Vehicle Body Repair & Insurance Glossary

    A reference for insurers, accident management companies, fleet managers and policyholders. 51 terms, plain English.

    BS10125
    British Standard for vehicle body repair processes.
    Thatcham Research
    UK's motor insurance research centre.
    CAPS (Claims Application Programme)
    Industry messaging standard for motor claims.
    Audatex
    Vehicle damage estimating platform.
    GT Motive
    Vehicle estimating and parts platform.
    ADAS Calibration
    Recalibrating driver assistance sensors after repair.
    EV Repair
    Body repair on electric vehicles requiring HV training.
    Manufacturer-Approved Repair
    OEM-certified bodyshop status.
    Cycle Time
    Days from vehicle in to vehicle out (key-to-key).
    CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index)
    Customer satisfaction score for the repair experience.
    NPS (Net Promoter Score)
    Likelihood-to-recommend metric.
    Complaint Rate
    Percentage of jobs that generate a customer complaint.
    Courtesy Car
    Free temporary vehicle while a car is being repaired.
    Credit Hire
    Hire car charged on credit during a non-fault claim.
    Accident Management Company (AMC)
    Third-party manager of non-fault claims.
    Non-Fault Claim
    Claim where the policyholder isn't at fault.
    Subrogation
    Insurer recovering costs from the at-fault party.
    Total Loss
    Vehicle uneconomic or unsafe to repair.
    Category S
    Structural total loss — repairable but written off.
    Category N
    Non-structural total loss — cosmetic write-off.
    Diminution of Value
    Drop in vehicle value despite quality repair.
    SMART Repair
    Small / Medium Area Repair Technique.
    PDR (Paintless Dent Removal)
    Removing dents without repainting.
    Mobile Repair
    On-site bodyshop service at customer location.
    Alloy Wheel Refurbishment
    Restoring kerbed or corroded alloys.
    Diamond Cut Wheels
    Lathe-finished alloy wheels.
    Estimating
    Producing a pre-repair quote on damage.
    BMS (Bodyshop Management System)
    Software running a bodyshop's daily operations.
    Key-to-Key
    Calendar time from drop-off to collection.
    First Time Fix Rate
    Percentage of jobs completed without comeback.
    Comeback
    Vehicle returned for re-work after repair.
    VBRA (Vehicle Builders & Repairers Association)
    UK trade body for body repair.
    BVRLA
    British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association.
    Fleet Repair
    Body repair for company vehicle fleets.
    Leasing Company Repair Network
    Approved bodyshops for lease-fleet damage.
    BMW Approved Bodyshop
    BMW Group's certified repair scheme.
    Tesla Approved Bodyshop
    Tesla's certified repair scheme.
    VAG Approved Bodyshop
    Volkswagen Group repair certification.
    Diagnostic Scan
    Pre & post-repair vehicle electronics scan.
    Courtesy Car Fleet
    Bodyshop's pool of replacement vehicles.
    Salvage
    Disposal route for total-loss vehicles.
    ISO 9001
    International quality management standard.
    ISO 14001
    Environmental management standard.
    ISO 45001
    Occupational health & safety standard.
    ISO 27001
    Information security management standard.
    GDPR
    EU/UK data protection regulation.
    SLA (Service Level Agreement)
    Contractual performance commitments.
    Panel Repair
    Repair vs replacement of damaged body panels.
    Panel Replacement
    Fitting a new replacement panel.
    Open-Book Pricing
    Transparent cost-plus contract model.
    FNOL (First Notification of Loss)
    First insurer touchpoint after an incident.