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Preston Automotive Group (PAG) is pleased to announce the expansion of their Auto Body services in Dover, DE. This strategic expansion is set to enhance our auto body services in Kent County and further strengthen our commitment to the community. The acquired facility was previously Shift Collision, located in the heart of Dover, with a rich history dating back nearly 50 years as Scotton’s Service Center, renowned for truck and bus repairs. By integrating this facility into the Preston Automotive Group family, they will continue delivering top-notch auto body services under the branding of Preston Auto Body of Dover. The transition will see Preston Auto Body of Dover relocating to the new facility. A specific timeline for this move has not yet been established but we will continue to serve our valued customers during this smooth and seamless transition. Their experienced management team will be overseeing this move and expansion. All five of Preston Automotive Group's existing auto body shops hold the prestigious iCar Gold Class® certification, a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence and industry-leading standards. The new addition to Dover will uphold this high standard, ensuring that customers receive the best possible service and care. The expanded Preston Auto Body of Dover will offer a comprehensive range of services, from minor dent repairs to major collision restorations, all executed with the highest level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. Stay tuned for more details coming soon! CONTACT US

If you own a Ford F-150, then you are most likely taking it off the road in search of adventures in the great outdoors. That means your truck is sure to get dings, scrapes, and possibly even some damage to its exterior that you will need to get fixed. This can cause you some worry about how much the needed repairs will hurt your budget. At Preston Auto Body, we are glad to tell you that you do not have to be overly concerned. Why? It is because the aluminum body of the Ford F-150 is much more durable than it appears. While it is true that aluminum is a lightweight metal, Ford engineers only use military-grade and highly-resistant aluminum in the construction of Ford F-150s. This unique grade can better withstand the demands of the road and the unpredictable weather patterns of Mother Nature, all while remaining lightweight and easy to handle as you drive. It is also easier to repair and restore than conventional steel. The team at Preston Auto Body doesn’t want you to limit your explorations just because you are worried that your Ford F-150 will get banged up, costing you time and a bundle of money. Contact us today to learn more about why Ford F-150 repairs are more affordable than you might think!

Despite the best preparations and your best-laid plans, anything can happen while you are out on the road and that includes accidents. Caused by any number of factors (like obstacles, animals or other drivers), an accident can be highly catastrophic and even very traumatic. Here at the Preston Automotive Group, we always hope our customers are as safe as they can be on their travels and that they avoid the dangers driving can bring. However, we also want everyone to know exactly what to do if they experience an accident and ensure they can handle the encounter. That is why our team has compiled a checklist for you to follow and help you retain the confidence, calm and focus you need to handle whatever an accident will bring. We recommend that you do the following after you get into a car accident: Immediately check yourself (and your passengers, if there are any inside your vehicle) for injuries and assess how serious they are. Call the local authorities — like a police department — and 911, no matter how minor your injuries or the damage to your vehicle. The police will be invaluable when it is time to make an insurance claim. Remember to get the responding police officer’s name, rank and badge number as well. If possible, move your car, truck or SUV off the road and onto the shoulder of the road. Shift into park, turn on your hazard lights and set up several flares (if you have any). Inspect the state of your vehicle and try to see what kind of damage it has sustained. If you can, we suggest making notes on everything that you see. If another driver is involved — After first seeing if he or she is alright, gather as much of their information as you can right away. This includes names of everyone present, information on all vehicles (models, makes, years, license numbers, etc), insurance carrier names and policy numbers, contact information and more. It also is a good idea to take several pictures of the scene, which can be used when you go to file your insurance claim. Wait for the proper authorities to arrive, and then seek medical treatment when necessary. Your friends at the Preston Automotive Group hope that our customers find this checklist useful, but also that they never have to use it. We want everyone to stay safe while out on the road, so be sure to contact us for more information on what you can do avoid accidents happening to you and your loved ones.

