Insights
The Importance of Automotive Diagnostics in Collision Repair
October 8, 2017
3 MIN READVehicle complexity has exploded in the last decade. Collision repair used to be about sheet metal, headlamp and bumper replacement; now it involves more and more sophisticated electronics. Essentially repairers must be prepared to fix a computer network on wheels.
Mitchell Total Loss Data: Q1 2017
October 8, 2017
1 MIN READThe chart below illustrates the total loss data for both vehicle age and actual cash value of total loss vehicles processed through Mitchell servers.
Taking a Position on Pre- and Post-Repair Vehicle Scanning
October 8, 2017
2 MIN READAs vehicle complexity has increased exponentially in the last decade, collision repair diagnostics has taken center stage in the collision repair industry. With millions of lines of code, repairers must be prepared to fix a computer network on wheels. Read more about the Importance of Automotive Diagnostics in Collision Repair.
Five P&C Hot Topics and the Trends Fueling Them
October 8, 2017
6 MIN READDoes virtual reality have practical applications for the P&C and collision repair industries? While it may be too soon to say what the overall impact will be, we are seeing interesting applications that go beyond entertainment. Virtual reality is being used to train doctors, create architectural models, and test the safety of new car models in a virtual setting before manufacturing them. It’s easier to see the potential benefits of augmented reality.
Average Length of Rental for Repairable Vehicles: Q1 2017
October 8, 2017
5 MIN READThe rate of average Length of Rental (LOR) growth declined in Q1 of 2017 for the first time in multiple quarters increasing only a modest .2 days from 11.9 to 12.1. In March, the number was flat, the first month without a year over year increase in more than two years. The data demonstrates very little consistency across and within regions, therefore there doesn’t appear to be a true U.S. trend.
Motor Vehicle Markets: Q1 2017
October 8, 2017
4 MIN READThe tale of two markets resumed in March, as wholesale prices were below year-ago levels for cars and above prior year for trucks. Nevertheless, both groups showed price increases versus February’s unseasonably soft results, as retail sales and wholesale activity showed signs of the traditional spring/tax season market typical for used vehicles.
Mitchell Collision Repair Industry Data: Q1 2017
October 8, 2017
6 MIN READThe initial average appraisal value, calculated by combining data from all first and third-party repairable vehicle appraisals uploaded through Mitchell systems in Q1 2017, was $3,018, $4 less than this same period last year. However, continued development suggests a final Q1 2017 average appraisal value of $3,047, which represents an increase of the same quarter last year.