You Have the Legal Right to Transfer Your Vehicle
Arizona law gives you the absolute right to choose where your vehicle is repaired, even if it is already sitting at another shop's facility. Many West Valley drivers feel stuck if their insurer had the vehicle towed directly to one of their "preferred" Direct Repair Program (DRP) facilities. These DRP shops have contracts with insurers to keep costs down, often by using alternative parts or skipping necessary repair procedures. If you realize the shop your car was towed to does not align with your best interests, you can halt the process and have it moved to an independent shop that prioritizes your safety.
What Fees Must Be Paid Before a Shop Releases Your Car?
The original shop will not release your vehicle until all outstanding fees for towing, storage, and any completed diagnostic work are paid in full. If the vehicle was towed there and sat for a few days, there will be daily storage charges and potentially a gate fee. If they did a teardown or a pre-scan, they will bill for that labor. These expenses typically must be cleared before the vehicle can be moved:
- Towing charges from the accident scene to the first shop.
- Daily storage fees accrued while the vehicle sat on their lot.
- Diagnostic scanning fees or teardown labor if they started assessing damage.
- Administrative or release fees charged by the initial facility.
How to Handle the Transfer Process Safely
To move your vehicle to Liberty Collision Center, you must first instruct the current shop in writing to stop all work immediately. Do not let them perform any structural repairs or teardowns once you have made your decision. Next, contact our team; we frequently help West Valley drivers navigate shop transfers, coordinate the payment of release fees, and arrange for a flatbed tow to our Glendale facility.
If you want to move your vehicle away from an insurance-preferred shop to an independent team that works for you, call Liberty Collision Center at (623) 931-2110. We will coordinate the vehicle transfer and handle the paperwork.
Will Insurance Cover the Cost of Moving Your Car?
Whether your insurance policy covers a second tow and the initial shop's release fees depends on your policy language and the specifics of the claim, as policy terms and local laws vary. If you were pressured or misled into sending your vehicle to a DRP shop, or if that shop cannot perform proper OEM repairs and ADAS calibrations, we can assist you in advocating to your insurer to cover these transfer costs. However, even if you have to pay a small release fee out of pocket, it is often worth it to ensure your vehicle undergoes proper structural repairs rather than a compromised, insurance-driven repair.