The Preston Auto Body has been a member of the Preston Automotive Group since 2001. We serve Preston, Easton, Kent Island, Denton, and the surrounding areas. Our factory trained, Ford Master Certified technicians serve our customers by returning their vehicle to pre-accident condition by performing an invisible repair using quality parts and materials in the shortest time possible. We always make sure the job is done efficiently and correctly. Our team is like a pit crew, always timely while paying a lot of attention to the small details. We are original equipment manufacturer certified for Ford, GM, Nissan, Hyundai, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Honda. You can trust our OEM parts to be top of the line as we use only the highest quality parts from the manufacturers. This is part of what sets us apart from many other autobodies. With a lifetime warranty on all paint, guaranteed frame and unibody repair with laser measuring system, and guaranteed paint match, we have you covered and will do the work right the first time! With an in-house specialist and a well-stocked inventory, call us or stop by to see what we can do for you. As a Gold Class I-Car certified shop, we work on all makes and models with our state of the art technology to get you back on the road fast. While insurance companies may suggest auto body shops to you, the ultimate choice is your's. We offer free pick-up and delivery, free loaner, and free estimates. Our goal is always to provide a superior workplace for our associates so that as a team we can provide our guests with a superior consumer experience.  We will express our love for every guest daily, and create an experience that will result in our guests choosing the Preston Automotive Group for all the services we provide. Call us today at 410-673-7100 or for towing 24 hours a day, call 1-888-TOW-FROG. We are your home for towing in Preston.

Good news! We are back open after Winter Storm Jonas!  We apologize for the inconvenience, but it was necessary to keep the safety of our employees and customers as a top priority.  Come visit us today and shop great new year deals!  Our awesome associates are standing by to assist you with buying a new vehicle or to answer any questions you may have.  Thinking about trading in your 2WD vehicle for an AWD or 4X4?  We'll help you find the one that's right for you! Our auto body shops are also open for business and ready to serve you.  We offer many helpful services to make life easier for our customers: 24 hour towing—1-888-TOW-FROG Precise Unibody and Frame straightening Repairing & Refinishing, from minor dings to major collisions, no matter what make, model, or year the vehicle is Computerized mixing of paints, to insure that customers get the manufacturer color We have three locations ready to help you: Preston AutoBody - 410-673-7100 Cambridge AutoBody - 410-228-3764 Snow Hill AutoBody - 410-632-2044 Although the storm may be over, we urge you to continue to use caution when driving.  Ice on the roads may not be visible.  Stay alert and remember, if you find yourself in need of emergency assistance call toll-free 1-888-TOW-FROG.  We're here to help!

Governor Hogan Declares the State of Emergengy in Anticipation of Winter Storm Jonas With the impending arrival of significant snowfall, Maryland Governor, Larry Hogan, has officially declared a state of emergency effective January 22 through Saturday, January 23. The state of emergency came in advance of this major snowstorm (Winter Storm Jonas) that has been forecasted to hit the Mid-Atlantic region this weekend. Heavy snowfall is predicted to arrive over the weekend to Philadelphia and maybe further north. Governors in North Carolina and Virginia and they mayor of the District of Columbia have also declared emergencies. The National Weather Service said Wednesday that 12 to 16 inches of snow could come down between Friday night and Sunday morning. More than 50 million people could be affected by the “potentially paralyzing storm”, National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini said on a call with reporters on Thursday evening. Know the Difference: Winter Storm Outlook - Winter storm conditions are possible in the next 2 to 5 days. Winter Weather Advisory - Winter weather conditions are expected to cause significant inconveniences and may be hazardous. When caution is used, these situations should not be life threatening. Winter Storm Watch - Winter storm conditions are possible within the next 36 to 48 hours. People in a watch area should review their winter storm plans and stay informed about weather conditions. Winter Storm Warning - Life-threatening, severe winter conditions have begun or will begin within 24 hours. People in a warning area should take precautions immediately. What does a “State of Emergency” mean? States of emergencies have been declared to allow officials to coordinate and request emergency resources and support. A state of emergency also allows the Governor to access certain resources, like the National Guard, to increase the State’s response. When a state of emergency is declared it's a good indicator that residents should remain alert and follow official orders, news stations, and weather forecasts to be informed of the situation If you are stuck and need to get your vehicle out of a snowy situation please contact our 24-Hour towing service by calling 1-888-TOWFROG.

