Finding a good auto body shop is essential to restore a damaged vehicle’s appearance and maintain its value. No one wants to have to bring a car back when problems arise from shoddy work or undetected issues.
Auto body shops differ from mechanics in that they specialize in cosmetic repairs and modifications like fixing dents, replacing broken glass or damaged trim, and restoring scratched surfaces. They also have the special equipment and skills necessary to paint vehicles. Painting can be an expensive and time-consuming process, but a new paint job goes a long way towards improving a damaged car or just an old one that still runs well but is showing signs of age. (Check out the longest lasting cars on the road.)
The work auto body shops do can affect a lot more than aesthetics. They use specialized equipment to find and repair damage to a vehicle’s frame, which can cause poor handling and make tires and steering components rapidly degrade. Further, frame damage after an accident can leave a car structurally weaker, making another accident far more dangerous for the occupants. (This could be especially important in the most dangerous cities for driving).
24/7 Wall St. has reviewed Junk Car Traders’ list of the scammiest auto body shops to determine which places are ranked lowest overall among such businesses. The study used Yelp ratings of 47,778 auto shops across the country, as well as a survey of 1,025 car owners. A low rank doesn’t mean that these cities don’t have good body shops — just that drivers should be especially careful in choosing one, asking around and reading reviews to find one that does quality work.
Click here to see cities with the lowest rated body shops.
Additional commuting data for the cities listed came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for 2019, the most recent to be published.
Source: LPETTET / Getty Images
25. Bakersfield, California
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.90/5
> Avg. area commute time: 24.2 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 93.7%
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Source: Oliver Kawwass / Getty Images
24. Virginia Beach, Virginia
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.85/5
> Avg. area commute time: 24.6 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 89.1%
Source: RudyBalasko / Getty Images
23. Chicago, Illinois
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.85/5
> Avg. area commute time: 32.4 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 76.8%
Source: Gary Fink / iStock via Getty Images
22. Plano, Texas
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.85/5
> Avg. area commute time: 28.6 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 89.7%
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Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
21. Raleigh, North Carolina
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.85/5
> Avg. area commute time: 27.4 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 86.8%
Source: StevenGaertner / Getty Images
20. Minneapolis, Minnesota
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.84/5
> Avg. area commute time: 26.1 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 85.0%
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Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
19. Dallas, Texas
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.82/5
> Avg. area commute time: 28.6 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 89.7%
Source: S. Greg Panosian / Getty Images
18. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.80/5
> Avg. area commute time: 30.8 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 79.4%
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
17. San Antonio, Texas
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.79/5
> Avg. area commute time: 27.4 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 89.8%
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Source: bobbyuzda / Getty Images
16. Orlando, Florida
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.79/5
> Avg. area commute time: 30.2 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 88.2%
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
15. Madison, Wisconsin
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.78/5
> Avg. area commute time: 22.8 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 81.5%
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Source: felixmizioznikov / iStock via Getty Images
14. Miami, Florida
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.76/5
> Avg. area commute time: 30.3 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 86.1%
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
13. Nashville, Tennessee
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.75/5
> Avg. area commute time: 28.5 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 88.2%
Source: arinahabich / iStock via Getty Images
12. Aurora, Colorado
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.73/5
> Avg. area commute time: 28.8 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 82.2%
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Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
11. Baltimore, Maryland
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.71/5
> Avg. area commute time: 31.7 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 84.6%
Source: f11photo / Getty Images
10. New Orleans, Louisiana
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.71/5
> Avg. area commute time: 26.5 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 87.1%
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Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
9. Atlanta, Georgia
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.71/5
> Avg. area commute time: 32.5 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 85.2%
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
8. Boston, Massachusetts
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.70/5
> Avg. area commute time: 32.6 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 72.9%
Source: florin1961 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
7. Arlington, Texas
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.68/5
> Avg. area commute time: 28.6 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 89.7%
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Source: Pavliha / Getty Images
6. North Las Vegas, Nevada
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.66/5
> Avg. area commute time: 25.9 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 87.9%
Source: Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images
5. Jersey City, New Jersey
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.64/5
> Avg. area commute time: 37.7 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 55.2%
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Source: Gian Lorenzo Ferretti Photography / Getty Images
4. St. Paul, Minnesota
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.64/5
> Avg. area commute time: 26.1 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 85.0%
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
3. Durham, North Carolina
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.63/5
> Avg. area commute time: 24.8 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 84.2%
Source: Ultima_Gaina / Getty Images
2. New York, New York
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.59/5
> Avg. area commute time: 37.7 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 55.2%
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Source: bfg1118 / iStock via Getty Images
1. Norfolk, Virginia
> Average auto body shop Yelp rating: 3.58/5
> Avg. area commute time: 24.6 minutes
> Pct. of area workers who drive 89.1%
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