JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

Randall has a white car and I have a black car. Anything else may be tough to match perfectly. But, unless a MB certified shop has access to paint or tools or techniques that any other type of shop does not have, I gotta believe someone else could do as good a job. But, I also think that if someone else caused the damage, I'd want an MB certified shop, as well.

rmorin49

My "white" car is the Diamond White Tricoat. Can be difficult to match but the non-certified shop matched it perfectly.

RonNSoCal

I talked to my neighbor yesterday, whose MB SUV sustained significant damage and he used a local body shop here in Newbury Park where I live. He reported that he was very happy with the work and that the paint was holding up better than original Mars Red over which he is now part of the class action suit. This is, of course, another matter altogether. Luckily, my red car is cardinal red!

RonNSoCal

Good point. Since I am responsible and will be paying for the repairs, I should probably be looking for a more reasonable alternative.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

So, who is your insurance company. Many offer accident forgiveness for the first screw up. Or is there a pattern here?

If this was truly an accident (meaning it wasn't intentional), then I would at least ask if it will affect your rates. The whole purpose of insurance is to mitigate the financial impact of an accident.

tx170754

Lexus LS 460 paint is one of the best possible, on par with Bentley, is finished by hand, no orange peel whatsoever. My S560 sits in my garage close to the LS 460., you can see orange peel on the Mercedes paint but nothing on the LS.
I'm not so sure about your SL damages but a certified shop will also use lasers to align, if necessary, some panels that they need to be repainted, in my LS case the panels were aligned to less than 1mm, the tolerances on the LS are really tight.

RonNSoCal

As some of you had suggested, I found a highly rated body shop near by with experience fixing MBs and spent $3680 to have the repairs completed. I got back my car today and it looks amazing. I had a few little blemishes corrected in the process and while my car is still not quite perfect, I am very satisfied with the work done and the way the car came out. Thanks to all of you who offered your advice and shared your experiences. Now I just need to stay better focused and avoid future heartbreak.