Making sense of your deductible
Your deductible is the amount you pay before your policy pays the rest of a covered repair. If you have a $500 deductible and the repair is $900, you pay $500 and the insurer pays the balance. If the repair is $600, the claim only saves you $100 and may affect your premium. Whether it does depends on your insurer and your policy, so ask them before deciding.
We do not tell customers whether to file a claim. We will give you an honest estimate so you can compare it to your deductible with real numbers. Sometimes a smaller repair, such as a bumper scuff or a dent suitable for paintless repair, costs less than people fear.
If a claim is filed, the deductible is usually paid to the shop at pickup. Ask your insurer how it works for your policy so there are no surprises on delivery day.
Talking through parts options
A repair plan can use new parts from the vehicle maker, aftermarket parts, or used and recycled parts. Each has trade offs in price, fit and, in some cases, how a policy treats them. Your policy language and your insurer decide what they will pay for. Our role is to explain what is on the estimate and why.
Ask which parts are planned for your car. Ask whether any part is a structural or safety part, such as a bumper reinforcement or a sensor bracket, where the choice matters more. If you prefer original equipment and your policy pays for something different, we will tell you the difference so you can decide whether to cover it.
We would rather have the conversation before the repair than after. A part you did not know about is a part you cannot choose.
Why Mountainside drivers choose the neighboring Garwood shop
You get an estimate from a shop that is independent, works with all insurance companies and bills them directly. We have no insurer telling us how to write the repair, so the parts and procedures on the estimate are what we believe the car needs.
We are I-CAR Gold Class and AAA Approved Auto Repair. AAA members receive 10 percent off labor, up to $75, with their card, and the discount does not combine with other offers. Our lifetime warranty applies to paint work only.
Your right to choose and your next step
New Jersey lets you choose a licensed repair shop for your vehicle. Your insurer may suggest a shop and you can try to agree on a price with them, but a suggestion is not a requirement, and nobody can promise blanket payment before the car has been inspected. The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance has consumer information on auto claims.
Send photos through our free estimate form for a first look, or book a time and bring the car. Bring your insurance card and any claim number, and ask us anything on the estimate.
Getting to Garwood from Mountainside
Our single location is 74 North Ave, Garwood, NJ 07027. There is no Mountainside office. Estimates, repairs and pickups happen at the Garwood shop.
Mountainside drivers can approach by Route 22 and local connections south toward Garwood, or by the Garden State Parkway and Route 28, depending on where you are starting. We are not listing specific turns because they depend on your origin and current conditions. Please check a live map for routing.
If your car is not safe to drive, call us and we will help arrange a tow.