Contact Us
TSAWWASSEN COLLISION
17-1835 56th Street
Tsawwassen, BC, V4L 2L8
HOURS OF OPERATIONS
Monday to Friday
8:00am to 5:30pm
ICBC Collision Repair Program
ICBC implemented the c.a.r Shop accreditation program in 1995 and used it for almost 25 years until early 2020. Tsawwassen Collision was on board from the start and was continuously accredited in the highest levels of that program.
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As a standard for repair quality the ICBC program had fallen behind over the years and was not up to the reality of modern cars. In 2018 ICBC started planning a new program with more relevant equipment and training requirements. This program, the ICBC Collision Repair Network, was implemented in early 2020, with the equipment requirements mandatory in January 2021.
At Tsawwassen Collision we viewed these equipment requirements as a basic minimum, which we had been well ahead of for many years. ICBC training requirements were also fully met with our existing I-CAR Gold status. It took only a few administrative changes for us to qualify for the new program as it rolled out.
BC Automotive Retailers Association – Certified Collision Repair + Aluminum
Our commitment to providing top-notch service extends to the BC Automotive Retailers Association Certified Collision Repair (CCR) program. This program launched in late 2016 and we became the third shop in BC to achieve designation in March 2017. We have consistently met annual renewal requirements, and we currently hold the Certified + Aluminum level, highlighting our qualification for aluminum repairs. Notably, the requirements for recognition as a Certified Collision Repairer are more rigorous than those of the ICBC Collision Repair Network.
ICBC Glass Top Performer and ARA Certified Glass
Tsawwassen Collision offers complete autoglass replacement and repair services and we are committed to top level service. We are certified by the ARA Glass Program and by the ICBC Glass Repair Network.
I-CAR Gold Class – Aluminum
In December of 2016 Tsawwassen Collision was the 9th repair facility in BC to achieve I-CAR Gold Class status and has maintained this level every year since, with our current status being Gold Class – Aluminum.
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The Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) was started in the mid-70s in America as a non- profit organization with membership from all areas of the collision repair industry. The primary objective of the program is the providing of training and technical resources for technicians and others working in collision repair. Today I-CAR licenses its programs in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
For many years training in BC was dominated by the requirements of ICBC and I-CAR had a very limited presence here. In 2015 management at ICBC realized that training of the industry should not be a core part of their business and they moved away from their training role. With this change the I-CAR program became the training standard for progressive shops in BC. Progressive is an important word here. ICBC did not mandate this training so many operators took the short sighted view that they did not need it.
In mid-2016, of the more than 450 ICBC accredited shops in BC, Tsawwassen Collision was one of only 23 that had become involved in the I-CAR program. In October 2016, the first of these shops achieved Gold Class level and in December 2016 Tsawwassen Collision was the 9th. We have maintained this every year since and added Gold Class Aluminum in 2019.
Manufacturers Certifications
In January of 2023, after a six month process of specific training and equipment additions, Tsawwassen Collision was accredited as a Tesla Approved Body Shop. The Tesla program is very in depth and requires top level equipment and on-going training.
Tesla looks for a significant baseline before considering a facility for a certification. This baseline is met by excellent equipment, training and demonstrated commitment to correct repairs before the Tesla process starts. If that basline commitment is not there the Tesla certification people know that the facility is not ready; in our case it was, and they could see we were ready.
Why are we not certified by other manufacturers?
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For a manufacturer, managing a certification program with hundreds of repair facilities across the country is a daunting task and in 2024 GM is the only main line manufacturer managing their own program. Many of the others provide certification through a third party certification company.
From 2018 through 2022 Tsawwassen Collision was certified through this third-party certification organization by Ford, Kia, Nissan, FCA (Fiat Chrysler America), Honda/Acura, Hyundai and Genesis. At the end of the 2022 licensing period, we felt that these certifications had become very weak. There would be a cursory inspection of equipment once a year, a checklist of documents and then very little contact and really no support. If we wanted to do a proper repair, as we always did, it would be up to us to find the information and do the right work. There was very little behind the plaques on the wall and we opted out of the program at the 2023 renewal.
Safety or Marketing Driven Certification?
Other manufacturers put conditions on their certification programs that have nothing to do with repair quality. Tsawwassen Collision meets all Toyota repair capability requirements, but Toyota adds the requirement that the repair shop be sponsored by the local dealer. If, as in our case, that dealer has its own collision shop they will refuse to sponsor any other shop to encourage as much work as possible to their own facility.
Infiniti requires a paid subscription to a data collecting service which funnels information on every repair back to Infiniti. Many people are getting tired of constant data collection but even if we accepted it at Tsawwassen Collision our in-house custom designed software systems are not compatible with the data collection system required. Complicated, but nothing to do with repair quality.
The Luxury Brands and Tsawwassen Collision
The luxury brands do manage their own programs and these programs are very good. They are also very specific with brand aligned equipment and training. Tsawwassen Collision focuses on the local community whose members are , driving a wide range of vehicles. While our equipment covers the core requirements for these luxury brands there are still significant costs to complete the process, and these would not be justified by the volume we would do nor would we have the space for their specific equipment.
Repairing luxury vehicles with lighter damage is well within our capabilities, and we are confident in such repairs. However, when structural damage is involved, we understand that it is essential to have brand-specific training and tools to maintain the integrity of the repair. We appreciate the trust our customers place in us when bringing this type of work, and we make sure to refer it to fully certified facilities.
Many of the luxury brand certifications focus on structural work, often by limiting the sale of structural parts to certified shops. Our local dealers understand our capabilities and sell us parts that are not restricted without hesitation. They will often refer local owners with these lighter repairs to us. knowing it will be done properly.
In 2023 we did make the decision to become Tesla Certified for several reasons, with the number of these cars in the South Delta area being a big factor. Another was the realization that EVs are a very big part of the future and a grounding in Tesla gave us the core understanding to properly repair other manufacturer’s EVs.