Collision Repair Shops & ADAS Calibrations

It's time to offer ADAS calibration service with confidence. Here is why you want to stay ahead in the evolving collision industry!

Collision Repair Shops & ADAS

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Collisions Impact ADAS Systems

Nearly every vehicle that makes it to a collision shop will require recalibrations. More than 70 million vehicles on the road today have at least one ADAS component. Since many routine procedures trigger a calibration, such as installing a new windshield or replacing a bumper. By including ADAS services, collision repair shops can capture this profitable work while the vehicles are already in the shop.

Understanding ADAS

Why service ADAS Calibrations?

Discover the top reasons why collision repair shops should be performing in-house ADAS calibrations

Enhance Vehicle Safety

New Revenue Opportunity

Maintaining OEM compliance

Stay Ahead of Competition

Avoid Liability & Ensure Services are done Correctly

ADAS systems are very sophisticated technologies, and each OEM provides the exact specifications for calibrating their vehicles. Repair shops have the responsibility to ensure that each calibration is performed properly, so that customers can leave with a safe, functional vehicle.

And properly means exactly right. Close enough is not close enough, because a calibration even a fraction of a degree off can be the difference between the system’s success and failure.

When you sublet ADAS work to another shop, you give up control over the quality of the work but keep the responsibility. You give up nearly all the profit but retain all the liability.

Should something go wrong, your customer will look to you, and not the shop that didn’t meet the standard.

That’s why it’s best to keep your work in your shop.

Why Sublet a Profitable Service?

Surveys consistently show that alignments are about the highest-margin work a shop can do. They’re usually quick and easy, and shops are happy to take all they can get.

The average ADAS calibration will bring approximately $232. That’s more than twice the rate for a typical alignment, yet forward-facing calibrations – which may be up to 90 percent of all calibrations – are nowhere near twice as difficult or time-consuming.

The amount of time it takes to outsource for calibrations & alignment is cutting into your unlearned profits. You can add two additional services to your shop which unlocks profits.

Like alignments, ADAS work is high-labor, so the price per calibration is more than twice the typical alignment, and alignments are about the highest margin work you can do. Those are for single calibrations. Many vehicles following a collision will need multiple components calibrated, and the higher-end the vehicle, the more sophisticated the calibrations.

Ready for ADAS?

How to get started doing ADAS calibrations

Step 1: Learn about the market opportunity

More than 60 million vehicles have ADAS components, and that number continues to rise. The massive increase in ADAS systems means there is a growing need for ADAS resets and calibrations. The gateway for getting into calibrations is enabling your shop to perform alignments, which have to be outsourced otherwise.

ADAS calibrations can be required by OEMs after common services like wheel alignment, windshield repair, and suspension repair. Collision repair shops are a natural fit for ADAS resets and calibrations since they are already servicing the vehicle, doing body work and replacing key components within the car.

The addition of these services will help diminish cycle time and reduce the money spent outsourcing these repairs to other shops. In-house repairs allow shops to ensure all the calibrations and alignment services are performed correctly. Customer satisfaction will increase through reducing error and time spent fixing their vehicles.

Many shops are currently outsourcing ADAS work or customers are relying on car dealerships to provide resets. Collision repair shops are uniquely positioned to quickly get into the ADAS reset and calibration space and offer a rapidly growing service, that is here to stay.

ADAS reset and calibration market by the numbers:

1.5 million vehicles required ADAS service in an aftermarket shop in 2023.

60% of vehicles registered in the USA have ADAS components that need calibration if touched, moved or replaced.

$283 million in calibration work outsourced by shops in 2023.

90% of ADAS Calibrations are outsourced by mechanical shops.

$4 billion in projected revenue generated across the industry from ADAS calibrations in 2030.

ADAS calibrations are a great service to offer with alignments and many forward-facing calibrations can be done within the space already alotted for alignments. Many OEMs have models that require ADAS calibrations after alignment.
Step 2: Understand how much space is needed, or more often, not needed

Space requirements depend on the make and the model being serviced and is determined by the OEM.

However, many calibrations that your shop should be providing can be done without additional space needed since you are already completing other repairs within this space.

Wheel alignment is the gateway to ADAS and is already being performed in auto repair shops. Alignment bays are also a great place to start with ADAS resets because the space they provide can support ~93% of alignment related ADAS calibration needs.

Steering resets do not require any additional space from the alignment bay. steering resets represent large opportunity for collision shops that are doing resets & can be paired with systems like Ultimate ADAS® or Hawkeye Elite. These systems use ADASLink® to perform pre-alignment scans + dynamic calibrations. Tools like CodeLink® and ADASLink® allow shops to perform steering resets as part of the alignment process.

Dynamic calibrations are performed by plugging a scan tool into the vehicle and then driving the vehicle on the road to calibrate the system. No additional space is required. When using a scan tool like Ultimate ADAS® paired with a Hunter HawkEye Elite® collision repair shops can cover ~93% of steering resets and alignment related ADAS calibrations.

