ADAS calibrations appeared on 34.7% of repair estimates in 2025, up from 12.1% in 2022, while the average cost of a calibration reached US$688 when present, according to Enlyte’s 2026 Envision Trends findings.
The annual publication, released June 2, points to a claims environment where vehicle technology, parts inflation, repair planning, medical costs and artificial intelligence are all adding pressure at the same time.
“Each year, this report reflects a simple truth: our industry does not stand still,” wrote Alex Sun, CEO of Enlyte, in the introduction. “But this year, the pace and nature of change feel fundamentally different.”
For collision repairers, some of the clearest findings appear in auto physical damage. Calibration lines continued to rise sharply in 2025, growing 31.4% year-over-year. When a calibration appeared on an estimate, the average number of calibrations per repair also rose nearly 10% from 2024.
The data shows how quickly ADAS has moved from an emerging repair consideration to a regular severity driver. The findings note that even minor changes in alignment, mounting or body dimensions can affect ADAS components. Missed calibrations can create problems for vehicle system performance, while also creating financial and liability exposure for insurers and repairers.
“What we are seeing now is not just evolution, it is a convergence of forces that are reshaping how claims behave, how outcomes are achieved, and how organizations must respond,” wrote Sun.
Parts costs added another layer of pressure. OEM parts prices rose 4.21% in 2025, compared with 3.52% in 2024. Aftermarket parts prices rose 3.89%, up from 3.08% a year earlier. Plastic components, including bumper covers and headlamps, saw stronger price increases than sheet metal parts such as hoods and doors.
At the same time, repairers appear to be changing how they manage parts decisions. The percentage of parts repaired rose to 15.5% in 2025 from 14.8% in 2024, marking the first increase in more than a decade.
That shift matters for both cost and cycle time. For drivable repairs under US$5,000 in total severity, estimates with at least one repair line had keys-to-keys cycle times that were eight-tenths of a day shorter. The findings suggest more repair activity can reduce dependence on parts supply chains while keeping more work inside the facility.
“Across the property and casualty landscape, strong recent performance is driving greater competition and renewed pricing pressure,” wrote Sun. “At the same time, economic uncertainty, supply chain challenges, technology evolution, and shifting health care dynamics are introducing more variability into an already complex system.”
AI is also becoming more important in claims handling. The findings describe AI as a decision-support tool, not a replacement for human expertise. The technology is being used to support estimate creation and review, improve consistency across teams and inspection methods and help identify damage from photos that can be difficult to assess manually.
The publication also points to a broader insurance market in transition. Private passenger auto results were unusually strong in 2025, with a total combined ratio of about 90%. Several leading auto insurers posted combined ratios in the mid-80s and returns on equity above 30%. With affordability still under pressure, rate decreases have become more common in 2026.
But strong insurer results do not mean claims are getting easier. Auto casualty data showed allowed first-party medical cost per claimant rose 10.5% from 2022 to 2025, even as units per claimant fell 2.8%. Charges per claimant rose 19.1% over the same period, while average treatment length declined 6.4% and median treatment length fell 31.3%.
The result is a mixed picture. Utilization controls and shorter treatment duration are helping manage some costs, but higher unit prices continue to push severity upward.
Workers’ compensation also remains profitable, with the combined ratio below 100% every year since 2015 and average combined ratios of about 90% over the last five and 10 years. Even there, the findings point to possible pressure in the second half of 2026 and into 2027 from a narrowing wage-medical inflation gap, health coverage shifts and a softer labour market.
“Complexity is no longer driven by a single trend,” wrote Sun. “For auto, it emerges as vehicle construction technology continues to develop, creating new repair considerations.”
