Nov. 16, 2011–The Automotive Service Association (ASA) Board of Directors met this past weekend and discussed changes to the ASA policy on replacement crash parts and voted unanimously to approve a new policy.
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 says it 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’s replacement crash parts position statement is in response to today’s parts usage and market conditions,” said Dan Stander, AAM, ASA Collision Division director and co-owner of Jerry Stander’s Collision Works in Littleton, Colo. “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.”
ASA says it recommends quality verification and testing related to metallurgy, fit, functionality and responsiveness.
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