GM / GMC Certified

BODY SHOP

A car for every purse and purpose.

Alfred P. Sloan

Regrettably, the only kind of car that Mr. Sloan—the legendary former CEO of General Motors—could not sell you…was a collision-proof one. However well-made the car, it is still subject to the law of chance and the inscrutable whims of Fate; and even the safest driving habits offer no guarantee that your vehicle may not suffer the occasional dent, ding, fender-bender, or more extensive collision damage.

In that event, what you can do is make certain that the body shop you contract with to repair that damage is properly equipped and trained to handle the repair. Gone are the days of the corner gas station-cum-garage with one mechanic who “does it all.” The rapid-fire pace of technological innovation in the auto industry, especially in areas such as on-board diagnostics, safety systems, and mixed material construction, has rendered such quaint throwbacks obsolete. Today, the best “mechanics” are now service technicians with expertise in computers, electronics, plastics, metallurgy, structural engineering, cost estimating, and refinishing, among many other skills.

Since all car manufacturers nowadays use often widely different technologies and material mixes in the vehicles they produce, these service technicians obviously must face the challenge of becoming knowledgeable in working with those technologies and the recommended repair procedures specific to each make and model.

A: General Motors LLC (GM) refers to the multinational corporation, headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, that designs, builds, and sells vehicles of all types and sizes worldwide. GM is the largest automobile manufacturer in the United States. General Motors Company (GMC), on the other hand, is a separate division of GM, with a primary focus on larger vehicles such as pickup and commercial trucks, vans, and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). In other words, all GMCs are General Motors vehicles; but not all General Motors vehicles are GMCs.

A: Too many to list if you include both past and present. As General Motors is one of the world’s biggest multinational corporations, it is simpler to list the various brands of vehicles produced under the GM umbrella. Currently the brands marketed in North America are Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. Among these, some of the better-known models include the Chevy Corvette, Trailblazer, Suburban, and Silverado; Buick Encore and LaCrosse; Cadillac Escalade and CT6; and GMC Sierra and Terrain. Little known fact: General Motors even created the components and systems for the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) that the Apollo 15 astronauts used when they first drove on the moon!

A: Ever since Charles Kettering invented the electric self-starter in 1912 to replace the hand crank on automobiles, General Motors has been a proven leader in automotive innovation. The company later went on to invent the automatic transmission, turn signal, air bags, catalytic converter, hydrogen fuel cell, anti-lock braking system, OnStar in-vehicle communications system, and the Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV). That pioneering legacy continues to the present time. Nowadays, the company has been focusing its technical innovations in the areas of clean energy, fuel economy, advanced manufacturing materials, driver safety, autonomous vehicles, and manufacturing efficiency.

A: All of them. Because we are an I-CAR Gold Class certified auto body repair shop, the trained service technicians at Keri Coach Works are qualified to work on any and all GM and GMC vehicles of any brand, make, and model. From welding to riveting, bonding to refinishing, and calibration to safety assurance, we follow all General Motors’ recommended and required procedures for repair of its vehicles, using OEM replacement parts, with the goal of ensuring that every collision repair is done to the highest standards.

In the case of GM cars and GMC trucks, this challenge becomes significantly magnified, in that General Motors is practically unique among auto manufacturers in the number of different car brands under their parent rubric. For the layperson, these brands include names that stand out and stand alone, as if they were their own individual companies, and include such iconic automotive trademarks as:

  • Buick
  • Cadillac
  • Canyon
  • Chevrolet
  • Pontiac
  • Saab
  • Saturn
  • Sierra

Among all these brands, materials alone present their own special difficulties: whether made with high-strength steel, aluminum, magnesium, fiberglass, or some combination thereof, car bodies demand a variety of skill sets to repair properly. Needless to say, these specialized repair procedures often require specialized, dedicated tools, such as a frame machine, aluminum dust extraction system, and pre- and post-repair scanning software.

Not to worry, though. Whatever type of GM vehicle you own, the service technicians at Keri Coach Works have you covered. Under the aegis of our comprehensive, ongoing I-CAR Gold Class certification program, they are experts in every type of welding, riveting, bonding, refinishing, OEM parts repair and/or replacement, calibration, and safety assurance procedures recommended or required by General Motors for its vehicles, designed to ensure that every collision repair is done to the highest standards.

Whether it’s a truck, car, or SUV, you have made a significant financial investment in whatever General Motors vehicle you own or lease. In the event of minor or major damage, let Keri Coach Works turn a regrettable collision experience into a happy repair outcome! Our trained, experienced team of certified service experts will do whatever it takes to make sure your GM vehicle looks, feels, and drives like new—and just as safely as before.