Insurers are more frequently paying shops for the price differential between OEM and non-OEM parts. In the past, most shops would absorb the parts cost differential, but survey results show that insurers now pick up the bill 36 percent of the time, a 17 percent increase in the past three years. Sixteen percent of vehicles repaired with aftermarket parts are returned to the body shop, nearly twice the return rate for vehicles repaired with OEM crash parts. Despite claims of quality improvement, basic fit is the biggest complaint repairers have with non-OEM parts. Repairers report that it takes 34 percent more time to make aftermarket parts fit correctly.
Insurance companies continue to drive the decision-making process.
Schedules for the Southwest and Northeast regions will be available in the near future. It underscores our commitment to assist shop owners and managers in their quest to improve their professionalism and leadership qualities. The EPA has released a list of vendors whose procedures to assess the integrity of bare steel tanks have been evaluated and certified by qualified, independent third parties to meet performance criteria. EPA expects that the list, which currently comprises only one entry, will grow as additional evaluations of integrity assessment procedures are completed. State implementing agencies may or may not allow use of the integrity assessment procedures contained on the EPA list.