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Best Panel Beaters in Palmerston North

We assessed 15 panel beaters in Palmerston North and ranked the top 5 on their public review record: rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The 10 listed below hold 891 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 3 September 2026. How we rank →

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Before you hire

Panel repair quality is hard to judge until months later when paint fails or rust appears. Ask whether they use genuine or aftermarket parts, what paint system they use, and what warranty they offer on the repair. If going through insurance, confirm they are an approved repairer.

Top 5 Panel Beaters in Palmerston North

The top 5 panel beaters in Palmerston North are #1 Dittmer Collision Repair, #2 City Panel & Paint, #3 Manawatu AutoBodies, #4 Feilding Collision Repair, and #5 Peter Long Collision Repairs, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you book.

  • 1

    Dittmer Collision Repair

    ★ 4.7 363 reviews Top5 Score 169
    5★ 316 4★ 21 3★ 3 2★ 6 1★ 17

    Dittmer Collision Repair coordinates the insurance process alongside the physical work, handling bumper replacements, ute and van repairs, and WOF-related fixes while keeping customers updated at every stage. Courtesy vehicles, online video assessments, and returning cars cleaned inside and out are details multiple customers have pointed to as making a stressful situation noticeably easier.

    location_on 934 Tremaine Avenue, Roslyn, Palmerston North

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  • 2

    City Panel & Paint

    ★ 4.9 51 reviews Top5 Score 148
    5★ 50 1★ 1

    City Panel & Paint takes on scratches, dents, bumper replacements, full repaints, and stone chip repairs, and has come in significantly under rival quotes across multiple jobs. Colour matching is a recurring point of pride, with several customers noting the finished paint is indistinguishable from the original, and quotes given verbally, in writing, and at invoice all match.

    location_on 22 North Street, Palmerston North Central, Papaioea

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  • 3

    Manawatu AutoBodies Panel and Paint

    ★ 4.9 49 reviews Top5 Score 148
    5★ 47 4★ 1 1★ 1

    Manawatu AutoBodies gets dents, full repaints, colour-match repairs, and custom paint jobs back to customers faster than quoted, with multiple reviewers noting week-long completions on two-week estimates. Returning vehicles washed and cleaned inside out is a consistent outcome customers across different jobs have pointed to as a genuine surprise.

    location_on Unit4/477 Rangitikei Street, Cloverlea, Palmerston North

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  • 4

    Feilding Collision Repair & NOVUS

    ★ 4.6 91 reviews Top5 Score 147
    5★ 73 4★ 10 3★ 1 2★ 1 1★ 6

    Feilding Collision Repair handles dent repairs, door and rear window fixes, bumper and quarter panel repaints, and colour-match work, with several customers noting their car came back looking as though the damage never happened. Staff like Andrea are singled out by name for keeping clients informed throughout the job, and multiple customers received their vehicle back ahead of the quoted timeframe.

    location_on 23 Gladstone Street, Feilding

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  • 5

    Peter Long Collision Repairs Ltd

    ★ 4.5 130 reviews Top5 Score 145
    5★ 109 4★ 7 3★ 1 2★ 1 1★ 12

    Peter Long Collision Repairs covers collision damage, door repairs, rust removal, paint matching, and sill work, with Karl and the wider team named repeatedly by customers who appreciated direct, personal service throughout their job. Cars come back washed and vacuumed, paint is matched to uncommon colours, and several customers noted their vehicle was ready ahead of the date they were given.

    location_on 77 Cook Street, West End, Palmerston North

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Before you book a panel beater in Palmerston North

Drawn from 423 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.

What does panel beating typically cost in New Zealand? expand_more

Minor dents and scratches in New Zealand sit between $150 and $500 depending on panel size and depth. Bumper repairs and moderate damage like a crumpled door or quarter panel run from $500 to $2,000. Structural or multi-panel repairs can push past $5,000, and a full respray costs $3,000 to $8,000 or more. Reviews from Palmerston North shops show that getting multiple quotes pays off, with some customers saving $1,000 to $3,500 by shopping around rather than accepting the first figure given.

Does my insurer have to use their preferred panel beater, or can I choose my own? expand_more

You have the right to choose your own panel beater in New Zealand, though your policy wording determines how much of the cost your insurer will cover if you go outside their preferred network. If your chosen repairer quotes more than the insurer's assessed value, you may need to cover the difference out of pocket. Some policies also tie their repair warranty to the use of a preferred repairer, so losing that warranty is a real consideration. If you feel pressured or financially disadvantaged, the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO Scheme) offers a free dispute resolution process and is worth contacting before you escalate further.

Will my car be repaired with genuine parts, or non-genuine substitutes? expand_more

New Zealand insurance policies commonly allow the use of aftermarket or second-hand parts, and that is legal unless your policy specifically requires genuine manufacturer parts. One review in this market raised exactly this concern after a mirror was replaced with a visibly worn, faded used part rather than a new one, which is a real risk if you do not ask upfront. Ask in writing before work starts what category of parts will be used, genuine OEM, aftermarket, or reconditioned, and if your policy does not mandate genuine parts, get a written quote for the cost difference if you want to upgrade. If a repairer or insurer refuses to disclose what parts are being fitted, you can raise a complaint through the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO Scheme) at no cost.

