Smithfield, RI – The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) is voicing our extreme disappointment to a recent self-serving position statement by General Motors (GM) stating that the automobile manufacturer does not approve of the use of aftermarket, reconditioned, or salvage Bumper Covers/Fascias on GM vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
“The ABPA takes exception to the position that plastic bumper fascias produced by the aftermarket crash parts industry create a safety issue when an ADAS assistance system is involved. The ABPA notes that these types of position statements by GM and other OEMs are self-serving in requiring only their OEM parts be used” says Ed Salamy, ABPA Executive Director. “By mixing repair procedures for a safe repair with self-serving restrictions on competing part types, The OEMs are leaving insurance companies, collision repairers and consumers to discern what is truly a safe repair procedure and what is self-serving.”
The ABPA stands behind the quality systems in place within the manufacturers and distributors in the automotive body parts industry which mirror the OEM quality control systems. These quality control systems include ISO certification. In many cases, the aftermarket bumper fascias go a step further to include certification that they are equal to the OEM service part in form, fit, function and most importantly, safety, by one and sometimes two well-established ANSI accredited organizations, CAPA and NSF.
The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) was established in the public interest in 1987 to set up and oversee a testing program to assure the suitability and quality of automotive replacement parts. To date, CAPA has introduced over 95 million certified parts into the marketplace.
NSF, established in 1944, tests and certifies parts to ensure they meet rigid quality, safety and performance standards in form, fit and function. This means the part is equivalent in quality and performance to the original part it is replacing.
“In addition to supplying quality parts to the industry, many ABPA members offer superior warranties on their products that exceed the car companies’ warranties” said Salamy. “the ABPA would also like to stress that having a healthy aftermarket ensures competition and helps protect the wallets of American consumers.”
About the ABPA
With more than 165 members, the Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) occupies over 400 distinctive locations including collision parts distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, and parts recycling plants. ABPA’s members are responsible for distributing more than 80 percent of the independently produced aftermarket crash replacement parts sold to the collision repair trade. For more information about the ABPA, visit www.autobpa.com.
