It seems in this life, you can never have too much space for storage. Whether that be in your home, place of work, or your vehicle. Consumers are looking for more and more storage on their vehicles, driving OEMs to get creative with creating this storage space. To meet consumer demand, OEMs have been taking almost every empty space on vehicles and created a storage compartment out of it. While some of these spaces are obvious, others may be harder to see or even disguised in an effort to create a secret storage compartment. So, how do these additional storage spaces affect the collision repair industry.

Ford’s redesigned 2020 Escape utilizes much more boron steel in the structure, it has been described as a "plentiful" amount. In addition to the boron usage, a long martensitic ultra-high strength steel tube goes from the A-pillar to the C-pillar. An article published by Repairer Driven News goes into more detail.

Repairer Driven News recently released an article on how the plastics industry has an interest in the discarded bumper fascias from body shops. The idea isn’t to refurbish the damaged fascias, but rather to use the thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) from the bumpers.

The I-CAR Repairability Technical Support (RTS) team recently developed a new I-CAR 360 video on the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra light duty. The video provides a 360 tour around the new Silverado/Sierra, and the body in white.

As part of the I-CAR Repairability Technical Support (RTS) OEM linking pin activity, we are helping to connect the collision repair industry to the vehicle makers. Recently, we had a technical inquiry that asked for clarification on the difference between the Kia Optima JF and the Optima JFA.

One of the top technical inquiries received at Ask I-CAR is, “Is there a sectioning or partial replacement procedure available?” To help answer this question, RTS has an OEM Partial Part Replacement Search available. Here you will find information on if these procedures are available on a specific vehicle. Let’s take a closer look at the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan.

As part of the I-CAR Repairability Technical Support (RTS) OEM linking pin activity, we are helping to connect the collision repair industry to the vehicle makers. Recently, we had a technical inquiry that asked for clarification on the bolt part number for the side curtain airbag on a 2018 Acura MDX.

Part availability can play a major role in the repair plan for collision damaged vehicles. This is especially true when the way a part is serviced changes. Honda issued a Body Repair News publication reminding the collision industry that the trunk floor for the 2012-15 Honda Civic is not a single part anymore. Rather, it consists of four separate components.

Collision repair shop locator websites are nothing new, there are more than a few to choose from, but now there is a new player in town and who it is and what is does is what sets it apart from the rest.

DEG or the Database Enhancement Gateway, is a service that connects insurers and repairers with the estimating services. Users can inquire about a specific subject or search for a previously answered questions that deal with Audatex, Mitchell, and CCC estimating programs. An article by Repairer Driven News highlights some adjustments made by DEG in the month of June 2019.

The 55th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference took place June 25-29, 2019 in Louisville, KY. Every year I-CAR sends volunteers to judge the collision repair technology competition. Let’s take a look at this year’s results.

One of the top technical inquiries received at Ask I-CAR, "Is there a sectioning or partial replacement procedure available?" To help answer this question, RTS has an OEM Partial Part Replacement Search available. Here you will find information on if these procedures are available on a specific vehicle. Let's take a closer look at the 2019 Kia Optima.

Usage of adhesives, foams, and seam sealers has skyrocketed in recent years. Consumers demand their vehicles to be quieter, stronger, and last longer than ever before. With so much use of these materials, it can get confusing to figure out what material goes where, especially when looking at a diagram or a list of the required steps.

In case you missed it, RTS published several different articles featuring aluminum welding quick tips. As it is often stated, welding aluminum is not necessarily harder than welding steel, it is just simply different.

MIG brazing is becoming more popular than ever before. Different steel properties make them sensitive to the high temperatures that welding creates. MIG brazing solves the heat problem that welding creates by using a lower temperature to attach materials. MIG brazing comes with it’s own set of rules for use. Panel prep, technique, and machine setup all play major roles when it comes to using MIG brazing.