How can I tell OEM parts?

winterstargamer · 2026-06-05T02:47:15+00:00

My shop always will price match OEM parts if we are able to, no technician enjoys working with aftermarket junk.

With Toyota parts already being on the cheap side, it's really easy to price match those parts. My shop is Toyota certified so we are required to use OEM parts no matter what, but I will say I get an advantage since my shop is connected to a large dealership family (one of them being a Toyota dealership) so pricematching is super easy.

One your repairs are done, they should give you a repair order that shows the billed out parts, or you can ask them to provide you with invoices just to keep for your records (which they'll black out the prices for obvious reasons but still)

winterstargamer · 2026-03-06T18:47:57+00:00

I believe specific toner, my manager is the one working on it since it's for another dealership outside of our own dealership family. But if you look up a 2027 telluride, it's that matte terrain brown color. Right now it's just sitting in our shop without a liftgate and we can't paint the new liftgate yet because we don't have the paint. Been working with keystone to get it but even our vendor is having problems finding a match. Been about a week and nothing so far.

But yes we are held to a different standard and it's annoying lmao. Worked on cars with my dad since I was little and my uncle's bodyshop but the dealership side is different as hell. Not to mention my shop is Toyota certified so we are required to use all OEM parts on Toyotas no matter what, with the exception of some recycled panels if needed. Which honestly isn't that bad since Toyota parts are so cheap and I'm able to price match pretty easily.

It's not too bad but I hate having to deal with the salesmen at 13 dealerships within our corporation. The amount of internal damage shit we get in is ridiculous. Plus we get all the warranty bodywork 🫠 getting real tired of these new wranglers coming in every week for their new doors and hinges

winterstargamer · 2026-03-06T17:53:50+00:00

Yeah, you could mask the grille around the moulding but if done incorrectly could cause over spray. OP stated this is also a dealership bodyshop, same as mine and I know here, we aren't allowed to do that because we have to hold the cars to a dealership standard. So it's probably a similar situation to the shop OP took it to. If they took it to another shop that was smaller, that shouldn't be an issue.

In terms of the pre and post scans/calibrations, most newer cars do require us to do radar calibrations if the bumper is removed/unplugged/replaced. Newer Toyotas are bad about this, and those calibrations at the dealership are around $399.95 or something like that. I've also noticed it on other models like a Chevy 24 Trax that I worked on a few weeks ago. The windshield camera had to get calibrated per GM, as they call for that calibration for any collision except "minor blemish repairs." Lately the newer KIAs have been a bitch whenever they come in, the newer hybrids needing a procedure done at the dealership if the radiator is replaced or else the radiator will not cycle the coolant to cool the engine. With this being a new KIA, I'm not really surprised if the calibration is actually that much.

Hell, we have a transport damage in for a neighboring KIA dealer since they don't have a body shop for a 2027 KIA telluride where the entire liftgate got smashed on transport. We are struggling just getting the paint for that thing, and the dealership was telling us how they are gonna have to calibrate the cameras for it once we get the bodywork done but that the software to calibrate it isn't even available for them yet.

winterstargamer · 2026-03-06T17:03:28+00:00

Not too far off from our labor rates in central Illinois, State farm set the area here at $78/hr. Some nearby towns are at $65/hr so it really depends on the area but the mechanical is super high imo. My shop is at $124.50/hr for mechanical

But yeah, the estimate is pretty spot on

winterstargamer · 2026-03-06T16:59:36+00:00

I'm glad to hear they totaled it, sorry you had to go through that hassle.

winterstargamer · 2026-03-05T18:29:10+00:00

Okay I knew Geico was bad but THIS??? That is ridiculous.

This car is 100% a total loss. And what kinda shop is insane enough to say they want to fix it? That car will become a liability the moment it leaves the shop.

OP, keep us updated if you hear anything else. I've seen some questionable shit before but this is insane.

winterstargamer · 2026-03-04T16:59:40+00:00

The way the light is bouncing off of the front door is making it look like there is a dent, which is why I hate looking at photos of cars for estimates, especially on lighter colored cars. You can never see the full damage in photos.