Car accidents are unfortunate, but are seemingly experienced by everyone at some point in life no matter how careful of a driver you are. That’s because while you are being careful there is bound to be someone else out there who is not paying attention to the road. So, we’ve put together a list of steps to remember if you ever get in an accident. First, you should check for injuries. If you are not sure, then call 911 for an ambulance just to be on the safe side. Don’t move anyone who might have a neck or spine injury. And if you are forced to stay in your car as a result of an injury then keep your seatbelt on because another car may not see your car if it is stuck in the roadway and cause further damage to you and the car. Once you have determined that there are no serious injuries and if it is safe to do so take pictures of the accident scene from several different angles. These will come in handy if you end up having to go to court to prove you're not at fault. As soon as possible, though, you’re going to want to move your vehicle from the roadway. This is to prevent further damage to your car, other driver’s cars and roadway backups. Bottom line, if there is a shoulder area, parking lot or other safe spot in which you can pull over, then do so. Whether you can or cannot move your vehicle to safety, you should turn your hazard lights on. We know that the normal person may not carry around flares or cones in their car but if you do have them then they are a good idea to use in order to warn other drivers of what is ahead. Unless it is just a very minor accident, the police should be called. Insurance companies like to see police reports when they are trying to piece together each drivers account of the incident. You also should be getting the following information from all other involved drivers: names, driver’s license numbers, license plate numbers, insurance information, and the year, make, model and color of their vehicle(s). Even if you think it isn’t necessary, you should also get contact information of any witnesses to the accident. The insurance company won’t take testimony from anyone that was inside either of the cars involved in the collision. And plenty of drivers have gotten screwed over because they had no witnesses to prove it wasn’t their fault. So, #1 take away from all this: get contact info from witnesses if there are any. One of the final steps is to report the accident to your insurance company. The faster your create a claim the faster it can get resolved. If there is body damage that you wish to have fixed, whether it will be covered or not, one of our three Preston Auto Group Body Shops will work with you or your insurance company to get you a quick estimate and get you back out on the road as soon as possible. You can even get an estimate without bringing your car into our shop by using your smartphone. We have an app that can be used on desktop or mobile where you can upload pictures of the damage and get an estimate back right over the phone! Check out our Ribbit Quick Estimate App by clicking the link! Hopefully you are never involved in an auto accident, but if you are and you remember all of these steps, then you should be able to handle it quickly and efficiently without any hassle.

You’re almost out of time to figure out what your kids are being for Halloween! The Preston Automotive Group, along with local businesses, present Trunk or Treat 2015. Two of our locations will be hosting Trunk or Treat Events this October. First is Preston Hyundai’s Trunk or Treat on October 24th from 1-3pm. This is where the tradition first started and it has gotten better each and every year since then. If you can’t make it on that date (or if your kids just want double the candy), then be sure to be at Cambridge Auto Body on Halloween Day, October 31st from 11-1pm. At Preston Hyundai we will have the showroom decorated for Halloween, complete with skeletons, sales consultants in costumes and candy — tons of candy! We have invited local businesses to decorate our cars and SUVs and hand out candy out of the trunks of our cars in the spirit of Halloween. So, each business will have representatives handing out candy and freebies! We will also have prizes for the best costume as well as a special appearance by the Preston Frog! And if you can only make it to the Cambridge Auto Body Trunk or Treat then it will still be a good warm up for the kids being the day of Halloween. This way the kids can get more use out of that expensive costume you bought them! We are ready to have a fun couple days of Trunk or Treating at Preston Hyundai and Cambridge Auto Body and we hope you will join us! It’s totally free and the kids will have a blast. So we’ll see you in Preston or Cambridge on the 24th and/or the 31st, respectively. Happy Halloween!

Snow Hill Auto Body, located south of Salisbury and Ocean City, MD, will be hosting the 3rd Annual Pig and a Jig BBQ Festival on May 29th and 30th.  This event will feature fun for the whole family including BBQ, Live Music, Adult Beverages, and more!  This two day event will take place from 4PM-10PM on Friday the 29th and 10AM-8PM on Saturday the 30th.  The event is put on by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, a non-profit organization, which hosts BBQ competitors from all over.  The mission of the Pig and a Jig Event is to support, teach and protect Worchester County Children.  100% of the money raised by the event goes to support public education and child advocacy in Worchester County. There will be all sorts of different BBQ-ers from all around the country, so you will have no shortage of tasty food to eat.  There will also be live music from several local bands and musicians.  Those musical acts include: Randy Lee Ashcraft, Matt Watson Band, The STIMS, Hot Meals, Matt Hodges, and The Truth.  While those bands are rockin', be sure to check out the various activities like the Mechanical Pig as shown below (a porky take on the popular mechanical bull). It's going to be a fantastic two days, rain or shine.  To find out more information you can call (410) 726-1881.  If you're ready to go, this will be the address to type into your phone's GPS: 5761 Worcester Hwy, Snow Hill, Maryland 21863.  We hope to have the best turnout ever, so come out and support the 2015 Pig and a Jig!

