Fewer Claims, Bigger Deductibles: What a New Auto Repair Report Means for Chicagoland Drivers
Drivers are filing fewer auto insurance claims, and more of them are paying for smaller repairs out of their own pocket. That is one of the main findings in the Crash Course 2026 Mid-Year Update from CCC Intelligent Solutions, a company whose software handles electronic repair estimates and total loss valuations across the collision industry. CCC published the update on October 15, 2026. The numbers are national, not specific to Illinois, but the trends show up in every driveway from Naperville to Glen Ellyn.
What the CCC update found
- Fewer claims: Through September, claims frequency was down 3.5 percent, compared with an 8.3 percent decline over the same period in 2025. Comprehensive claim volume was down almost 10 percent, which CCC links to fewer vehicle thefts and relatively isolated catastrophe activity. CCC also cites Aon data showing a notable decline in U.S. hail events in 2025 and the first half of 2026.
- Higher deductibles: In the first half of 2026, 28.4 percent of repairable collision claims carried a deductible of $1,000 or more, up from 25.7 percent a year earlier and 20.3 percent in the first half of 2022. CCC says a deductible that size makes minor damage easier to postpone, pay for yourself or leave unrepaired.
- More self-pay repairs: Self-pay jobs made up 26 percent of repair orders in the first half of 2026, and more than 71 percent of those self-pay orders were below $2,000. Vehicles six years old or newer made up about 56 percent of self-pay orders, so this is not only an older-car trend.
- More total losses: Through the second quarter, 23.5 percent of claims were flagged as total losses. The share of driveable vehicles flagged as total losses reached 11.2 percent in the first half of the year, up from 6.3 percent in 2022.
Scans and calibrations are now routine
The report also shows how much electronics now shape a repair. In the first quarter of 2026, 74.8 percent of repairable appraisals included a diagnostic scan and 29.9 percent included a calibration, up from 70.9 percent and 23.3 percent a year earlier. CCC notes that scans increasingly appear on the very first estimate, which suggests shops and insurers treat diagnostics as a normal part of intake rather than a surprise found later.
Hybrids are a growing part of the picture too. In the second quarter, hybrids made up 9.9 percent of repairable claims across all vehicle ages and 19.0 percent among vehicles three years old or newer.
CCC sums up 2026 in five words: “Fewer, but more complex claims.”
What this means for you
Here’s our take: more drivers are deciding for themselves how to handle small damage, and that decision deserves good information.
- Get small damage looked at, even if you won’t file a claim. A door ding or a shallow dent with unbroken paint is often a candidate for paintless dent repair, which works the metal back into shape without sanding or repainting. An inspection tells you whether that approach fits your damage.
- Don’t let it sit. CCC found that higher deductibles make minor damage easy to postpone. If the paint is chipped or cracked, we would rather look at it before winter salt season than after.
- Know your own policy. Your deductible and coverage are set by your policy, so check them with your insurer before you decide how to handle a repair.
- Ask about electronics. If a bumper or windshield area with sensors was damaged, ask whether a scan or calibration is part of the repair plan.
Our team at EZ Tech Paintless Dent Removal & Collision repairs everything from parking-lot dings to collision damage across Chicagoland, and we’re happy to show you what we find and walk you through your options. This article is general information, not insurance or legal advice.
Source: CCC Intelligent Solutions, “Crash Course 2026 Mid-Year Update,” October 15, 2026.
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