Collision Repair News

Your job requires that you keep on top of the latest in vehicle, tool, and equipment technology – I-CAR is committed to helping you do so in one convenient place. We regularly publish new articles highlighting the latest and greatest collision repair information.

So check back often and follow us on X @Ask_ICAR to ensure you’re equipped with the most up-to-date collision repair technical information available in the industry.



Repairer Driven News: Toyota Battery Disconnect

The disconnecting and reconnecting (D&R) a battery is not as simple as it once may have been. An article recently published by Repairer Driven News (RDN) touches on the subject of battery D&R, specifically from Toyota. So, what does a repair technician need to know for battery D&R on Toyota vehicles?

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How Does the I-CAR OEM Linking Pin Process Work?

I-CAR launched its Repairability Technical Support (RTS) Portal in 2014 in response to the industry's need for a tool that could provide better, faster access to information for repairing today's vehicles. The RTS initiative includes the Ask I-CAR feature. This is where you are able to submit collision repair questions. But what happens when a procedure or answer to your question isn't readily available in the OEM information?

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Quickly Identifying Outer Quarter Panels w/Rolled Hem Flanges

The I-CAR best practice article, Recycled Outer Quarter Panels w/Rolled Hem Flanges has gotten a lot of interest from the collision repair industry. It’s important to know which vehicles are constructed with a quarter panel rolled hem flange. The RTS Team is working to help you quickly identify if the vehicle you are repairing is constructed with a rolled hem flange. Starting with 2015 model year, when you check out the OEM Partial Part Replacement Search to find if procedures exist, you can see if the vehicle has a rolled hem flange.

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Tesla: Using Flow Form Rivets

Tesla covers flow form rivets in the vehicle-specific Tesla Collision Repair Procedures ➤ Approved Parts, Tools, And Supplies ➤ Using Flow Form Rivets. The document covers when to use flow form rivets, how to choose which rivet to use (along with part numbers), and how to prepare the panels for installation.

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OEM Linking Pin: Subaru Steering Columns

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, "Does the steering column require inspection after any type of collision, regardless if the airbag deployed?" We reached out to Subaru for clarification.

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Non-Reusable Parts

Need help finding out if a part is reusable or not? A recent article by Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) recently addresses this issue.

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Warning of Phishing Scam

I-CAR has been informed that there are emails circulating that appear to be from I-CAR referencing invoices. If you receive an email that looks suspicious, do NOT download any of the attachments, do NOT click on any of the links, and do NOT reply to the email. Phishing emails are in no way affiliated with I-CAR. I-CAR has no way of controlling these emails as they are not coming from I-CAR, but from a different source disguised as I-CAR. A good way to know if the email is a scam is to watch out for:

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Where Do I Find Other Types Of Information In Subaru?

Navigating OEM websites can be challenging when searching for collision repair procedures, especially as no two OEM websites are alike. What happens when you need to find other types of repair information, such as, "What needs to be inspected after a supplemental restraints system (SRS) deployment", or "Does the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) require a scan tool or specialty tool?" Let's take a closer look at the Subaru website.

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