CHICOPEE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- A fender bender that used to cost a few hundred dollars could now set drivers back $2,000.

Alan Boudry owns Kaput’s Auto Body in Chicopee and he said even a small fender-bender could now cost drivers up to $2,000, depending on the make and model of their car. In his shop, prices have jumped at least 15 percent on everything from tires and clear coats to bumper covers and sensors. “Busted tires definitely have gone up in value a lot. I mean, last year, they’re cheaper. This year, they’re more money,” he explained.

Boudry said it’s not just inflation. New car technology makes it harder and more expensive for mechanics to do what used to be simple repairs. “With these high-tech sensors on a lot of these newer cars, they have the backup cameras or the sensors or the Bluetooth. When it comes to fixing just a tiny little problem with newer cars, you’re going to have to take the whole thing apart and that just costs way much more money,” he added.

Combined with this year’s rough roads after a harsh winter, many drivers are facing repair bills they can’t afford or don’t want to claim with their insurance. “Pothole issue has been really bad this year. We’ve seen a couple of people try to avoid potholes and actually hit guardrails, so that’s been a number one thing and now, they don’t make an insurance claim. They don’t want their insurance rates to go up,” Boudry said.

Local insurance agent Joseph Leahy said, with costs rising, it’s more important than ever to know what a policy really covers. “The one thing I would recommend what people can do is deal with people like myself, independent agents,” he noted.

Leahy said drivers shouldn’t just focus on the lowest price, but also on having someone who can shop around when rates jump. “You want to be able to go to a place to get your insurance where you...They have multiple companies. They can...One might be having a bad year claim-wise and their rates went up. Others, having a good year, so their rates are stable. That’s what you want. That’s what you got to try to do is create a relationship with an agency so that they’re looking out for you,” he explained.

He said many insurance companies are cutting coverage to keep prices low, so it’s crucial to know exactly what kind of protection drivers have. “We can look at the coverage. We can tell you, because a lot of companies now are cutting coverage and you might think you’re saving money, and you’re not,” Leahy said.

Both men agree drivers should know their repair costs now, before the next big bill hits.

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