Arizona State Legislature:  HB 2394 - Unlawful practices; motor vehicle repair

The above bill is being considered by the 2012 Legislature.  To read the bill and track its status, click here.  ASA of Arizona is currently opposing this bill as it will have a negative impact on small independent repair facilities. Posted 1/27/12

 

Leading Collision Repair Organizations Release Joint Position Statement on Collision Repair Standards

     Helping define a foundation and a road forward, the most prom-inent collision repair organizations, representing the voice of the collision repairer nationally, issued and signed a joint statement officially recognizing OEM vehicle manufacturer published repair procedures as the industry's repair standards.

     The organizations making the declaration include the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP), Automotive Service Association (ASA), Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), and Assured Performance Net-work. The statement was presented on Wednesday, November 3, 2011 to those attending the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their statement reads as follows:

     "The undersigned organizations continue to be the leading voice of collision repair businesses and technicians across the United States, just as they have for decades. Representing their interests, we hereby recognize published repair procedures, as provided by automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEM), as the official industry recognized "Repair Standards" for collision repair. These standards, where they ex-ist, shall be the basis for the establishment of training, testing, repair practices, and documentations.

    "Whereas, we acknowledge that OEM repair procedures are incomplete in comparison to the full scope of vehicles and repair operations which exist in the marketplace; the OEM published repair procedures shall serve as the baseline for industry repair standards, with the recognition that further development of procedures will be necessary in areas not covered by published procedures.

     "Therefore, we officially ask the board of directors for the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR), to establish within their overall organizational structure, an industry council to identify gaps in exist-ing OEM procedures and develop processes to close gaps, vet industry proposed alternatives, modifica-tions, and additions to OEM procedures. The Council will include volunteer representatives serving at least ASA, SCRS, AASP, and I-CAR."

     While most assume OEM repair procedures are standards by default, it has never been officially established until now. As these groups collectively represent collision repair businesses and technicians across the United States, their official adoption and declaration provides a much needed foundation and focus to the industry's effort to establish collision repair standards.

 

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ASA Approves New Crash Parts Policy
ASA Recognizes Value of Certification and Verification for Parts Quality

      The Automotive Service Association (ASA) Board of Directors met this past weekend and discussed changes to the ASA policy on replacement crash parts. The board voted unanimously to approve a new policy for crash parts.
       With reference to the new policy, Dan Stander, AAM, ASA Collision Division director and co-owner of Jerry Stander’s Collision Works, Littleton, Colo., said:
       “ASA’s replacement crash parts position statement is in response to today’s parts usage and market conditions. With an increasing number of part types with various levels of quality, and an increase in the number of processes used to validate – or not validate – these various lines of quality, it is confusing at best to most repairers.
        “ASA’s position better defines its goal to provide the highest level of repair by requiring full disclosure of all part types by all parties, and having the standard for replacement crash parts that are certified and verified to be the equivalent of the OEM part.”

 

The new crash parts policy reads:
           ASA supports requiring insurers and auto collision facilities to provide disclosure of part type, description and warranty information to the consumer for all part types including, but not limited to, original equipment manufacturer, aftermarket, recycled, remanufactured, reconditioned and rebuilt crash parts.
            ASA supports quality parts, certified and verified in which the quality is determined based on empirical and measurable evidence equal to the standard of OEM parts. ASA recommends quality verification and testing related to metallurgy, fit, functionality and responsiveness.
            ASA believes a competitive parts marketplace, of tested and verified quality parts, is in the best interest of the motoring public. ASA continues to oppose parts policies that focus solely on cost efficiency without regard to certification, verifiable quality and safety.

      Roy Schnepper, AAM, ASA Government Affairs Committee chairman and owner of Butler’s Collision Inc. in Roseville, Mich., said:
      “We are seeing a changing market in the collision industry, especially in reference to the growing use of aftermarket crash parts, which we, as shop owners, are being asked to use in repairing vehicles.
       “ASA believes collision repairers should have confidence that replacement crash parts will respond equally as well in a secondary collision as the parts originally placed on the vehicle. Collision repairers, insurers, parts distributors and manufacturers must work together to ensure the testing and verification procedures are the best possible to protect consumers and repairers. When this happens, consumers can have confidence that the parts they are receiving meet OEM standards.”
       To view additional information and legislative materials related to ASA, visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingTheHill.com.