Auto Body Repair Glossary — Plain-English Definitions
This glossary defines 24 common auto body, collision repair, and insurance terms in plain English — including OEM parts, supplements, deductibles, paintless dent repair, frame straightening, and total loss — so customers know exactly what shops and adjusters mean.
Terms & Definitions
Aftermarket parts
Replacement parts made by a company other than your vehicle's original manufacturer. They usually cost less than original (OEM) parts. Quality varies, and in California a shop must tell you when aftermarket crash parts are used.
Adjuster (insurance adjuster)
The person from your insurance company who reviews the damage, approves the repair estimate, and decides what the insurer will pay. The repair shop communicates with the adjuster on your behalf.
Betterment
A charge an insurer may deduct when a repair leaves your car better than before the accident — for example, replacing a worn tire with a brand-new one. You may be asked to pay the difference.
Blend (paint blending)
Spraying new paint partway into the panels next to the repaired area so the color fades in gradually. Blending is how a repair is made invisible — new paint on just one panel would often look slightly different.
Bodywork
Repairing the outer metal and plastic panels of a vehicle — removing dents, straightening panels, filling, sanding, and preparing surfaces for paint.
Claim
A formal request to an insurance company to pay for damage. You can file with your own insurer (first-party claim) or with the at-fault driver's insurer (third-party claim).
Clear coat
The transparent top layer of paint on modern vehicles. It gives the finish its gloss and protects the color coat underneath from sun and weather.
Color matching
Mixing paint to exactly match your vehicle's factory color, using the factory paint code and a computerized camera that reads the actual color of your car, which fades slightly over time.
Deductible
The amount you agreed to pay out of pocket before your insurance pays the rest — commonly $500 or $1,000. You pay it to the repair shop at pickup, not to the insurance company.
Direct Repair Program (DRP)
A network of body shops that have an agreement with an insurance company. Insurers often steer customers to DRP shops, but in California you always have the legal right to pick any shop you want.
Estimate
A written list of the repairs your vehicle needs and what they will cost, prepared before work begins. Estimates from reputable shops are free, and California requires a written estimate before repair work starts.
Frame (unibody / frame damage)
The structure that holds your car together. Most modern cars use a unibody, where the body and frame are one welded unit. Frame damage means this structure was bent in the crash and must be measured and straightened back to factory specifications.
Frame straightening
Pulling a bent vehicle structure back to its exact factory dimensions using a frame machine and computerized measuring. Done correctly, the vehicle is restored to manufacturer specifications.
OEM parts
Original Equipment Manufacturer parts — parts made by (or for) the company that built your vehicle. They fit and perform exactly like the parts your car came with.
Paintless dent repair (PDR)
Removing small dents by carefully massaging the metal back into shape from behind the panel, without filler or repainting. Works best on door dings and hail dents where the paint is not cracked.
Primer
The first layer sprayed on bare or repaired metal before color. It helps paint stick and protects against rust.
R&I (remove and install)
Taking a part off the vehicle and reinstalling the same part later — for example, removing a headlight so the fender behind it can be painted. You'll see 'R&I' on repair estimates.
Recycled (used) parts
Undamaged original parts taken from another vehicle, usually one that was totaled for a different reason. Also called LKQ ('like kind and quality'). They are genuine factory parts at a lower cost.
Rental reimbursement
Optional insurance coverage that pays for a rental car while yours is being repaired. If the other driver was at fault, their insurance generally must cover your rental.
Structural repair
Any repair to the parts of the vehicle that carry crash forces and protect passengers — frame rails, pillars, rocker panels. These repairs must follow the manufacturer's procedures to keep the car safe in a future crash.
Subrogation
When your insurance company pays for your repair and then collects the money back from the at-fault driver's insurer. If subrogation succeeds, you typically get your deductible refunded.
Supplement
A follow-up request to the insurance company for additional damage discovered after the repair starts — usually damage hidden behind panels. Supplements are routine; the shop handles the paperwork with your adjuster.
Total loss (totaled)
When the cost to repair the vehicle approaches or exceeds what the vehicle is worth, the insurer declares it a total loss and pays you the car's market value instead of repairing it.
Unibody
The most common modern car construction, where the frame and body are built as a single welded unit rather than a body bolted onto a separate frame.
Last updated: 2026-06-13
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