Collision-related length of rental (LOR) fell for the third straight year in Q1 2026, according to Enterprise. Shorter shop backlogs and more parts being repaired rather than replaced coincided with the decline, according to the report.
The average length of rental for collision-related claims in the United States reached 16.3 days in Q1 2026, down 0.4 days from 16.7 days in Q1 2025. The decline follows a 0.9-day drop recorded in Q1 2025, when overall LOR fell from 17.6 days in Q1 2024.
The Q1 2026 figure remains 3.1 days above the pre-pandemic Q1 2020 level of 13.2 days, and 3.5 days above Q1 2019, when overall LOR stood at 12.8 days.
Collision-related LOR peaked at 18.7 days in Q1 2023 before beginning a gradual decline, according to Enterprise's prior quarterly reporting. The Q3 2025 LOR stood at 15.5 days and Q2 2025 LOR at 15.1 days.
Backlogs and parts repair coincide with decline
John Yoswick, Autobody News contributor and editor of CRASH Network, said shorter scheduling backlogs may be contributing to the Q1 decline.
“Some reduction in LOR in Q1 could be based on shops' ability to get repairs started faster," Yoswick said in the Enterprise Holdings Q1 2026 LOR report. "The 'Who Pays for What?' survey of 600 shops conducted in January by Collision Advice and CRASH Network found that the average scheduling backlog of work at shops around the country was 1.8 weeks. That was up modestly from the prior quarter, but down from 2.6 weeks in Q1 2025."
Yoswick added that fewer than 10% of shops had backlogs of four weeks or more in Q1 2026, approximately half the percentage that reported that length of backlog in Q1 2025. At the other end, 18% of shops reported no backlog at all and could schedule new work immediately, up from less than 12% in Q1 2025.
Backlogs varied widely by region, Yoswick said. The West region, which includes Arizona, California and Nevada, reported the shortest average backlog at just under one week. Shops in the Northeast, along with Alaska and Hawaii, averaged approximately 2.5 weeks in Q1 2026.
Looking ahead to Q2
Yoswick told Autobody News that the seasonal pattern of declining backlogs through the second and third quarters appears to be on track for 2026. "Shops' backlog of work has traditionally declined in the second and third quarters most years after peaking in the winter months, and we're not seeing anything that would suggest this year will be an exception from that seasonal trend," he said.
On claim volume, Yoswick noted that while the decline in repairable claim count has appeared to slow in 2026, it has not reversed.
"Though the decline in repairable claim count has seemed to slow this year, it certainly didn't grow during the first quarter, nor have we heard about any significant change in the first weeks of the second quarter," he said.
Workforce data adds context
Heading into Q1 2026, both the number of production employees at shops and the total hours those employees worked were down, according to the Enterprise Holdings Q1 2026 LOR report.
Yoswick noted that U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed the total number of production employees in the collision industry dropped by half a percent in November 2025 compared to October 2025, following a nearly 2% drop the month before. The average number of weekly hours worked also fell approximately 1.3% from the prior month.
More recent survey data may indicate a reversal in that trend, Yoswick said in the Enterprise report. CRASH Network survey data from January 2026 found more than two in five shops said they would hire a body technician immediately if a qualified applicant came along, and about one in five said they would hire two or more. Just 31% of shops said they would not hire any technicians, down from 44% who said that in mid-2025.
On whether that hiring appetite has continued into Q2, Yoswick told Autobody News that it is too early to know with certainty, but pointed to a recent headline about a large MSO seeking to hire 300 technicians in 60 days as a sign of continued interest.
"When you have 650-plus shops, that's about one body tech for every two shops, while our January survey findings indicated the industry as a whole was down 98 techs for every 100 shops, so the MSO's need for techs isn't all that surprising," Yoswick said.
Yoswick said the renewed interest in hiring this year reflects a correction after a period of understaffing that built up during 2024 and 2025.
"My view is the industry had been more reluctant to hire in late 2024 and through 2025 while waiting to see when work levels were going to level off or rebound, and ended up running a bit under-staffed," he said. "I think that accounts for some of the renewed interest in hiring this year."
Parts repair, alternative parts, and deductibles
Ryan Mandell, vice president of strategy and market intelligence for Mitchell International, said the share of parts being repaired rather than replaced rose to 16.2% in Q1 2026 on a preliminary basis, up from a fully mature figure of 14.4% in Q1 2025, according to the Enterprise Holdings Q1 2026 LOR report. The 16.2% figure is identified as "undeveloped" in the report, meaning it may be revised as more claims reach maturity.
"Repairing more parts allows shops to not only achieve higher margins but also faster cycle times, further contributing to reductions in LOR," Mandell said in the Enterprise report.
The use of alternative parts also increased, reaching 41.6% in Q1 2026 on a preliminary basis, up from a fully mature 39.5% in Q1 2025, according to Mandell. In Q2 2025 LOR data, Mandell described a similar trend as "a strong industry pivot toward repair over replacement, likely in response to parts cost pressures and availability challenges."
Average U.S. deductibles rose slightly year over year to $832 in Q1 2026 from $819 in Q1 2025, according to Mandell. "It appears that the trend is showing signs of stabilization," Mandell said in the Enterprise report.
Parts availability and aluminum shortages flagged
Greg Horn, chief industry relations officer at PartsTrader, said the median plus two standard deviations of parts delivery days fell a full day in Q1 2026 versus Q1 2025, according to the Enterprise Holdings Q1 2026 LOR report.
"PartsTrader data reports a two-day decline in North Dakota's delivery days, and increases in the delivery days in Minnesota, Wyoming, Ohio and Rhode Island," Horn said in the report. "The similarity in parts delivery data for those parts that are experiencing delays verifies that parts delays are a major cause of longer rental length."
Horn also flagged the potential impact of aluminum supply shortages. "With recent reports of automotive grade aluminum supply shortages, we may see delays in obtaining replacement aluminum panels, and a potential increase in repairable rental days," Horn said.
For rentals associated with drivable claims, LOR was 15.0 days in Q1 2026, a 0.2-day decline from Q1 2025, according to the Enterprise Holdings Q1 2026 LOR report. LOR associated with total loss claims was 14.9 days, a 0.1-day drop from Q1 2025.
State-Level Variation
Rhode Island recorded the highest overall LOR at 20.8 days in Q1 2026, followed by Alaska at 19.8 days and West Virginia at 19.6 days, according to the Enterprise Holdings Q1 2026 LOR report.
Hawaii and North Dakota recorded the lowest LOR at 12.4 days each, followed by the District of Columbia at 12.7 days. Rhode Island and Wyoming each posted year-over-year increases of 1.2 days, the largest in the country.
An additional 16 states had higher results in Q1 2026 versus Q1 2025. Oklahoma recorded the largest decline, with a 2.6-day drop to 16.4 days, and 14 other states saw their Q1 2026 results decrease by at least a day.
