The Call You Never Want to Get

A car gets repaired. The front bumper was replaced. Radar system disturbed.No calibration done.

Fast-forward a few weeks. The vehicle rear-ends another car. The ADAS system never engaged. The customer calls the shop.

Guess what happens next?

Now You’re in the Crosshairs

The insurance company blames the body shop.The body shop says they thought the ADAS was fine.The customer says nobody told them anything was missed.And suddenly, everyone’s looking at you.

Your documentation better be solid. Your justification better be sound. And if you skipped calibration?There’s not a lot of room to hide.

OEMs Are Clear. Skipping Isn’t an Option.

You don’t get to skip torque specs because the bolt “feels tight.”You don’t get to ignore calibration because the radar “seems straight.”

The moment you break down a system that controls emergency braking, lane centering, or blind spot detection—you are now responsible for making sure it’s restored properly.

No DTC? Doesn’t Matter.

We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: no trouble code doesn’t mean no trouble.These systems often don’t throw codes unless they’re catastrophically out of line. By the time a DTC pops up, something already failed.

That’s why calibration is required even after basic repairs. It’s not overkill. It’s the standard.

Final Word: It Only Takes One Miss

We know shops that have been sued. We’ve seen customers walk into arbitration, armed with printouts and paperwork.In every case where a calibration was skipped, someone ended up on the hook—and it wasn’t pretty.

So if you’re wondering what happens when calibrations are missed?

Lawsuits happen. Injuries happen. Reputations vanish.

Don’t be that shop. Don’t be that story.