In response to a recent story in BodyShop Business, the Certified
Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) has reported that, to date, no parts have
been certified to meet the new CAPA 501 bumper standard. 

According to CAPA, the way the Diamond Standard press release
received by BodyShop Business was worded may give some people the impression that A) the
company’s bumper recently passed CAPA’s new 501 bumper standard, or that B) the
company has CAPA-certified parts. 

According to CAPA, neither of these two things is true. 

"Currently, neither Diamond Standard or any
manufacturer has bumper parts that are
CAPA-certified," said Jack Gillis, executive director of CAPA. 

The headline on the original Diamond Standard press
release read, "Diamond Standard Bumpers Pass CAPA/IIHS High/Low-Speed Full
Scale Testing." Based on information in the press release, and also for
the sake of simplicity and better reader identification, BodyShop Business
changed it to, "Diamond Standard Bumper Passes CAPA’s New Bumper
Standard". However, the company’s bumper did not pass CAPA’s new bumper
standard. There was other misleading information in the press release that CAPA
was able to clarify as well. 

"The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
has not established a standard or certified such parts," said Debbie
Klouser, director of operations for CAPA. "Rather, the IIHS demonstration
testing, performed at CAPA’s request, was designed to prove that parts meeting
CAPA’s comprehensive requirements will perform the same as car company brand
parts. 

"Additionally, it was CAPA, not IIHS as the release
may imply, that selected parts for testing. Unfortunately, by stating that
[Diamond Standard] has received certification in the same paragraph that
mentions CAPA, it inaccurately infers that the [Diamond Standard] bumper has
been certified by CAPA. 

"We appreciate the opportunity to set the record straight
and have no doubt that Diamond Standard will be submitting parts for CAPA certification. We look forward to
receiving those parts and listing them as ‘CAPA Certified’ as soon as
we complete our testing."