The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) has announced that aftermarket parts legislation (Senate Bill 1051) has been reintroduced in the state of Oklahoma.
S.B. 1051 would require an insurer to disclose to the consumer in writing if an aftermarket emission, safety or crash part is to be used in a repair. Insurers would then be required to obtain written consent from car owners regarding the use of an aftermarket part in the repair. A similar bill was introduced last year but was pulled from consideration due to strong opposition expressed by AAIA members in the state.
According to the bill, an "emission part" is defined as: an oxygen sensor, catalytic converter, exhaust pipe, exhaust manifold, fuel distributor, electronic emission control unit, onboard diagnostic unit or any related parts or components. A "safety part" refers to a replacement of parts or systems essential to vehicle operation, suspension, electronic control units, brake parts, safety systems and air bags. An "aftermarket part" is defined as any part not made for or by the manufacturer of the motor vehicle.
The disclosure statement to the consumer would need to state, “This estimate has been prepared based on the use of crash parts supplied by a source other than the manufacturer of your motor vehicle. Warranties applicable to these replacement parts are provided by the manufacturer or distributor of these parts rather than the manufacturer of your vehicle.”
AAIA is once again urging all members with locations in Oklahoma to write to senators stating their opposition to this bill. AAIA believes that requiring these disclosures will leave motorists with the impression that aftermarket parts are of an inferior quality to OE parts.
More information:
To write to state legislature about this cause, click here.
