Something seemingly as simple as disconnecting and reconnecting a vehicle's battery during the repair process may not sound like something that should require researching OEM procedures, and that might be why only 3 in 10 shops say they always do so, according to data from a recent “Who Pays for What?” survey.

It’s been just over a year since I wrote about the inconsistency in how shops are billing for scanning, and it’s still an issue that concerns me.

Allstate Insurance Co. won an appellate court victory in a whistleblower lawsuit against a Los Angeles attorney whom it accuses of operating a “sham law practice” that conspired with “sham health care providers” to defraud auto insurers.

The Superior Court in Union County, NJ, denied a Motion to Dismiss filed by New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance (NJM) in relation to a class-action lawsuit filed in June 2019 alleging steering-related violations against non-DRP collision repair facilities.

The Tesla Model S was recently recognized as “Car of the Decade” by a sustainable transportation media outlet, and it was not a tough decision.

A so-called "Chevy Shake" class-action lawsuit alleges GM vehicles suffer severe vibrations because the automaker uses aluminum driveshafts.

See below for a list of regional automotive association events coming up in February.

Collision Works, with a location in Shawnee, OK, and over 30 other locations, has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2019 honor by The Oklahoman.

On Dec. 11, the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) sponsored a giving event at the Blackbird Public House in Denver, CO.

Contrary to popular belief, not all new residents relocating to Carson City, NV, come from that huge state just west of us.

As of Jan. 1, 2020, Mike Lane stepped down from his role as executive director of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Illinois (AASPI) after nearly three decades.

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) announces Washington Independent Collision Repairer’s Association (WICRA) as the latest state association to affiliate with SCRS.

December was a busy month for ASA Colorado with the association hosting several training opportunities as well as its annual dinner.

Electric vehicles are in great demand now and Tesla is leading the way.

Lamborghini has released its 2019 Christmas video and it seems that your dreams about Santa bringing down a car down the chimney for you have become a reality for this little boy.

Social media has changed the way we interact with each other, with our peers, and with the world.

A proposed cannabis retailer has paid $2 million for DeBois Auto Body, an automotive collision repair and auto body garage operating for more than 60 years in Worcester, MA.

General Motors Co. and Tesla are about to become the first automakers that will have to sell EVs without the benefit of a $7,500 federal tax credit. 

What's that old saying? "If it ain't broke, don't fix it?” Well, after the events of “Skyfall,” James Bond's iconic Aston Martin DB5 was broken and needed fixing.

On Friday, Dec. 20, Tesla CEO Elon Musk teased that a holiday update featuring a sneak preview of Full Self Driving, new games like Stardew Valley and Lost Backgammon, and “a few other things” will be coming soon.

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes partnered with Larsen Motorsports (LMS) to establish The Blazing Trails Scholarship Fund to address the talent shortage facing the collision repair industry.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has awarded $118,892 in grant funding to the three technical schools in Bucks County, PA, to purchase new equipment for training in high-demand occupations.

Need to have auto body work done on your car locally? Well, get ready to wait - shops all over the area are struggling with long wait lists.

A Subaru windshield lawsuit alleges the glass chips, cracks and breaks within weeks or a few months of purchasing these vehicles.

Some area vehicle repair shops are starting to see an increase in crash damage, despite a slow start to winter weather.

On Dec.11, AASP-MO’s Gateway Collision Chapter hosted its annual Toys for Tots Christmas Social and Christmas Party at Syberg’s Restaurant in St. Louis, MO.

A Minnesota man has been charged with seven felonies after a fire broke out and items were reported stolen from a Barron County, MN, collision center and laundromat.

The Certified Collision Group (CCG) experienced a substantial amount of growth and success in 2019, adding 164 affiliate shops and five new vendor partners in addition to increasing its internal team significantly.

The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) is speaking out against the claims certain insurers have made about proposed legislation that intends to protect collision shops and consumers in a court of law when battling unfair insurance practices.

A federal appellate court affirmed a decision to throw out a racketeering lawsuit brought by a group of 126 auto body collision repair shops against seven of the largest U.S. insurers.

Nashua, NH, Community College automotive programs will soon launch a paid summer co-op for students.

Students in the Lewis and Clark Community College automotive technology program have been given another resource to advance their education with the donation of a 2015 Ford Focus.

