TL;DR: Visual body/paint work had defects (misaligned door chrome trim discovered after pickup), repair caused front parking camera to fail entirely (requiring full replacement at dealer), poor communication, unexpected extra costs, and stressful pickup process made the overall experience abysmal. After giving them a second chance on this vehicle, I've completely lost trust in the shop. Will not return.
The previous repair at Mike's Autobody North (a full cash-pay job on another vehicle) had been unsatisfactory, so I gave them a second chance with this insurance-claim vehicle in November 2025, hoping for improvement.
Before drop-off, they disclosed higher labor rates than insurance reimbursement and offered a courtesy discount--but only on aluminum body parts, not overall. The final bill still included substantial extras for the remaining labor-rate difference, additional painting labor, and credit card processing fees when paying the full balance out-of-pocket.
The body and paint appeared okay at first glance, but issues emerged quickly: the replaced door chrome trim is poorly installed (misaligned, bowed with visible gaps at joints--noticed after I had already decided not to return the vehicle), and the front parking camera no longer works at all--a feature that functioned perfectly before the bumper repair. The dealer later diagnosed the camera as broken (requiring a full replacement at a cost of $1755), which should have been properly handled and tested during the shop's work before release. The included photos show both the defects from this current repair as well as the botched previous repair.
Communication was unclear, especially on payment--at pickup I learned the shop expected the insurance check directly to me. When it didn't arrive, I waited over an hour with no resolution. The only reason I had to pay the full balance out-of-pocket on credit card was due to this lack of clear communication upfront about the payment process. I'm now chasing partial reimbursement from insurance.
I notified the shop about the non-functional camera. They apologized and offered to look at it if I brought the vehicle back, but given the prior experience and ongoing frustrations, I declined and said I would handle repairs elsewhere. I later discovered the trim defect but did not inform them since I had already ruled out returning.
The cumulative extra costs left me feeling nickel-and-dimed, and the lack of proactive insurance advocacy didn't help. The defects, process frustrations, and post-repair problems have been the final straw.
This experience has led me to take my business elsewhere going forward. read more