That's why Travelers guarantees the repairs of its Umbrella Auto Repair Service shops 100 percent. Farmers Insurance Co. In body shops that are not part of Farmers' preferred program, the insurer has detected a flurry of safety problems following repairs. We saw cars that had suspension damage and shops were putting on used suspension parts. Quality repairs in question Insurers generally stand behind the repairs done by their preferred shops and say that one of the main goals of preferred body shop programs is to get policyholders the best repairs and service. But some body shops are questioning the safety of preferred-shop repairs.
Some shops are short-cutting repairs and whoever owns that vehicle ultimately suffers.
Tabak says that body shops will often repair a car's sheet metal parts rather than replace them, or put a reconditioned part on the vehicle and pass it off as new. They're putting their business' liability on the line when they do that. Denya explains that the discounts on parts and labor that the preferred shops give insurers forces the shops to cut corners elsewhere. However, overzealous body shops and claims adjusters have corrupted portions of the repair process by cutting corners on repairs, steering consumers away from certain body shops, and perpetuating an insurance-employee gift system that undermines a consumer's freedom of choice.