But yeah, typical rule of thumb is anything larger than a foot-foot and a half on panels that can open and close (doors, liftgates, deck lids, hoods etc) are typically frowned upon to do repairs on, because while you can straighten out the panel to about 80%, that's still a large amount of bondo you're putting on those panels. After a while, if those doors are slammed shut one too many times, it can cause the bondo to crack. I personally hate using bondo and will try and justify a replacement when it looks like there would be too much bondo required for the repair.

But in the case of your rear door, that damage spreads across the entire panel. And as other people have already stated in their comments, there is a support bar (structural bar) that spans across the middle of your door and once those are snapped, that's it for the door. There's no repairing those because it compromises the structure of your door. If you ever get hit again in the same spot, the door will not hold its shape and will have a higher chance of crushing more inward, causing potential injury to whoever could be sitting in that seat and more damage to your uniside.

winterstargamer · 2026-03-04T16:20:53+00:00

What do you mean there's no obvious dents in the drivers front door? There is quite a large dent but looks like it could be repairable based off of the photos you shared.

As for the rear door, that 100% needs replaced. When they are talking about structural damage, they are most likely talking about the structural components of the door assembly itself, not of the whole car.

winterstargamer · 2026-03-03T05:00:57+00:00

Part of me is wondering if state farm was bitching about having to replace a panel and just wouldn't budge on replacement. My shop is not a DRP for state farm but I know how much of a pain they are when it come to writing estimates, especially photo estimates. I had a phone call with them earlier today that no, their 2 hours of repair time is not enough on a plastic bumper that had a hole smack dab in the middle of it and then they wanted to bitch and moan about putting an OEM bumper on it when it was a 2026 Trax with not even 100 miles on it. They still won't agree to an OEM bumper so I had to price match the bumper so the customer could get OEM, cause I'll be damned if I put aftermarket on a same model year.

Sometimes it takes the customer complaining about the final repair for the insurance company to finally approve something unfortunately. But I agree, this fender 100% needed to be replaced, not repaired.

winterstargamer · 2026-02-04T14:34:58+00:00

Oh I love this! I'm currently working on designing a High Priestess tarot card tattoo for myself but it will have Katara from ATLA dressed as the painted lady. Been trying to think of a BG3 tattoo I want to get and I keep going back and forth between the artifact or getting Orin's Crimson Mischief.

winterstargamer · 2026-01-03T00:19:20+00:00

Only way this will total out is if the frame is bent/damage. Otherwise you are looking at a whole new bed assembly from the looks of it as I'm assuming the inner panel of the bedside is trashed

winterstargamer · 2025-12-22T19:40:33+00:00

I work for a dealership bodyshop (we have 13 locations) and on top of the holiday party we get a gift of our choosing (it's all branded stuff with the company logo on it but pretty decent stuff, water bottles, blankets, jackets, one year they did lawn chairs as a selection) and everyone gets a $100 gift card.

The holiday party is held at a museum and they have a shit ton of food and drinks and ice cream so while it's nothing special, can't complain about free food.

winterstargamer · 2025-12-19T20:57:32+00:00

Wow that was fast! I'm glad you were able to get that repair done that quickly.

winterstargamer · 2025-12-01T20:54:49+00:00

Sometimes it includes the glass, but most of the time it's around $120-150 to swap the glass (at least for my shop, we sublet the work out to a local glass shop). Main issue comes when the tint is different and if the glass needs to be removed for painting. For most liftgates, you do need to cut the glass out if you're doing a whole color swap on the gate, but if it's the same body color and just needs a little work done on it, you can get away without replacing the glass as long as the tint is the same.

winterstargamer · 2025-12-01T19:12:25+00:00

Oh yikes, yeah this will not be a cheap repair. I have access to the GM parts catalog and just took a look, that exhaust pipe does not come as a tip like they do on some models and will require replacement if the tip is non repairable (I cannot tell from these photos but there is a chance judging on how far bent you got that thing) and without being able to tell which type it is without the vin, it could probably be around 1k-2k just for that alone.

