So yesterday was the very first day I drove my newly-acquired A6 (2001 2.7T), and wouldn't you know it, I haven't put ten miles on the car when I get rear-ended. Nothing too serious in the overall scheme of things; as far as I can see the damage is just to the rear bumper, tail-light lens, and trunk lid. The good news is that the other fellow admitted fault and has insurance. So now I just need to get my car fixed.

My question is, should I insist on having the work done at the Audi dealership, or should I just go to a generically-competent independent body shop? I live in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and while mine is far from the only other A6 in town, my guess is that most of the shops around here don't see too many Audis. Anything else I should be wary of (areas prone to hidden damage, parts that can never be repaired properly and must be replaced even after a minor accident, etc.)?

 

Unless your local dealer has an inhouse body shop, they're going to just send it out anyway. You can head on over to AudiWorld.com and ask for a body shop reference in the regional forums.

Here's something you should consider, it comes up everytime a '98 - '01 A6 is rear ended, think about upgrading to a 2002 bumper. The '02+ bumper has cutouts for exhaust tips. Your '01 has downturned exhaust tips, these can be cut and you can add some nice looking straight exit exhaust tips; looks pretty racy. The '02 bumper cover should be the same price as an older bumper cover, so it's not a matter of cost to the ins. co., but it will mean more money out of your pocket for the exhaust tips and installation labor. Just a thought...

 

I don't know of too many dealerships that also have integrated body shops so that might answer your question right there. Here's what I'd suggest...

There's no better place to find Audi enthusiasts who are fussy about their cars than your local Audi club. They'll be the ones to know which body shops are good in your area (I certainly don't -- I'm in Boston!). I'd do a search/surf on the appropriate regional forum here and on www.audiworld.com. Even if you don't come up with a specific shop being mentioned, you should be able to get a feel for the Audi enthusiast community in your area. Figure out who the knowledgable people are and ask them who they'd recommend. If there's a local chapter of the North American Audi Club (NAAC), one of the members should be able to point you in the right direction.

Good luck. Sorry to hear your baby got nicked while still teething.

 

An Audi dealership is always an option. I also was "bumped" from behind with minimal damage. I had little indentation from the license plate frame as well as two holes from the bolts holding on the license plate. It will depend on the speed the other vehicle was traveling. Behind the painted skin is the bumper mold that provides your protection. If the collision was hard enough, it could damage that which would result in total replacement. I was lucky enough to find a body shop that did nothing but german cars! (HOORAY)

They completely removed the bumper skin, sanded, applied some bondo with fiberglass mesh, sanded, repainted and clear coated my entire bumper. They also wet sanded it and then buffed it along with my quarter panels to blend it in. They did a marvelous job. It cost me around $650.00.

Hope this helps!

 

will an 02 bumper fit an 01 perfectly...i have a 4.2 and was wondering if that was possible.