[Alarmin]

Hi All,

This car week, the first car week for my 2022 M3 Comp xDrive, a moron in a giant a truck rear ended me at a stop light thinking the light turned green. Trunk is caved in a bit and won't open, rear cam not working, rear bumper has a hole in it, and some of the trim pieces are scuffed up.

I'm really, really damn bummed about this. Do all I can to baby the car and it just takes one idiot to mess it all up.

That being said, I'm looking for a bmw certified collision repair center in the bay area, one that is trusted by board members and one I can rely on to bring this back to an OEM look and not worry about parts being installed incorrectly or Dravit Paint being applied that doesn't match the rest of the car/applied poorly.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Also, any stories of collision repairs where the car felt good as new are much appreciated as well. Thanks in advance

[Bch53211]

So sorry to hear. Personally I wouldn’t take it anywhere but a BMW dealer. Whatever you decide you’ll want to get the estimate and get the parts ordered asap. I have been waiting since May for the last part I need to get my M4 xdrive repaired . I drove over a chunk of concrete that caused no body damage but wreaked havoc on the underbody. The part I’m waiting on is the steering rack. Best case scenario it’s here mid September, which means I will have been down at least 4-5 months. Perhaps what you need won’t take as long but keep in mind some components are on back order. Best of luck to you.

[astroricardo]

So sorry man, that's awful. I don't have recommendations, just wanted to express my condolences. Most importantly you're ok. I'm sure it will fix up nicely though. Not like there's any serious, structural damage.

[gs1403]

Originally Posted by Bch53211

So sorry to hear. Personally I wouldn’t take it anywhere but a BMW dealer. Whatever you decide you’ll want to get the estimate and get the parts ordered asap. I have been waiting since May for the last part I need to get my M4 xdrive repaired . I drove over a chunk of concrete that caused no body damage but wreaked havoc on the underbody. The part I’m waiting on is the steering rack. Best case scenario it’s here mid September, which means I will have been down at least 4-5 months. Perhaps what you need won’t take as long but keep in mind some components are on back order. Best of luck to you.

The last thing I would do is to go to a dealer for collision work. Dealers usually don't have collision shops and most of them outsource body work to local shops that give them the highest returns.

OP: I'd find a collision center with a reputation for doing high quality, factory-spec work in your area. Being BMW authorized is a plus but I wouldn't rely on that to judge the quality of work. See if you can go to the shop beforehand and judge the quality of their repairs. Check to see if the peel and color match on repainted areas, gaps are consistent, that there's no fisheye, overspray, dust contamination, runs, wetsand marks, etc. Observe how clean and organized the shop is, what kind of equipment they have, what kind of cars are there. Looks like your car is Dravit? That's going to be tricky for a most shops to match. I'm confident my shop here in NY would be able to do it but I'm sure there has to be a couple decent shops in the Bay Area.

[Bch53211]

Originally Posted by gs1403

The last thing I would do is to go to a dealer for collision work. Dealers usually don't have collision shops and most of them outsource body work to local shops that give them the highest returns.

OP: I'd find a collision center with a reputation for doing high quality, factory-spec work in your area. Being BMW authorized is a plus but I wouldn't rely on that to judge the quality of work. See if you can go to the shop beforehand and judge the quality of their repairs. Check to see if the peel and color match on repainted areas, gaps are consistent, that there's no fisheye, overspray, dust contamination, runs, wetsand marks, etc. Observe how clean and organized the shop is, what kind of equipment they have, what kind of cars are there. Looks like your car is Dravit? That's going to be tricky for a most shops to match. I'm confident my shop here in NY would be able to do it but I'm sure there has to be a couple decent shops in the Bay Area.

My dealer has a collision center and I’d say most do. I get your point though, for any mechanical work I’d only feel comfortable going to a BMW dealership. Collision repair is another story. As I said the dealership I bought my car at has a collision center and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them.

[Limegrntaln]

Man, that sucks, and I was just talking about having to repaint Dravit, on another thread. Forget about it getting paint matched. I had a little pin nick on my bumper before I had the PPF installed, and I brought it to a body shop that does the best work in the area, and the owner came out to look at my car, and said that it can't be matched without repainting the whole front end, then it wouldn't match the hood, and the hood wouldnt match the fenders, which then wouldn't match the doors, looking at it from the side.

I'll talk to some guys, that live in that area, and see what they say about shops. I just always find the best shops on Yelp.

[ChiTownM]

I would not discount dealer recommendation, since some either have a body shop or they have a relationship with a good and reputable body shop. Talk to the owner or GM and that typically gets you into good hands, go with your gut feeling.

Also, if you want no hassle, call your insurance company and have them go after the other guy's insurance company. Confirm that they will use OEM parts. Other poster mentioned it already, get parts ordered asap.

[calbears]

Originally Posted by Alarmin

Hi All,

This car week, the first car week for my 2022 M3 Comp xDrive, a moron in a giant a truck rear ended me at a stop light thinking the light turned green. Trunk is caved in a bit and won't open, rear cam not working, rear bumper has a hole in it, and some of the trim pieces are scuffed up.

I'm really, really damn bummed about this. Do all I can to baby the car and it just takes one idiot to mess it all up.

