Stanways Autobodies is an independent accident repair centre in Lytham St Annes. The workshop was established in 1974 and has been family owned and run since 2017. We repair cars, vans and commercial vehicles for UK motor insurers and for private customers, working to BS10125 with zero non-conformances in 2024, 2025 and 2026. We are Hyundai manufacturer approved, we have a structural aluminium bay, and collection and delivery is free within 40 miles.
What actually happens between your first call and getting your car back. Eleven steps, in order, with nothing hidden.
Every car that comes through Stanways follows the same sequence, whether the bill goes to an insurer, a fleet or to you. Here is what happens and when.
Send photos to Stan for an instant estimate any time of day, call us on 01253 735544, or message us on WhatsApp. If your insurer or an accident management company has referred you, they will usually contact us first.
We review your photos and give you an honest first view: what it is likely to involve, whether the car is safe to drive, and what the next step should be. If the car is not drivable we arrange recovery.
The vehicle comes in and we strip the damaged area to find anything hidden behind it. The assessment follows the manufacturer repair method and produces a written estimate with parts and labour itemised.
For an insurance repair the estimate goes to your insurer or work provider for authorisation. For a private repair it goes to you. Nothing is started until it is agreed in writing.
Once authorised we book the repair and order parts ahead of your slot, so the car is not sat waiting for deliveries. Where the manufacturer specifies genuine parts, that is what we fit.
We collect free within 40 miles, or you can drop the car to us. A courtesy car is available subject to eligibility and availability. At check-in we give you a realistic completion date.
Structural work is done on the jig or in the separate aluminium bay. Electric and hybrid cars are made safe in the EV bay before any panel comes off. Every step is recorded to the BS10125 standard.
Colour is matched by spectrophotometer, not by eye. Refinishing happens in our two down-draught spray booths using water-based basecoat, with UV curing on fast-track jobs.
Cameras and radar are recalibrated in house. Four-wheel geometry is checked on the Hunter system and you get the printed report.
The finished car is checked against the estimate and the manufacturer method, then valeted inside and out before it leaves.
We deliver the car back to you, or you collect, with the repair paperwork and our three-year workmanship guarantee. If anything is not right, you tell us and we put it right.
Accident repair has moving parts that are outside our control, mainly parts supply and insurer authorisation. What we control is honesty about them. At check-in you get a realistic date. If that date moves, you hear it from us first, by phone or WhatsApp, with the reason.
If we find more damage once the car is stripped, the repair stops at that point. The estimate is updated, sent back for authorisation, and only continues once it is agreed.
Common questions
No. Panels are aligned to manufacturer gaps and paint is matched by spectrophotometer. A repair done to BS10125 is documented so you can show what was done if you ever sell the car.
You can ask your insurer to authorise Stanways. Most policies allow you to choose, although some apply conditions, so check your policy wording. We will help you make the request.
The repair pauses, the estimate is updated and goes back for authorisation. Nothing extra is done or charged without agreement.
Yes. Every car is valeted inside and out before it is returned.
Send photos to Stan for an instant estimate, or call and talk it through with a person.