Here is a breakdown of that ~93% coverage; On average ~44% of the vehicles you align will just need the alignment to be completed and nothing else. ~49% of the vehicles getting alignments will require or recommend some ADAS calibration in conjunction with doing the alignment. Those ADAS resets and steering resets can be performed with the space you already have in an alignment bay, or by driving the vehicle for a dynamic calibration using ADASLink®. The remaining ~7% typically require placing static fixtures, often times only in the front of the vehicle for forward facing cameras or radars, or the vehicle was just released, and the reset procedure has not yet been accounted for in the specification database of the alignment system.

Static calibrations are performed by placing targets around the vehicle for the systems to use as reference when performing the calibration. The space needed is determined by the OEM, but many forward-facing camera and forward-facing radar calibrations can be performed within your existing alignment bay using tools like Hunter’s Ultimate ADAS® or the DAS 3000 fixture paired with ADASLink®. Ultimate ADAS® can account for surface mount lifts and uneven floors and uses laser gimbals and easy on-screen instructions to guide technicians to precise target placement.

Calibrations that need more space can often times work in existing space by getting creative with vehicle placement, i.e. backing the vehicle up on the lift rack to create more space in front of the vehicle, backing the vehicle into the bay to use the drive-up space for target placement, or moving the system to a flat bay. Vehicles may also be moved around side to side or back to front within the bay itself to complete calibrations.

Having a trusted partner you can call for support goes a long way with making your space work. Reach out to your local Hunter team to learn more: www.hunter.com/contact.
Step 3: Grow your business with the right tools for your shop

When you're ready to fully own ADAS work at your shop, Hunter Ultimate ADAS® will allow you to do alignments and ADAS calibrations with ease. For the most comprehensive solution, invest in Ultimate ADAS. It will help you do alignment & ADAS calibrations with ease. State-of-the-art documentation ensures services have been done correctly and helps provide information for insurance companies.

There are many approaches to getting started with ADAS calibrations, but the easiest place to start is to build on the alignment work that you are already doing by investing in a scan-tool such as the Hunter ADASLink® that can handle steering resets and dynamic calibrations.

From there, when you are ready to expand into forward facing static calibrations, you can build on your alignment business by adding a fixture like the DAS 3000 Static Calibration Fixture.

Contact your local Hunter team to start growing your business.
Step 4: Get expert training and support for your technicians

Even before you purchase ADAS calibration equipment, you and your technicians can get up to speed on ADAS calibrations by utilizing resources like Hunter University, which offers free, easily-digestible online courses that can lay the groundwork for better understanding of ADAS concepts.

When you're ready to purchase ADAS calibration equipment, your local Hunter team can help you find the right equipment for your shop. This includes installation, maintenance, and on-site equipment training. For more in-depth, hands-on experience, you can visit one of our 50+ training centers across the United States and Canada for guidance from one of our dedicated field trainers.
Step 5: Understand Documentation and the ROI for ADAS calibrations

New revenue can be substantial with ADAS calibrations. When referencing insurance pay and OEM book times there is a range of charges depending on the system being calibrated. According to CCC Crash Course 2020, averages for ADAS calibration services range from $100 to $450+ per individual system calibration.

Using a mid-range charge, if you calibrate 5 cars per week x 51 working weeks in a year x ~ $232 (price of ADAS calibration) x 70% profit margin per ADAS calibration = $41,412 of Unrealized Annual Gross Profit

(Note: Varies from $100 to $450+ per; CCC Crash Course 2020 Average)

See below for our breakdown of calibration profits per ADAS systems and visit our ROI calculators to see how our equipment can increase your shop's profitability.

Hunter eases communication with insurance companies and provides information and documentation to help facilitate the conversation between insurance companies and shops to determine the cost assessment for each calibration. Ensure repairs are being paid for through insurance carries with in-depth documentation. This establishes the best communication processes for your partnering insurance companies.

Hunter provides:

- Pre & Post Scan Documentation

- Collision Blueprinting

- ADAS Target Documentation

See 'Documentation' below for an in-depth description.
Step 6: Communicate ADAS needs with your customers

Educating and talking to your customers about ADAS should be easy. Especially if you have something you can use at your fingertips.

Hunter Engineering already has the resources available to communicate the basics. There are many tools available to you right now.

Video Education — available for display in your shop waiting areas:
ADAS requires wheel alignment to work properly: What vehicle owners should know

Interactive touch tool — installed on a localized tablet or touchscreen:
ADAS Learning Tool | Hunter Engineering Company ®

What is ADAS? web page — displayed on your interactive device:
Hunter® Industry Insights | What is ADAS?

Counter mat — a printed reminder right at your counter top or point of sale:
Maintaining the Safety Systems in your car - download

Printed take-away brochure template — to customize and print with your logo:
What is ADAS? Counter Sales Brochure

More — there's always more!
Contact your local Hunter representative.