Toronto, Ontario – A recent study shows that a majority of Canadian auto technicians aren’t sensing the obvious signs of when a vehicle needs its ADAS (Advanced-Driver Assistance Systems) recalibrated.
In a survey of 100 repair estimates, adasThink found that 85 of the estimates were missing a line item for an ADAS recalibration, in cases where a recalibration should have, in fact, been performed.
“Of the 15 estimates that did include an ADAS calibration, nine of those 15 estimates included a replacement operation of the ADAS sensor itself – a virtually impossible-to-miss ADAS calibration,” adasThink wrote Monday.
The findings of the report seem to indicate a basic and consistent level of unfamiliarity with the repair and calibration of ADAS systems, as adasThink noted that many involved in the survey missed even their “complete giveaway” clues that a recalibration was needed.
“We do note that many ADAS calibrations that were missed did involve a replacement of the ADAS sensor, indicating that many body shops or appraisers were missing even those simple calibrations,” the company wrote.
The study was comprised of “publicly-available estimates” of vehicles from model years 2014-2020, all of which were equipped with ADAS and were in need of recalibration.
“As a general rule of thumb, ADAS calibrations will usually be required if an ADAS sensor has been removed or replaced, or if a sensor mounting part like a door, grille, or trunk lid has been removed or replaced,” adasThink wrote in the Monday report. “Many OEMs also require ADAS calibrations after a wheel alignment or structural repairs to the vehicle, where the geometry of the vehicle may have changed.”
Nick Dominato, president of adasThink, said all the estimates were a mix of final bills/supplements. He said many do have supplements included in the estimate, but it cannot be guaranteed that all of them are final estimates.
“This is for the simple fact that heavy hits are more likely to have damage that extends into the ADAS sensors specifically (as opposed to a lighter collision that may only involve damage to the fascia or outer body panels), requiring a replacement of the sensor and an obvious calibration line item,” stated in the report.
