The first step to repairing your vehicle is to open a claim by reporting the incident to our Contact Centre.
Getting an estimate
The next step is to receive an estimate of damage to your vehicle. All claims can be estimated at one of our Service or Claim Centres, and certain qualifying claims can receive an estimate at a participating repair shop or through our Photo Based Estimating process. Your estimate options will be discussed with you when you report your claim.
The role of your estimator
An estimator will complete a visual inspection of your vehicle for damage in person at the Service or Claim Centre or based on the submitted photos, and will prepare a preliminary report to determine what repairs are needed. They will also review and approve any additional damages noted by repair facilities once the shop has thoroughly inspected your vehicle. In some cases, the estimator may also determine that your vehicle is a write-off.
Repairs
Once your estimate is complete, you can then make an appointment at the accredited repair shop of your choice to have the damage repaired. If you qualified for and participated in Direct Repair, you can enjoy the convenience of having your damage estimate and repair conducted at the same repair shop. If your vehicle requires specialized repairs or contains complex materials such as aluminum, boron steel or carbon fibre, repairs may need to be completed by an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified or qualified facility.
Use our repair shop locator tool to locate a qualified shop near you to repair your specific vehicle. If your claim qualifies for Direct Repair, you can input your claim number and search for a participating Direct Repair shop that is qualified to estimate your vehicle.
We recommend against repairing your vehicle yourself or having it repaired at a facility that is not MPI-accredited to do the work. This is because vehicle repairs are complex and may require specialized tooling, training and equipment to repair the damaged vehicle to manufacturer standards. If you choose to do the repairs yourself, we’ll need to inspect your vehicle to make sure the repairs were done properly. There are specific requirements that must be met for the vehicle to pass inspection – contact us about your repairs before you begin any work.
Once your vehicle has been repaired, you can perform post-repair checks to be confident your vehicle has been returned to pre-collision condition. If you have concerns about your repair, your first step is to discuss them with your repair shop. If you remain unsatisfied, contact your assigned estimator.
Post-repair checks
- Examine the appearance of the repaired area.
- Check freshly painted areas for colour match.
- Check that mechanical parts (e.g., doors and trunk lid) open and close smoothly.
- Check electronic accessories for proper operation.
- On the drive home, check for unusual noises and test the handling of the vehicle.
Depreciation
Automobile insurers try to match up what they give you to the value of what you actually lost. For instance, equal value for a half worn-out tire is a tire with similar wear, not a brand new one.
But it may not be practical, or even safe, to give you a half worn-out tire. Instead, we’ll give you a new one but you pay an appropriate percentage of the cost based on the amount of wear. The amount you pay for wear and tear is called depreciation.
Depreciation is how insurance companies measure how much value something has lost through wear and tear. The amount that a part has depreciated depends on the age, condition, and type of the part.
If you have questions about depreciation and how it could apply to your vehicle, check with the estimator responsible for your claim.