What happened
The chat member ordered a US Model Y import plus a turnkey restoration through usa-auto.by. Per her account she paid in full without haggling, because the car was for herself and she expected honest work. When questions about the completed bodywork came up after handover, they were — per her — simply brushed off and ignored.
About 1.5 years passed, and the result of the bodywork, per her, "came out": defects that were not visible at handover surfaced. Holding the shop accountable after that long is practically impossible.
What the shop does
usa-auto.by openly positions itself as a Minsk shop (Kolodishchi): importing cars from the USA and restoring them turnkey — bodywork, prep and paint, disassembly-assembly, polishing (see their /car-restoration/ page). Per the client, "it was all described very nicely." They import and restore Teslas among others.
So restoring wrecked US cars is a core line of business, not a one-off. That is exactly why bodywork quality here is a key question for the shop, not a minor detail.
What surfaced (per the specialists)
Per the client and the specialists she later consulted, during the restoration the car was not even put on a frame machine — so the body geometry is off and the car is "pulling." The photos she provided show corrosion at a repaired area (near the sill / a jack point) and paint cracks along the repaired zones. There is also a parts-and-labour list for this car (sill, wheel arch, door, quarter window, bodywork, paint, etc.).
We show what can be shown — the photos and the list; the conclusions that it was "never put on a frame machine" and is "misaligned" belong to the client and the masters she consulted later.
Why this matters
Restoring a wrecked US car without a frame machine risks a distorted body geometry. And geometry affects passive safety in the next crash, tyre wear and alignment, panel gaps and resale value. Corrosion along repair seams on an EV is a separate long-term risk: moisture and rust in structural zones do not show up immediately.
The main trap is time. Bodywork defects often surface after a year or a year and a half, when proving anything to the shop is already almost impossible. So you have to control the process up front, not after the fact.
How to protect yourself when ordering a restoration
— Require a frame-machine protocol (geometry measurements before and after) — a proper body shop measures and hands you the printout. — Don't take "turnkey" on trust: get an itemized quote and a photo report of every stage (before paint, welds, primer). — Bring an independent body specialist to the handover BEFORE you pay / sign. — Check panel gaps and symmetry, look under the sills and trims — weld quality and rust protection. — Put everything in writing: scope of work, warranty. — For wrecked US cars specifically, see our Copart / salvage buying guide (links below).
Our position & right of reply
This write-up is based on the account and photos of a TESLA Belarus chat member and on usa-auto.by's own public description of its services. We are not disclosing the client's identity at her request. The value judgments ("never put on a frame machine", "misaligned", "brushed off") belong to the client and the masters she consulted.
If usa-auto.by has documentary evidence to the contrary — a frame-machine measurement protocol, the work order, stage-by-stage photos, confirmation of the work done — write to us and we will add your statement or correct the material.