What are the warning signs of a panel beater you shouldn't use? expand_more
  • –Delays that stretch well beyond the original timeframe with no proactive contact from the shop, forcing you to chase updates yourself.
  • –Returning a vehicle with new faults, such as misaligned panels, a crooked bonnet, or warning lights that were not present when the car was dropped off.
  • –Using second-hand or visibly worn replacement parts without telling you in advance.
  • –Rude or dismissive reception staff, especially when you raise a legitimate concern about the repair quality.
  • –Refusing to acknowledge mistakes or respond constructively to a complaint rather than fixing the fault.
  • –Poor interior care on return, including dust on the dash, handprints on windows, or a generally dirty cabin, which points to low attention to detail across the whole job.
What should you ask before approving panel beating work? expand_more
  • –Ask whether they will deal directly with your insurer and handle the assessment and approvals process on your behalf.
  • –Ask how they handle hidden damage found once panels are removed, whether they pause and contact you for approval or just proceed.
  • –Get a realistic timeframe in writing and ask specifically how they will notify you if that timeframe changes.
  • –Confirm in writing what parts will be used, genuine, aftermarket, or reconditioned, and what the cost difference is if you want genuine parts.
  • –Ask what their colour matching process is and whether they blend adjacent panels to avoid visible join lines.
  • –Ask what their process is if you are unhappy with the finished result, including who to contact and whether they offer a repair guarantee.

Panel Beaters ranked 6 to 10 in Palmerston North

They scored below the top 5 on the same public review record.

  • 6

    Palmerston North Panel & Paint Ltd

    ★ 4.5 76 reviews Top5 Score 141
    5★ 60 4★ 7 3★ 2 2★ 1 1★ 6

    Palmerston North Panel & Paint turns around dent repairs, paint repairs, and insurance jobs quickly, with several customers getting their vehicle back ahead of schedule or even the same day they dropped it off. Pricing has come in below initial estimates on multiple jobs, and Wayne and the team are noted for being upfront about parts costs and timeframes from the start.

    location_on 665 Main Street, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North

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  • 7

    Friend & Wistrand

    ★ 4.4 67 reviews Top5 Score 138
    5★ 50 4★ 7 3★ 5 1★ 5

    Friend & Wistrand delivers rear-end collision repairs, full paint jobs, and colour-match work with paint results multiple customers described as indistinguishable from original. Returning vehicles washed, polished, and interior-cleaned is a recurring outcome, and several customers over many years name Kim and Steve specifically for keeping them informed from drop-off to pickup.

    location_on 674 Tremaine Avenue, Palmerston North Central, Papaioea

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  • 8

    Stuart Jenkinson Panelbeaters

    ★ 4.6 31 reviews Top5 Score 136
    5★ 25 4★ 3 3★ 1 2★ 1 1★ 1

    Stuart Jenkinson Panelbeaters handles crash repairs, bumper fixes, structural rust repairs, and WOF-related panel work, with multiple customers noting their car came back cleaner and better presented than expected. After-sales follow-up stands out clearly, with staff resolving issues up to six months after the original job and stepping in to push insurers when the process stalled.

    location_on 34 Taonui Street, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North

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  • 9

    Premier Panelbeaters

    ★ 4.9 19 reviews Top5 Score 135
    5★ 17 4★ 2

    Premier Panelbeaters fixes collision damage, full repaints, paint and boot lid repairs, and stolen-vehicle restoration at prices that have repeatedly come in well below rival quotes. Mel and Grant are named individually by customers for going beyond the job itself, including collecting vehicles from clients at home and working around tight budgets with flexible approaches.

    location_on 3 Gladstone Street, Feilding

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  • 10

    Tremaine Panel & Paint

    ★ 4.8 14 reviews Top5 Score 130
    5★ 12 4★ 1 3★ 1

    Tremaine Panel & Paint produces body repairs, custom paint jobs, and fibreglass work that customers across different vehicle types have described as unrecognisable from the original damage. Pricing has come in well below expectations on multiple jobs, and the team communicates clearly throughout, with repeat customers returning across three or more separate projects.

    location_on 451 Tremaine Avenue, Takaro, Palmerston North

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Related Palmerston North rankings

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About this ranking

How are the top panel beaters in Palmerston North chosen? expand_more

We build this page from Google Maps results for panel beaters in Palmerston North. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out. See how we rank for the full method.

How often are rankings updated? expand_more

Every category and city is recrawled on a rolling cycle, about every two months. This page was last checked on 3 September 2026.

Can a business pay to appear in this list? expand_more

No. Top 5 and Also Recommended positions are merit-only and cannot be purchased. Verifying a business is free. A subscription adds a website link on the card, a public profile page, and competitor and ranking history in the owner's dashboard, none of which affects ranking position. See what a subscription includes.

Why isn't my business listed? expand_more

We build this page from Google Maps results for panel beaters in Palmerston North. The usual reasons for missing out are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. At the last update, the smallest review count among the 10 businesses listed here was 14. Check where you rank or read how rankings work.