Where can you turn after a car accident? Most dealerships don’t have body shops and farm out repairs to a wide-ranging group of local stores. But which one is right for you? While you’re looking, keep in mind that your insurance company cannot insist you use their preferred shop.

Asking friends to refer a good body shop is a smart first step, but you may still need to shop around. If so, consider a shop that specializes in your type of car; e.g., a shop that specializes in German cars or one that works solely on Fords. If you have the time, check the shops in which you’re interested with the Better Business Bureau and see if any complaints have been filed against them.

When you’re ready to choose a shop, consider asking these questions before you turn over the keys:

• Does the shop use only ASE and/or I-CAR certified technicians?

• Does the shop limit repairs to just what the insurance company will pay for or do they focus on making the car as close to its pre-loss condition as possible?

Even if you have a rental car, the time that your car is in the shop can be stressful. Depending on the damage and duration of the repair, there are some questions to ask prior to and during the repair stage.

• What happens if additional repairs (i.e., that resulted from the accident but were not apparent during the estimate) become necessary while the car is being fixed?

• Does the shop have a down draft bake booth for painting? If not, how and where are re-paints performed? (Believe it or not, but some shops will paint car parts out on the sidewalk.)

Despite the joy of having a (hopefully) perfect car returned to you, there are a few more questions you should ask before considering the repair closed.

• Does any part of the car (new parts, new paint, etc.) need special treatment or a break-in period?

• What happens if something that should’ve been repaired wasn’t or breaks again?

• What type of warranty protection comes with the parts, shop and insurance company?