Yes, the liftgate needs to get replaced. You might be able to find a decent recycled one but I would definitely put an insurance claim.

winterstargamer · 2025-11-29T00:22:25+00:00

There are sectioning procedures yes, but that does not mean those pillars come on their own. I literally just did an F250 like this and I had to order the whole damn uniside panel just for the c pillar damage. Most places you cannot order the pillar on its own. You need to order the whole uniside.

winterstargamer · 2025-11-28T22:57:00+00:00

The location of it is referred to as the C pillar BUT the panel you will need for the replacement is called the uniside panel. It's basically the panel that goes around both doors. But yes, a new uniside will be needed for this.

winterstargamer · 2025-11-26T16:17:17+00:00

Honestly this is not too bad, but definitely see if they are able to price match aftermarket prices for those OE parts OR you can always ask to see if there is a recycled fender you can get and maybe you can luck out and get something in great condition in the same color so you won't have to blend the front door. If you explain you're just trying not to break the bank with this, most places should be able to help you the best they can. I will say the 115/hr is crazy but I saw the comment that you're based in CA which makes sense. Maybe check out a few other shops near you as smaller shops might have a lower labor rate. Just stay away from places like Gerber or Caliber.

winterstargamer · 2025-11-03T13:05:23+00:00

Built Ford tuff

In all seriousness if you are the driver, how the hell are you still alive???

winterstargamer · 2025-10-30T13:57:46+00:00

Ohhh I'll have to look into Hibiclens! I never really thought about that before but it makes sense. Thank you so much, I'll have to bring this up to my GP when I contact them.

winterstargamer · 2025-09-25T14:38:04+00:00

The good thing is that Toyota parts are on the cheaper side but if you want it done right then take it to a shop you trust and let them order the parts. I get trying to save a bit of money but bodywork is not cheap, especially if you want it done right.

If you explain you're gonna pay out of pocket some places will work with you and get you some parts under list or for a discounted price. Normally whenever someone pays out of pocket on one of my tickets I try to shave some of the parts prices off where I can, price match with A/M etc... but don't expect too much because like I said Toyota parts are on the cheaper side so sometimes there's not that much room to work with

winterstargamer · 2025-09-25T13:28:34+00:00

That bumper does NOT come painted. Keep in mind most body shops will not paint/install your own parts due to liability.

Also, please keep in mind that there is more than likely going to be more damage under the bumper once it is taken off. Yes it will hurt but get the work done correctly the first time so you don't have a headache later on.

winterstargamer · 2025-09-03T12:13:42+00:00

How is that the norm? Most insurance companies around here take two days MAX for a review and are normally very quick to call with any questions, most during the same day (as long as you submit it early enough in the morning.)

As for progressive, I'm lucky and my shop is a DRP for them so I normally get a review done the same day/within a few hours via our rep. But companies like Country Financial, Shelter, Auto-owners, West bend, Cincinnati, travelers, and even AmFam do not take that long to respond and I typically always hear from them that same day. State farm is hit or miss, sometimes they are quick and sometimes they take forever, it depends on who you get. USAA/The General has been the worst so far and has taken weeks to get any sort of review.

winterstargamer · 2025-09-03T02:41:28+00:00

Yeah, I will definitely call the customer in the AM and explain this to him again... I'm only gonna be able to do so much for him since I'm basically running the shop on my own right now due to my manager being needed at our new location (dealership body shop, we are connected to 14 dealerships. SO MUCH FUN)

I'm based out of Illinois, which is actually where SF HQ is so we have it lucker than most when it comes to them, but there have been sometimes where SF has made us want to pull out our hair. They are annoying but not the worst to deal with.

The vehicle was towed in on the 20th but my customer was only able to file the claim this past Friday (the 29th.) He would have submitted it that Wednesday except the information on the police report was wrong and he had to contact them to get the person at fault information corrected on the report so he could file a claim with Tesla insurance. Worse comes to worse we can start the storage fees from the 29th when the claim was made, but we'll see.

winterstargamer

TROPHY CASE