If you follow our blog, then you already know that April has been deemed Car Care Awareness Month.  As Spring turns into Summer you’re going to want to have your vehicle’s maintenance in tip top shape.  So, we, along with carcare.org, have put together a list of regular maintenance items that you should be checking and how often. There are a handful of things that you should be checking regularly — before any longer trip of 50 miles or more and every now and then in between — just to be safe.  You’ll want to find out about any Dashboard Indicator Lights that are on.  This includes but is not limited to the check engine, low engine oil, low tire pressure, and door ajar lights.  You’ll also want to check out your actual lights.  That would be Headlights, Taillights, Turn Signals, etc.  Some of these are illegal to drive if they are burnt out. Tire Inflation and Condition is another thing that should be checked frequently.  We mentioned the tire inflation dashboard light but your tires may be low without the light being on — AND most older cars don’t even warn you.  If you are driving with under or over-inflated tires, that will cause them to wear unevenly.  It’s alway important to look for irregular wear on your tires, so that way you know what to do to fix it.  Whether it may be needing an alignment or simply putting some air in or taking some air out like we said before, and that it is important to regularly check your tires.  Another thing you should be checking often would be Windshield Washer Fluid. It is important to be able to see while driving (obviously), so being able to clean your windshield off at a moments notice is imperative.  Make sure your washer fluid is somewhere close to the Full line.  One of the last things we recommend you check frequently is your Engine Oil Level. If we had to rank the most important components of a car, then the engine would be at the top because without an engine the car would not go.  That being said, the engine wouldn’t matter at all without oil, so if you think about it, that means engine oil is the most important component of a car.  And just because you got an oil change last month, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be checking the oil level several times before the next change.  You could have a slow leak, your oil cap could have been put back on loosely, or any number of other reasons, and then you may find yourself with a blown engine. Now that you know what to check on a regular basis — once twice a month — here are the maintenance items you should be checking (or getting someone to check) every 3 moths or 3,000 miles. 3 Months / 3,000 Mile Maintenance Automatic Transmission Fluid Battery and Cables Belts Dashboard Indicator Light On Engine Air Filter Engine Oil Exhaust Hoses Lights Power Steering Fluid Tire Inflation and Condition Windshield Washer Fluid You probably noticed that some of this was repeated from regular maintenance.  That is simply our way to stress that you keep on top of it at a minimum of every 3 months.  The following will be the maintenance that we recommend to have completed every 6 months or 6,000 miles. 6 Months / 6,000 Mile Maintenance Automatic Transmission Fluid Battery and Cables Belts Chassis Lubrication Dashboard Indicator Light On Engine Air Filter Engine Oil Exhaust Hoses Lights Power Steering Fluid Tire Inflation and Condition Windshield Washer Fluid Wiper Blades All these items are important, but the ones that should stick out to you are the fluids: the transmission fluid, engine oil, and power steering fluid.  These are all extremely important to making a car “go” and should be check at a minimum of every 6,000 miles.  The next set of maintenance recommendations are to be completed every 9 months or 9,000 miles. 9 Months / 9,000 Mile Maintenance Automatic Transmission Fluid Battery and Cables Belts Dashboard Indicator Light On Engine Air Filter Engine Oil Exhaust Hoses Lights Power Steering Fluid Tire Inflation and Condition Windshield Washer Fluid All of this is repeat checks, but that is only because the next big check should be coming every year or 12,000 miles.  Depending on your state regulations, this is usually when you will have a car inspection.  However, if you aren’t required to get an inspection every year, as it is in Maryland, then you should be doing these things on your own. 12 Months/ 12,000 mile Maintenance Automatic Transmission Fluid Battery and Cables Belts Brakes Cabin Air Filter Chassis Lubrication Dashboard Indicator Light On Coolant (Antifreeze) Engine Air Filter Engine Oil Exhaust Hoses Lights Power Steering Fluid Steering and Suspension Tire Inflation and Condition Wheel Alignment Windshield Washer Fluid Wiper Blades Hopefully you are keeping up on your vehicles maintenance.  We can’t force you to keep your car up to date on it’s maintenance, but we can provide the information you need to do it yourself and we will certainly be there to help you if there’s something your can’t do yourself.  You can bring your vehicle into one of Preston Automotive Group’s several dealership service locations.  We will complete the maintenance and give you a complete rundown of what was completed.  It takes all the pressure off of you and you will have the peace of mind knowing that you are driving in a safe and maintained vehicle.

