing a new vehicle. When that day comes, curb appeal is everything. Used car buyers (and dealership appraisers) will judge your car by its exterior appearance. If they see a vehicle riddled with door dings, bumper scrapes, and ignored scratches, they see a car that wasn't cared for. They assume that if you didn't care enough to fix the outside, you probably didn't care about the rest of it either. It lowers the perceived value instantly. Maintaining your car’s body and its paint is an investment in your future trade-in value. Paint Damage Spreads Like a Virus When a dent or scrape compromises the integrity of the paint, the surrounding paint loses its grip. High-pressure car washes, wind, and temperature fluctuations cause the paint to flake away from the initial injury site. A scratch the size of a quarter can grow into a patch the size of a softball over a couple of seasons. It’s Easier (and Cheaper) Than You Think Here is the good news: fixing these things early is surprisingly affordable. Modern body shop technology is amazing. For many small dings where the paint isn't cracked, we can use techniques that massage the metal back into place without spraying a drop of paint. River North Collision Repair offers paintless dent repair in Chicago to fix minor dents. Regardless of what nicked your door, we can help remove the dents and maintain a seamless look for your vehicle. Don’t Wait for Problems Don't let minor dents turn into a big nightmare. Save your future self the headache (and the cash). Swing by River North Collision Repair for your quick and easy repairs. Because driving a car you’re proud of? That’s a feeling you can’t put a price on.