Can You Choose Your Own Repairer in WA? Your Rights After an Audi Accident
Last reviewed: September 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice. Always check your own policy wording.
The short answer
Usually yes, but in Western Australia that right comes from your insurance policy, not from state law. No WA statute guarantees you can pick your repairer.
What decides it is what your policy says on two separate points: who chooses the repairer, and how much the insurer will pay that repairer. Many comprehensive policies, including Audi's own insurance, offer some form of choice.
Even then, "choice" can still let the insurer adjust your quote, get a competing one, move the car or offer you cash instead. Read the wording before you accept the insurer's recommended shop.
Why "Can I choose?" is the wrong first question
Most Audi owners ask whether they're allowed to pick their repairer. The more useful question is: "If I pick, what will my insurer actually pay?"
Two decisions from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) show why.
In the first, a policyholder with a choice of repairer benefit submitted a quote of $5,654.40 from her chosen repairer. The insurer got its own quote of $2,430.31 and called hers excessive. AFCA found the insurer was liable for the reasonable costs of her chosen repairer, and with no evidence her quote was unreasonable, it had to settle in line with it.
In the second, a driver also had choice of repairer on his policy, but the outcome went the other way. The insurer offered to authorise repairs through its own nominated repairer with a lifetime guarantee, or cash settle for what that repair would cost. AFCA found this fair: he could still use his own repairer, but the insurer didn't have to pay more than its repairer's price, and nothing showed that price was too low.
Both people had "choice of repairer". The difference was in the fine print about payment and the evidence each side produced. That's the part worth understanding before you need it.
What actually governs repairer choice in WA
There's an industry code, but it's voluntary in WA. The Motor Vehicle Insurance and Repair Industry Code of Conduct sets standards between insurers and smash repairers. It is mandatory in New South Wales and voluntary everywhere else, applying only to signatories. It also deliberately stops short of forcing choice: the Code says it does not impose compulsory choice of repairer or set the types of parts to be used.
What the Code does require of signatory insurers is transparency. They must set out their Choice of Repairer Policy in plain language in the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), with a clear entry and page number in the table of contents. They must also explain their Parts Policy in the PDS. If your insurer is a signatory, the answer to "can I choose?" should be easy to find.
Your insurer must act fairly. AFCA treats a fair and prompt claim resolution as part of the insurer's wider duty of utmost good faith to the policyholder.
Whoever you choose must be licensed in WA. Under the Motor Vehicle Repairers Act 2003, every motor vehicle repair business in WA must be licensed, and repairers working unsupervised must be certified. You can check a licence number using the WA Government's online licence search. Licensed businesses display an MRB number on their premises and paperwork.
The three kinds of "choice" you'll see in a PDS
Policy wording varies, but it tends to fall into one of these patterns.
What the wording looks like | What it means in practice | What to watch for |
The insurer arranges or chooses the repairer | You can ask for a particular shop, but the insurer decides | Common on lower-cost policies. Your leverage is limited |
You can nominate a repairer, and the insurer pays what it assesses as reasonable | You choose the workshop, the insurer controls the price | Rights to adjust your quote, get its own quote, move the car or cash settle |
Choice of repairer, with the insurer paying your chosen repairer's reasonable costs | The strongest form of choice | The insurer can still challenge a quote it can show is unreasonable |
The middle pattern is the one that catches people out. In one AFCA matter, the policy said the insurer would pay the amount it assessed as reasonable after weighing the customer's quote against its own assessor's adjustments, and it reserved the right to decide the repair method.
The five-minute policy check
Do this now, while nothing is urgent. Open your PDS and your certificate of insurance and look for these five things.
"Choice of repairer" in the table of contents. If your insurer follows the Code, it should be listed there.
Your certificate of insurance. Choice of repairer is standard on some policies and an optional extra on others. The certificate shows whether it's actually on yours. In the first AFCA case above, the certificate was the starting point of the decision.
The word "reasonable". Note whether it says "reasonable cost of your chosen repairer" or "the amount we assess to be reasonable". They are not the same promise.
"Cash settle" or "pay you". This tells you whether the insurer can hand you money instead of authorising the repair.
The parts policy. Look for "genuine", "non-genuine", "recycled" or "Australian Design Rules". This matters a great deal on an Audi.
If you can't find these, call your insurer and ask them to point you to the page. Write down who you spoke to and when.
If you're insured with Audi Premier Motor Insurance
Audi's own insurance publishes its approach. It says you can choose a repairer close to home or one from the Audi Approved Panel Repairer Network.
The wording also gives the insurer options. Allianz may authorise repairs at your chosen repairer, pay you the reasonable cost of repair, or move the car to another repairer you both agree on. In that last case, you get a rental car for up to 3 days at up to $100 per day.
