Terminology

• OEM - Parts made by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for your vehicle. Made either by the original car company manufacturer or its licensed supplier, these are new parts warranted by the vehicle manufacturer.

• AFTERMARKET - Parts made by a manufacturer other than the original equipment manufacturer. These are new parts warranted by the manufacturer of those parts or by their distributor. Aftermarket parts are also referred to as Non-OEM Parts, A/M, Quality Replacement Parts (QRP), Competitive Parts, Generic Parts, CAPA Certified Parts.

• CAPA - The abbreviation for "Certified Automotive Parts Association". CAPA parts are aftermarket parts certified by an unbiased third party that insures the quality of the parts they test are equal to or greater than the original car company part.

• LKQ - Like, Kind, and Quality - Used OEM parts from a salvage vehicle of the same make and model, usually the same year or newer than the vehicle being repaired, with comparable or less mileage than the vehicle it is being used for. LKQ parts are also referred to as Used, Recycled, Salvage Parts.

• REMANUFACTURED - A used OEM part that has been refurbished to new condition. This procedure could be performed by an original car company supplier or a licensed aftermarket supplier for the car company.

• RECONDITIONED - A used OEM part that has undergone some type of repair process, generally by an aftermarket parts supplier or reconditioner.

• UNIBODY - Unibody construction is a technique that supports structural load by using the vehicle's external skin, rather than an internal frame. The unibody is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork. Most all of today's vehicles are made utilizing unibody construction in which the body and chassis form a single unit.

• FRAME MACHINE - A heavy metal platform utilized to restore a vehicle's structural geometry to factory specifications. This is done by securing the vehicle to the platform, then pulling the damaged areas of the vehicle into place using special clamps, chains, and hydraulic winches. This can be used on both unibody and full-frame vehicles. A Frame Machine is also referred to as a Frame Rack or Bench.

• BLUEPRINTING - A process of meticulously disassembling a vehicle to discover the full extent of damages incurred in a collision and to develop a complete repair plan to restore the vehicle to its pre-accident condition.

• O/H - Overhaul - Remove an assembly, disassemble, clean and visually inspect it, replace needed parts, reassemble and reinstall on the vehicle making any necessary adjustments.

• R & I - Remove and install - Usually referring to parts being removed from a vehicle to facilitate repairs or to allow access. The same part is then reinstalled on the same vehicle it was removed from.

• R & R - Remove and replace - Removing an existing part and replacing it with a new, recycled, or aftermarket part.

• OVERLAP - An automatic reduction of time made by the estimating system when a process is being duplicated by another process that is being performed, disallowing a duplicate charge.

• BASECOAT/CLEARCOAT - A paint system in which the color effect is given by a highly pigmented flat basecoat. The gloss is achieved by applying a clear, pigment-free top coat. The clearcoat also imparts protection and durability to the paint finish. This paint process is also referred to as Two-Stage Paint.

• THREE-STAGE PAINT - A paint system similar to the Basecoat/Clearcoat system with an additional step of applying a coat of Pearlescent or Candy paint between the Basecoat and the Clearcoat.

• TINT - Time spent by a painter to tint the color to achieve an acceptable color match.

• BLEND - A process of gradually blending the paint into the panel adjacent to the panel being repaired or replaced to facilitate an acceptable color match.

• COLOR SAND and BUFF - A process of sanding a painted surface using ultra fine sandpaper to remove minor surface imperfections in the paint or to achieve a paint finish texture consistent with the factory applied paint. The painted areas that have been sanded are then buffed to restore the original shine.

• FLEX ADDITIVE - A product put in paint to make the paint flexible for use on soft parts such as plastic bumper covers and body side moldings.

• PDR - Paintless Dent Repair - A repair process that utilizes specially designed tools to remove minor, rounded dents (such as those caused by hail damage) by working the dents out from inside the damaged panel. If paintless dent repair is successful, no refinishing of the damaged panel is required.

• REPAIR AUTHORIZATION - Permission given by a vehicle's owner to proceed with repairs to their vehicle. This is often contingent upon an agreement between the vehicle owner and the insurance company responsible for paying for the repairs to their vehicle.

• SUPPLEMENT - Additional parts and/or repairs needed to complete repairs to a customer's vehicle that were not identified on the original estimate.

• DEDUCTIBLE - The dollar amount of damage for which the vehicle owner is responsible before the insurance company pays anything toward a collision or comprehensive claim. The amount of the deductible is stated in your policy and, if it applies, would be paid to the repair facility as part of the cost to repair.

• BETTERMENT - Parts that wear out and need replacement with time and use (i.e. tires, batteries, exhaust, suspension parts) are commonly subject to betterment charges when they must be replaced during the collision repair process. These betterment charges are determined by your insurance company and are pro-rated based on the use you have already received from the part.