Every used body part we sell carries a three-character damage code on the industry standard from the Automotive Recyclers Association. It looks cryptic — 5D1 — but once you can read it, you know more about that door than most people know about a part they're holding.
The three characters
First number — where. Panels are numbered front to back, top to bottom, left to right as seen from the driver's seat, snaking across the part in an "S" pattern. A 0 means the whole panel (think all-over hail).
Letter — what. D is a dent. C is a crease. J is a rip or crack. E is bent, G a gouge, H hail, K a buckle, L lip damage, P parking-lot dings, R surface rust, S a surface-only scratch, T a paint problem, B a burn. The full table is here.
Last number — how much. Estimated hours of professional repair. 1 means about an hour of shop labor; .5 is half an hour. And 000 means no damage recorded at all — which is most of what's on our shelves.
So 5D1 means…
A dent, in section 5 of the panel, needing about an hour of bodywork. You know that before you spend a dime on the part or the freight — which matters, because shipping a door isn't cheap and neither is returning one.
Our promise on damage
Anything with recorded damage shows a big red notice on the listing with the code translated into plain English. We note damage as carefully as we can, but we're human — the photos are part of the description, so study every photo before ordering. Want more pictures of a specific spot? Text us and we'll walk out to the shelf and take them.
Still not sure? Text your VIN to 828-667-2239 or call 800-222-5414. We'll look up the interchange and tell you straight whether we have it.