On parts, the published order is new Audi Genuine Parts where locally available, then reconditioned or recycled Audi Genuine Parts, and only then parts meeting Australian Design Rules if genuine parts aren't available locally. Audi also says it guarantees materials and workmanship on authorised repairs for as long as you own or lease the vehicle.
Terms change, so check the current PDS on the Audi Australia website rather than relying on a summary.
Why the choice matters more on an Audi
When two quotes for the same Audi are far apart, it's rarely because one shop charges a much higher hourly rate. It's usually because the quotes describe different repairs.
When your insurer says your repairer's quote is too high, ask for the competing quote and compare them line by line. On a modern Audi, these are the items that tend to go missing from a cheaper quote:
ADAS calibration. Radar sensors behind the front bumper and cameras on the windscreen need recalibrating after many front-end and glass repairs. Leaving it out saves money on paper and can affect driver assistance systems.
Structural measuring against manufacturer data rather than by eye.
Aluminium repair procedures. Many Audi models use aluminium panels and structures that need dedicated tools and a separate work area.
Pre- and post-repair diagnostic scans to find and clear faults.
Repair versus replace decisions, and the type of replacement part.
The Code gives you a useful point to raise here. Signatory insurers must not require repairs that depart from the manufacturer's documented technical specifications, lawful standards, methods consistent with standard warranty conditions, or current industry practice.
And if an insurer insists on a different repair method or part than the repairer recommends and they can't agree, the insurer must put that requirement in writing.
What to do, step by step, after an Audi accident in WA
At the scene. Get safe, exchange details and photograph everything. If the car needs towing, tell the tow operator and your insurer where you want it to go. Moving a car twice adds cost and delay.
When you lodge the claim. Say clearly: "I'd like to nominate my own repairer." Then ask three questions:
Does my policy include choice of repairer?
Will you pay my chosen repairer's reasonable costs, or only up to your own assessed amount?
What is your parts policy for my car?
When the quote comes back. If the insurer cuts or rejects your repairer's quote, ask for the reasons in writing and a copy of any competing quote so the scope can be compared.
If you're offered cash instead. Ask which licensed repairer the figure is based on, and whether that repairer will actually do the job for that amount. This isn't a pushy question. AFCA itself checks whether a cash settlement is enough to complete the repairs, and whether it's based on a quote from a licensed repairer willing to honour it if you approach them directly.
If you can't agree. Use your insurer's internal complaints process first. If that doesn't resolve it, you can go to AFCA. It's free for consumers and can look at disputes over the scope of works an insurer proposes and over cash settlement amounts.
What if the accident wasn't your fault?
If another driver caused the accident, you may be able to claim on your own policy or claim against the at-fault driver's insurer. The rules around repairer choice, excess and hire cars differ between these paths, so ask both your insurer and your repairer which route suits your situation before any work starts.
Where Reneew fits
Reneew Collision Repair Centre in Bibra Lake is one of only two Audi Approved Repairers in Perth and the only one south of the Swan River.
We've been repairing prestige European vehicles since 1978 and hold WA motor vehicle repair business licence MRB10764.
We use genuine Audi parts where Audi repair procedures require them, along with manufacturer-approved measuring systems. We also repair Audi electric vehicles, including e-tron models.
If you're deciding on a repairer mid-claim, you can send us photos for a contactless assessment, read more about our Audi Approved Repairer service, or call us on 08 6499 8888. We're at 1 Altona Street, Bibra Lake WA 6163.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a law in WA that guarantees I can choose my repairer?
No. In WA, your right to choose depends on your insurance policy. The national industry Code of Conduct is voluntary in WA and doesn't make choice of repairer compulsory, though signatory insurers must explain their choice of repairer policy clearly in the PDS.
Can my insurer refuse my chosen repairer?
It depends on your policy wording. Some policies let the insurer decide the repairer. Others let you choose but allow the insurer to adjust the quote, get a competing quote, move the car to an agreed repairer or cash settle. The repairer must also hold a WA motor vehicle repair business licence.
Do I have to get multiple quotes myself?
Usually not, but your insurer can seek an alternative quote to test yours. Check your policy wording and ask your insurer what they need from you.
What should I do if my insurer offers a cash settlement?
Ask which licensed repairer the figure is based on and whether that repairer will do the work for that amount. If the cash isn't enough to repair the car properly, complain to your insurer and then to AFCA.
Why might my repairer's quote be higher than the insurer's?
On an Audi, differences often come from scope rather than price: ADAS calibration, structural measuring, aluminium repair procedures, diagnostic scans and the type of parts used. Compare quotes line by line before deciding which is "too high".
Who can I complain to if I disagree with my insurer?
Start with your insurer's internal complaints process. If it isn't resolved, you can lodge a complaint with AFCA, which is free for consumers.