That being said, I'm looking for a bmw certified collision repair center in the bay area, one that is trusted by board members and one I can rely on to bring this back to an OEM look and not worry about parts being installed incorrectly or Dravit Paint being applied that doesn't match the rest of the car/applied poorly.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Also, any stories of collision repairs where the car felt good as new are much appreciated as well. Thanks in advance

BMW of Concord Collision Center or Weatherford BMW Collision Center are both highly recommended. They will use only OEM parts. They are BMW Certified and do fantastic work

[DocWeatherington]

See the link below it will have all the Bmw Certified Shops.

https://my.bmwusa.com/ccrc

Make sure you get a value loss payout thru the others insurance.

[KANdaddy]

OP, really sorry to hear about your accident. I highly recommend Johnny Kotik at International Autobody in San Bruno. Not BMW Certified but very experienced and uses high quality materials. Restored antique Porsches as well. Has done a numbers of jobs for me over the years. (650) 515-7152

[Alarmin]

Originally Posted by Limegrntaln

Man, that sucks, and I was just talking about having to repaint Dravit, on another thread. Forget about it getting paint matched. I had a little pin nick on my bumper before I had the PPF installed, and I brought it to a body shop that does the best work in the area, and the owner came out to look at my car, and said that it can't be matched without repainting the whole front end, then it wouldn't match the hood, and the hood wouldnt match the fenders, which then wouldn't match the doors, looking at it from the side.

I'll talk to some guys, that live in that area, and see what they say about shops. I just always find the best shops on Yelp.

The repaint is my nightmare. I have no doubt that a reputable shop can install a bumper and trunk lid. But the repaint is giving me major anxiety, I'm so anal I know I will definitely notice any differences in paint and it'll kill. I talked to one shop that was recommended by BMW CCA members calls B&S hacienda in Pleasanton which is a bmw certified shop. They said they've done individual paints no problem in the past and one the guys who recommended had a couple individual M cars.

[Limegrntaln]

Originally Posted by Alarmin

The repaint is my nightmare. I have no doubt that a reputable shop can install a bumper and trunk lid. But the repaint is giving me major anxiety, I'm so anal I know I will definitely notice any differences in paint and it'll kill. I talked to one shop that was recommended by BMW CCA members calls B&S hacienda in Pleasanton which is a bmw certified shop. They said they've done individual paints no problem in the past and one the guys who recommended had a couple individual M cars.

I hope it works out. You sound like me when it comes to noticing something that's just even a little off.

I think painting Individual is one thing. I think getting the color transition in the sun, unless there is a special technique to how it's laid down, would be the part I would be worried about.

I can't wait to see how it turns out. We may be putting something together for Sept in the Bay Area. Maybe it'll be fixed by then and you can make it out?

[BLKSAPPE92]

Originally Posted by Alarmin

Hi All,

This car week, the first car week for my 2022 M3 Comp xDrive, a moron in a giant a truck rear ended me at a stop light thinking the light turned green. Trunk is caved in a bit and won't open, rear cam not working, rear bumper has a hole in it, and some of the trim pieces are scuffed up.

I'm really, really damn bummed about this. Do all I can to baby the car and it just takes one idiot to mess it all up.

That being said, I'm looking for a bmw certified collision repair center in the bay area, one that is trusted by board members and one I can rely on to bring this back to an OEM look and not worry about parts being installed incorrectly or Dravit Paint being applied that doesn't match the rest of the car/applied poorly.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Also, any stories of collision repairs where the car felt good as new are much appreciated as well. Thanks in advance

Sorry that definitely sucks mine is dented on the drive from from someone hitting my parked car in a parking lot on 4th of July. It's been wrecked for 2months as I drive it because it's drivable. It goes in Aug 29th to be fixed. I'm going to end up doing a diminished value thread to help with what my accident depreciation quotes

[Halitosis]

Originally Posted by KANdaddy

OP, really sorry to hear about your accident. I highly recommend Johnny Kotik at International Autobody in San Bruno. Not BMW Certified but very experienced and uses high quality materials. Restored antique Porsches as well. Has done a numbers of jobs for me over the years. (650) 515-7152

I beg to differ. Drive by nowadays and you won't see any enthusiast cars there. All you will see is low end used cars and junk leased new cars. No one that cares goes there anymore. Johnny Kotik royally botched a good friend's Individual paintjob and how they did it was straight up amateur hour. Hard edge mask lines, poor clearcoat application, improper pearl effect, you name it he and his hack "painter" did it. Johnny was a good conman making lots of promises he couldn't keep too.

[KANdaddy]

Originally Posted by Halitosis

I beg to differ. Drive by nowadays and you won't see any enthusiast cars there. All you will see is low end used cars and junk leased new cars. No one that cares goes there anymore. Johnny Kotik royally botched a good friend's Individual paintjob and how they did it was straight up amateur hour. Hard edge mask lines, poor clearcoat application, improper pearl effect, you name it he and his hack "painter" did it. Johnny was a good conman making lots of promises he couldn't keep too.

Sorry to hear. He did great work for me but it has been over 10 yrs ago.

[SushiM3]

Whatever you do, do NOT go to AutoNation BMW collision center (BMW Mountain View). Horrible experience repairing my F80. Minor fender bender required bumper, fender, and wheel replacement and painting. They took over 2 months, never gave me any update whenever I called. They gave me the car back with horribly oversprayed panels, visible mold in my passenger footwell, and repaired wheels that were so badly finished it looked like they were a different color than the others.