06/08/2026
What your insurance company isn’t telling you:
🔧 You cannot be forced to use a specific shop. Some insurers will push hard to keep you in their “preferred network,” but you have the legal right to choose any repair shop you want. The insurance company will work directly with that shop.
🚗 Most policies do NOT cover OEM (original factory) parts. That means your vehicle could be repaired with aftermarket parts and your insurer isn’t required to tell you upfront. Minnesota is one of the few exceptions to this.
🛡️ Added anything to your vehicle? Roof rack, grille guard, ceramic coating, paint protection film — most standard policies do not cover aftermarket add-ons unless they were specifically added to your policy. Insurers will sometimes cover them, but they are not required to, and sometimes they won’t.
