Who Pays for What? survey by
Collision Advice | CRASH Network
ALLDATA Collision® has increased its lead as the #1 choice for OEM repair information. According to the results of the 2023 Who Pays for What? Frame & Mechanical Operations survey, 76% of auto body repair shops use ALLDATA to research OEM repair information, up from 73.9% in 2022.
Mike Anderson
Collision Advice
About the survey
Who Pays for What? is a series of surveys launched in 2015 by Mike Anderson’s Collision Advice and CRASH Network to help repair facilities better understand how their billing practices differ from others in the industry. The Frame & Mechanical Operations survey results were published in July 2023.
Use of OEM repair information “All the time” jumps for 2023
In 2022, 23.7% said they research OEM repair procedures “All the time.” For 2023, that number jumps to 31.3%, with 60.4% that research OEM repair procedures “All or most of the time.” This trend reflects the industry’s focus on the necessity of following OEM procedures for safe and accurate vehicle repair – and to limit liability – as vehicles become increasingly more complex.
How frequently do you research OEM repair procedures at the time you write an estimate?
| Pre-Repair Scan | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| All the time | 31.3% | 23.7% | 21.2% | 19.9% | 21.5% | 24.8% |
| Most of the time | 29.1% | 35.2% | 36.5% | 32.6% | 32.7% | 35.7% |
| Some of the time | 23.4% | 23.1% | 26.5% | 27.4% | 26.5% | 24.8% |
| Only occasionally | 10.6% | 15.2% | 13% | 15.4% | 14.7% | 12.7% |
| Never | 5.7% | 2.9% | 2.8% | 4.7% | 4.6% | 2% |
76% of body shops use ALLDATA for OEM repair information
Since the Who Pays For What? survey launched in 2015, ALLDATA has been the top choice of auto body shops for online OEM repair information.
For 2023, 76% of respondents say they use ALLDATA compared to 47% that use automaker information websites, 43% that use CCC, and 9% that use Mitchell.
Which of the following systems do you use to research OEM repair information?
| OEM Information Sources | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| ALLDATA | 76% | 73.9% | 73.4% | 72.4% | 62.8% |
| Automaker information websites | 46.7% | 51.1% | 52.8% | 51.5% | 59.4% |
| CCC’s “Repair Methods” | 43.4% | 43.1% | 43.4% | 44.3% | 49.2% |
| I-CAR’s “Repairability Technical Support” | 35.4% | 43.5% | 46.4% | 49.8% | 55.4% |
| OEConnection's "RepairLogic" | 18% | 7.3% | |||
| Mitchell’s “Tech Advisor” | 9.1% | 12.2% | 13% | 15.7% | 14.4% |
| Sun | 2.5% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 1.7% | |
| Auda Explore’s “TechFocus” | 1.1% | .6% | .9% | .5% | 1.6% |
In his notes, Mike Anderson calls out that “This research MUST be done ALL of the time. OEM information is complex and can change: I recently wrote an estimate on three of the same year and model of vehicles, but the alignment procedures and battery disconnect procedures were different based on trim levels and engine types. Remember: Learn to research, research to learn.”
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To access Who Pays for What? results or to become a survey participant, visit www.crashnetwork.com/collisionadvice. |
Did you know that ALLDATA’s award-winning ADAS Quick Reference tool gives you immediate access to ADAS components and procedures? It’s included at no additional cost with ALLDATA Collision, the industry’s #1 choice for unedited OEM repair information and integrated shop productivity solutions.
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