Dec. 7, 2020, Carwise

A dented bumper, scratched paint, a broken windshield—the aftermath of a car accident is often accompanied by a visible reminder. However, it is important to know not all damage following an accident is visible. This can be especially true in newer vehicles that include automated driver assistance systems (ADAS) as these sensors and components are often not visible.

After a collision, when assessing the damage, you may want to bring the vehicle to a professional to determine if the damage is cosmetic or if there is unseen damage that could impact vehicle performance or safety features.

Unseen Technologies

Many newer vehicles include a variety of sensors to guide driver assistance technology. Often sensors are located in the front and rear bumpers as well as throughout the interior and exterior of the vehicle. These sensors work together with onboard computers to allow features like parallel parking assistance, rear cameras for assistance backing up, and even collision prevention measures. Following an accident, it is important to confirm that your systems are fully operational.

Fortunately, auto body shops have various ways to detect this unseen damage, and one of the most important is diagnostic scanning.

A diagnostic scan is performed after you drop your car off at the shop, before repair work begins. To perform a diagnostics assessment, a repair technician connects your car to a scanner, which reveals if any Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) appear. This scan runs through all the various programs and features that help your car run, and it flags any problems or miscommunications between those systems.

This scan gives auto repairers visibility into seen and unseen systems.

If you’re in an accident, it is important to remember to think about unseen damage as well. You can always play it safe and contact a local collision repair professional to determine the extent of the damage.

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