Rental Car While Your Car Is in the Body Shop — Who Pays?

Getting around while your car is being repaired

Whether you get a rental, and who pays for it, is decided by your policy rather than by the body shop. It is worth understanding before the car goes in, because rental cover is one of the most common sources of unpleasant surprises at the end of a claim.

Where rental cover comes from

There are three usual sources. The first is rental reimbursement on your own policy — an optional coverage, normally capped both by a daily amount and by a total, for example thirty dollars a day up to nine hundred. The second is the at-fault driver’s liability insurance, which generally covers a reasonable rental for the time the repair actually takes, once liability is accepted. The third is nothing at all, which is what many drivers discover they have. Check your declarations page now rather than after the accident.

The caps are what catch people out

A daily cap that does not cover the class of car you need means paying the difference yourself. A total cap matters more: if your policy allows nine hundred dollars and the repair runs longer than expected because a supplement is waiting for approval or a part is on back order, the cover can run out while your car is still in the shop. Ask your adjuster for both numbers at the start, and tell us what they are. If the limit is tight we will plan the work around it where we can and warn you early if a date is slipping.

What we can do

We can coordinate with a rental company and with your adjuster so the timing lines up, and we can tell you realistically how long the car will be with us so you are not renting for days you do not need. We do not supply rental cars ourselves, and we will not promise a completion date we do not believe in just to make a rental budget work.

Reducing the days you need a car

A few practical things shorten the gap. Get the estimate written and submitted before you bring the car in, so approval is under way while you are still driving it. Let parts arrive before disassembly starts where that is possible. And if the damage is cosmetic and the car is safe to drive, book the work for when parts are in hand rather than leaving the car sitting.

In California the choice of repair facility belongs to the vehicle owner. Your insurer may recommend a shop from its network, but you can bring the car here and your claim stays valid. We accept all insurance companies, take the damage photos, speak with the adjuster and file a supplement if hidden damage shows up during disassembly.

Working with a specific carrier? We have pages for GEICO, State Farm, AAA, Progressive, Allstate, Mercury and Farmers, plus a general insurance claims page.

Claim guides: choosing your own body shop in California, what a supplement is, how your deductible works, rental car while your car is in the shop and OEM vs aftermarket parts.

Talk to us before the car goes in

The Body Shop Collision Repair
12911 Cerise Ave, Hawthorne, CA 90250
Phone: (323) 661-6600
Email: 711body@gmail.com
Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM · Sat 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM · Sun 11:30 AM – 4:30 PM
After-hours towing and drop-off available — call us.

More detail on the work itself: bumper repair, paintless dent repair, car painting and colour matching, collision and structural repair, motorcycle body repair and a free estimate from photos.

We also look after drivers in Hawthorne, Inglewood, Gardena, Lawndale, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Palos Verdes, Westchester & LAX, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Marina del Rey, Culver City, Santa Monica. Full list on our service areas page.

Rental cars: common questions

Does my insurance pay for a rental car?

Only if you carry rental reimbursement, or if the at-fault driver’s liability insurance is covering it. It is not automatic, and many policies do not include it.

How long will the insurer pay for?

Usually for the reasonable time the repair takes, subject to a daily cap and a total cap written into your policy. Ask your adjuster for both figures at the start.

What happens if the repair takes longer than my rental cover?

You pay for the extra days yourself unless the insurer agrees to extend. Tell us your limit early and we will warn you as soon as a date looks like moving.

Do you provide loaner cars?

No. We can coordinate with a rental company and with your adjuster so the timing works, but we do not supply cars ourselves.

Can I drive my car until the parts arrive?

If the damage is cosmetic and the car is safe and legal to drive, often yes. That is the simplest way to cut rental days, and we will tell you when it is an option.

The other driver was at fault. Who arranges the rental?

Their insurer normally does, once it accepts liability. Until then some drivers use their own cover to avoid waiting, and sort out reimbursement afterwards.

Planning a repair? Call (323) 661-6600 and we will give you a realistic timeline before you book anything.