Frequently Asked Questions

Full Tilt accepts all insurance and all forms of payment. Repairs are a contract between you and our shop.

No. You pay the insurance, so you have the right to bring your car to the shop of your choice - even if repairs have already been started elsewhere.

Repairs can take anywhere from a day to several weeks depending on the severity of the accident. When we receive your vehicle, we go through a thorough disassembly and blueprint process to determine the full extent of repairs necessary. We do our best to keep you updated throughout.

If your insurance company determines you are responsible for paying your deductible, you will owe that amount when repairs are completed (typically $500 to $1,000). There are other fees your insurance company may state you are responsible for, such as betterments, although this doesn't occur on all claims. The deductible and any additional fees are paid directly to Full Tilt.

A betterment is a percentage of the cost of parts that your insurance company has determined you, as the vehicle owner, are responsible for. They do this to save money on replacing parts that are considered wearable items. For example, tires or brake pads that are 50% worn at the time of a crash are replaced with brand-new items, and you will be responsible to pay for them.

No need to worry. This is the case for 100% of original estimates written by an insurance company. The original estimate is a very basic, visual estimate of damages. Insurance companies leave out many procedures and cannot assess hidden damages until your vehicle is brought to our shop and thoroughly blueprinted so we can determine the full extent of damage that occurred.

At that point, we will notify your insurance company and a supplement will be provided to cover any additional damage and repair procedures.

This is determined by your insurance company based on a few factors. If you are found not at fault, or less than 50% at fault, you will not be surcharged. You should also not be surcharged for a hit-and-run accident. In some cases the insurance company may try to surcharge you, but you are able to dispute this. The amount of any surcharge depends on the total cost to repair your vehicle.

First, check with your insurance company to see if you have rental coverage on your policy. If you do, Full Tilt can set you up with a rental vehicle for the duration of your repairs. If you do not have rental coverage and you are not at fault for an accident, we can start the process of getting rental covered by the at-fault driver's insurance company. If the insurance company finds you at fault for an accident, or you are involved in a single-car accident or a hit and run and do not have rental on your policy, Full Tilt offers rental cars at the low rate of $25/day.

We stay on top of all OEM procedures to ensure your vehicle is returned to pre-accident condition, whether that is the alignment of the body panels or the functionality of the blind spot sensors and backup cameras.

Yes. Full Tilt uses state-of-the-art paint technology that color-matches any make and model exactly to factory specs. Our system uses low-VOC, water-borne pigments, which helps mitigate the environmental impact of the painting process.

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. OEM parts are made directly by the car manufacturer, designed specifically to fit a particular make and model. They fit perfectly and tend to be safer and of higher quality.

Aftermarket parts are made by companies other than your vehicle's original manufacturer. These parts sometimes do not fit as well as OEM parts and at times can be of lesser quality. Insurance companies typically prefer aftermarket because they are cheaper.

We always ask our customers if they prefer OEM or if aftermarket is acceptable, since most insurance companies will not pay extra for OEM over aftermarket and will charge the vehicle owner the difference. We have long-standing relationships with our vendors and encourage them to price-match OEM to aftermarket parts whenever possible, allowing us to use the best for your vehicle without adding cost.

A vehicle is a total loss if the repair costs plus salvage value exceed the actual cash value of the vehicle. If you were hit by somebody who has their own insurance, or you have collision on your policy (which is enough in most cases), your insurance company is responsible for purchasing your vehicle from you, as well as paying for storage and other fees that have accrued after your accident.

Your insurance company is allowed to lowball you on their initial offer, but the first offer will almost always be the lowest, and you can negotiate. At Full Tilt, whenever your vehicle is totaled we provide as much info as possible so you're prepared to negotiate for a fair offer. A totaled vehicle is a huge inconvenience, and we want you to get as much money as possible.

There are lots of reasons you may not want to part with your ride. Maybe your car is your baby, or you owe more on your loan than the vehicle is worth. Unfortunately, there is not much we can do to adjust the cost of our repairs. We adhere to stringent safety standards and must restore all vehicles to pre-accident condition with very few exceptions.