Join the Preston Automotive Group in celebrating Car Care Awareness Month!  If you think about it, your vehicle is probably your second largest investment (second to your house if you own one).  If you have a vehicle you probably use it to drive to work every day, transport the kids to their activities, and get you to and from various other places, right?  And if it broke down or started to work improperly, then you might be in kind of a pickle, right?  Well, the goal of Car Care Awareness Month is to make sure people know how they should be taking care of their vehicle. Last year during Nationwide Car Care Inspections, 84% failed at least one component of the inspection.  That means nearly every one of these drivers were potentially driving around in an unsafe vehicle.  Now, that number could be reflecting failures such as faulty taillights, low washer fluid, or some other small issue, but nonetheless it is a safety hazard if it causes your vehicle to fail an inspection.  There are all kinds of numbers that would scare you such as nearly 1 in 5 vehicles needed a new air filter, or 13% had the “check engine” light on.  But here’s the bottom line: most people don’t know what kind of regular maintenance should be completed on a car at each specific milestone. Another part of Car Care Awareness’ mission is to give you the knowledge so you can detect small issues early before they turn into big problems.  Neglected vehicle care almost always means higher costs down the line.  The results found by carcare.org show that the majority of vehicle owners could save a substantial amount of money by being proactive in their vehicle maintenance. So, our goal this month, alongside the Car Care Council, will be to inform you of the best way to look after one of your largest investments.  Whether you have a new or pre-owned vehicle, there are certain steps and precautions to take, and that is what we will be highlighting all month long!

We have three Auto Body locations as part of the Preston Automotive Group, and we are all about making it easier on our valued customers.  So, here’s what we did.  We came up with a cloud-based, mobile website where we will walk you through the estimate process for those who were in an auto accident.  This process is quick, painless, and thorough.  We will, in essence, be able to give you an estimate on how much the damage to your vehicle will cost without even seeing the vehicle in person.  Here’s how it will work screen by screen. To start you will go this URL: http://www.bodyshop.systems/quoteoptions.php?BodyShopID=76.  The first screen you will see looks like this and will ask you if you are going through an insurance company or is it just a personal inquiry.  You will choose the correct option for your specific situation and proceed to the next screen. From here, you will be asked to input the year, make, and model of the vehicle in need of the estimate.  This will allow us to narrow it down to either a car, truck, or SUV. After you click Next, you will be brought to the VIN screen.  We now ask that you take a picture of your actual VIN Number, although you can skip this step if you want.  However, if you choose to skip it, we may not be able to give you the most accurate estimate possible. The next screen will finally allow you to narrow it down to the affected area.  Each panel of the vehicle is represented, so you will then choose the correct location of the damage.  If your accident caused damage to more than one of these given areas, no worries, just start with one – you will be able to go back and add other areas later.  In this example, we chose “Drivers Front Door”.  You will be prompted to take two pictures – one straight on and the other from a 45 degree angle.  This will allow us to see as much of the damage as possible from different angles.  After taking your second picture, you will be brought back to the “Affected Area” screen where you can either click I’m Done – if that is the only area affected – or click other affected areas and take pictures for those as well. One of the final screens will prompt you to input your Personal Info.  That includes your name, phone number, email address, and any notes you’d like to include.  From there you will click Request Estimate and it will send directly to whichever body shop you selected and also our Director, Brian Grimm.  We will be able to review the pictures and get back to you very quickly!  This is going to make getting an estimate extremely easy and fast. This will not technically be an application that will be available on the App Store or Google Play Store; however, the URL will act just like an app.  What we suggest is that you bookmark the URL that we listed above just in case you ever need it.  That should be the easiest way to remember it.  We can’t wait till our first customer utilizes this new mobile site, but until then we urge you to at least check it out even if you are not in need of an estimate right now!