Tips for interior repair and upgrade

The quality of your automobile interior can dramatically affect the vehicle's value. Fortunately, many repair shops specialize in restoring automobile interiors.

Moreover, your car can get "updated" just the way you might update your home. You may want to upgrade cloth seats to leather or change the color scheme of the vehicle's interior from red to silver.

According to research by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, poorly maintained interiors can drop a car's resale value by hundreds of dollars. That includes items such as torn upholstery, worn carpeting, cigarette burns, and damaged headliners.

According to the AAIA, consider the following when making a choice for your repair service:

• Call and explain the problem. A good shop should be able to clearly explain the options available to fix your vehicle or the upgrades that may enhance its value.

   

• Ask questions. The better trim shops are trained to help you fully understand your interior maintenance needs.

   

• Obtain a written estimate of the work to be performed. The estimate should include parts, cost of parts, cost of labor and an expected delivery date. Many people are surprised at the affordable cost when balanced against the value the repair or upgrade has added to the vehicle.

   

• Make sure the shop is insured. It helps you protect your investment.

   

• Check on warranty programs. You can have more confidence in a business willing to warranty both parts and labor.

   

• Ask for examples of past work. A good trim shop will have a photo book that includes different types of services performed and the results, which are often spectacular.

   

• Visit the shop. Is it clean and well-organized? Courteous?

   

The bottom line: A clean and well-maintained vehicle is worth more than an identical one that has been neglected.

Source: Automotive Aftermarket Industry