Auto body shops, already overwhelmed, gear up for winter rush

MINNEAPOLIS — Mother Nature couldn't wait for November, but drivers should expect to wait for repairs if the snow leads to a fender-bender.

"People will ask me if it's so busy right now and so booked out - why not start another body shop," Paul Hagen, owner of Hagen's Auto Body in Minneapolis, quipped to WCCO. "That's fine but where do I get the technicians?"

Hagen's team of nearly a dozen mechanics work on dozens of cars in the shop every week, and many of them include vehicles damaged by August's hail storm, as well as many recovered stolen cars.

"The vehicles get recovered, we bring them in, put in windows and whatever damage to the exterior, and we fix that," he explained. "We want to be concerned with the non-drivable cars, the stolen cars. The people that need their car back that's non drivable. Cars with dents are going to have to be patient. It's going to be a long time before all these cars get fixed."

As more winter weather approaches, Hagen said there are a number of red flags for drivers that could show damage beyond aesthetics.

"If you don't have a headlight, if your steering wheel is off, that could be a suspension problem and a major issue. Missing a mirror," he added. "Is there a check engine light on, is the car overheating?"

Now is also a good time to prepare your car with a winter kit, should you get in a crash or get stranded.

What should be in your car's emergency kit?

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, here is a list of things that you should keep in your car in case of an emergency.