Paint Protection
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3 min read
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What Happens to Icon Rocklear After an Accident, and Who Pays to Redo It
By
Noah Satho
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Milpitas, California
What Happens at the Body Shop
A body shop repairs and repaints a coated panel the same way it would any other, so there's nothing special you need to ask them to do. Icon Rocklear bonds into the factory clear coat, and in the same way a body shop can wet sand away clear coat, the coating can be sanded away where they need to work, which is why it doesn't get in the way of a repair. Some body shops haven't heard of it, and one told a customer of ours they'd never heard of Icon Rocklear at all. If the shop replaces a panel or repaints it, that panel comes back without the coating. Shops often blend the new paint into the panels next to the repair so the color matches, and any panel they paint loses its coating too, so it's worth asking the shop which panels they're painting before you call us. That list is what the recoat and the insurance paperwork get built from.
When We Recoat, and Why Fresh Paint Has to Wait
Fresh body shop paint needs about 30 days to cure before we can put Icon Rocklear over it, so the recoat usually happens about a month after you get the car back. That wait is only for repainted panels, because factory paint on a new car wasn't sprayed yesterday, so a brand-new car can be coated right away. If a panel was repainted after delivery, like damage on the dealer's lot, that one panel follows the 30-day rule. When the paint's ready, we recoat the repaired panels, plus any blended ones next to them. Recoats are priced by the panel, and we'll send you a preliminary quote for the claim before the shop's even finished, then adjust it once we know exactly which panels they painted.
What Insurance Covers, and What to Tell Your Adjuster
The 15-year warranty doesn't cover an accident, because it's the manufacturer's promise that the coating won't fail early, and a collision is damage from the outside, the same way a rock chip or a key scratch is. That's where your insurance comes in: when you file the claim, note down with the agent that you had it coated, and they should be able to reimburse us for the reinstall on the panels that got repaired. We'll send whatever the adjuster needs, usually an invoice or a quote listing the panels, and if they'd rather talk to us directly, give them our number, and we'll handle it. Every Icon Rocklear install we do is also documented on the car's Carfax, which helps when an adjuster, or later a buyer, wants proof the car was coated. Dents are the easy part, because the coating is quite flexible, so paintless dent repair works on a coated panel with zero issue. If you need someone for it, we can point you to the mobile PDR shop we send dent work to. If the car does end up at a body shop, tell us which panels they're working on, and we'll take it from there, from the quote for your claim to the recoat.
Does the 15-year warranty cover accident damage?
No. It covers the coating failing early, and an accident is damage from the outside, like a rock chip or a key scratch. Insurance usually covers the recoat as part of the claim instead.
Will insurance pay to recoat the repaired panels?
Usually, yes. When you file the claim, tell your agent the car had Icon Rocklear on it, and they should be able to reimburse us for the reinstall. We'll send the invoice or quote they need.
How long after body work can you recoat a panel?
About 30 days, so the fresh paint can fully cure first. That wait is only for repainted panels, and factory paint on a new car can be coated right away.
Can a body shop repair a panel that has Icon Rocklear on it?
Yes. They repair and repaint it the way they would any panel, and the coating doesn't complicate the repair. We recoat it once the paint has cured.
Do I have to recoat the whole car after an accident?
No, just the panels the body shop repaired or painted, including any they blended into so the color matches. The rest of the car keeps its coating.
Is paintless dent repair safe on a coated panel?
Yes. The coating is quite flexible, so PDR works on it with zero issue, and we can refer you to the mobile PDR shop we use.
What does a recoat cost after an accident?
It's priced by the panel. Once you know which panels are being repaired, we'll quote the recoat, so you can send the number to your insurance.
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