ADAS Repairs Gone Wrong: What the Latest Research Reveals
“Vehicle repairs are now more complex than ever. Post-repair issues undermine the safety potential of critical ADAS features.”
– IIHS Report, 2023
In today’s collision repair landscape, vehicles are smarter than ever. Features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and blind spot detection are now standard on many vehicles. But when these systems are damaged, or even just disconnected during common repairs, they need to be precisely calibrated before the car goes back on the road.
A recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study shows why that matters now more than ever. Researchers surveyed vehicle owners about their experiences with crash avoidance feature repairs. What they found is alarming: half of consumers reported ongoing issues even after their vehicle was “repaired.”
Why post-repair problems are so common
The study revealed that repairs related to windshield replacement or crash damage were most likely to lead to persistent ADAS problems. Even when calibration was performed, nearly 70% of drivers in these scenarios reported continuous issues. The risk isn’t just to the driver.
Shops face potential liability, repeat visits, and damaged reputations.
Insurers juggle costly claims and disputes over repair quality.
Drivers may unknowingly operate vehicles with ADAS features that don’t function as intended.
The calibration challenge
Modern calibration isn’t just “pushing a button.” It requires:
OE-specific tools and targets
Latest OE software and procedures
Clean, level, controlled environments
Unfortunately, many shops lack the resources or training to perform these calibrations to specification. As a result, even well-intentioned repairs can result in unreliable ADAS performance.
Fact: Most ADAS calibrations related to crash damage or windshield replacement are covered by insurance, yet post-repair issues remain widespread.
(Insurance Institute for Highway Safety , 2023)
The Sentric solution
We guarantee OE-accurate calibrations with full documentation, giving shops, insurers, and drivers confidence that every ADAS feature is restored to factory standards.