Prince George’s County, MD, public schools’ students are getting quite a gift this holiday season.

CARSTAR gathered over 30 multi-store owners together in Fort Lauderdale, FL, for the first ever multi-store owner workshop.

In their final act as two individual associations before merging to form the Carolinas Collision Association (CCA) on Jan. 1, 2020, the North Carolina Association of Collision and Autobody Repair (NCACAR) and the South Carolina Association of Collision and Autobody Repair (SCACAR) hosted the third and final estimating class in their year-end series.

On Dec. 5, the Automotive Women’s Alliance Foundation (AWAF) hosted its 2019 Holiday Affair at Art Leaders Gallery in West Bloomfield, MI.

On Dec. 18, the Nashville I-CAR Committee held its final meeting of 2019 to review the year’s accomplishments, elect officers for 2020, and establish goals for the new year.

AASP/NJ leaders recently received a tour of the Bloomfield, NJ, campus of the Universal Technical Institute (UTI) as the association seeks to partner with the school to help graduates obtain employment with member shops as part of its continued focus on promoting automotive and collision repair industry careers to young people.

Christmas came early for a local family in the Twin Tiers.

Buick owner Ben Baby is on his third and last Buick.

When it comes to cars, Elvis Presley is probably best known for his pink Cadillac, but he had amassed quite a collection of vehicles in his career.

Did you know you can read all five regional editions of Autobody News before they appear in print?

Buy One Get One promotion has never been so interesting with this end-of-year promotional offer on the CTR7 Resistance Spot Welder.

BMW honored four Canadian BASF shops for their extraordinary work throughout 2019 during the BMW Canada Certified Collision Repair Centres (CCRC) annual conference recently held in QuébecCity, Québec.

The following shops were awarded for their top scores in KPI utilization and Customer Service Index (CSI) tool management:

· 2019 Mitchell CSI Award – Excellence Auto Collision for best utilization of the CSI reporting system.

· 2019 Ultimate Performer Award – B&D Autobody & Glass for best utilization of KPI reporting system.

BMW recognizes one shop from each of its three regions as a BMW CCRC Best Audit Results winner, and names one of these CCRCs as Canada's top performer -- CCRC of the Year. Two out of the three 2019regional winners were BASF shops.

· 2019 CCRC Best Audit Results, Western Region – Doug’s Place Strathcona Collision Repairs.

· 2019 CCRC Best Audit Results, Central Region – Performance Collision and Restyling.

One of the winning shops for the regional awards was also the national winner:

· 2019 CCRC of the Year – Performance Collision and Restyling.

“These shops are best in class for winning this award,” said Mark Huisman, Business Manager for BASF Refinish Canada. “We value our relationship withBMW and look forward to many more rewarding years of partnership and growth.”

All winners utilize KPIs and CSI tools to manage their operations, competing for the highest scores in each category while meeting 100% of training requirements. The awards complement the strongglobal partnership between BASF and BMW at all levels, while demonstrating why BMW globally recommends the world-class luxury finish that Glasurit promises to users around the world.

BASF's Automotive Refinish business manufactures and markets coatings for the collision repair, commercial fleet and automotive specialty markets. Its paint products are supported by technical training programs,advanced color information systems, business management and planning tools. For more information visit http://www.basfrefinish.com

Surveillance cameras at an auto repair shop in Columbia, MS, captured dramatic video of an EF-2 tornado as it crossed the street and delivered a direct hit to the business.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and French automaker Groupe PSA said their boards unanimously supported a binding agreement to merge and create the world's fourth-largest automaker.

The Automotive Content Professionals Network (ACPN), a community of the Auto Care Association, is now accepting entries for the 2020 ACPN Content Excellence Awards.

Throughout the two days, there will be extensive networking opportunities allowing shop owners, insurers, appraisers, OEMs, paint manufacturers, information providers and equipment and service companies to build relationships, conduct business, and solve problems.

A Stamford, CT, man stole a bottle of pills and loose change from a car parked at a city auto body shop, police said.

Samantha Welch, a Bradford, NY, Central School District senior in the auto body repair program at the Schuyler-Steuben-Chemung-Tioga-Allegany Board of Cooperative Educational Services (GST BOCES), was selected as this year’s “Collision Student of the Year” by the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF).