The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) has partnered with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to develop its 501 Bumper Standard. This criterion allows the market to identify parts that are comparable to more expensive OE parts, according to the organization.
The development of the CAPA 501 Bumper Standard included extensive examination of various bumper parts, comparative testing, consultation with industry experts and input from CAPA’s technical committee. In addition, IIHS conducted a series of low- and high-speed demonstration tests in order to evaluate both the crashworthiness and damageability of a vehicle equipped with CAPA standard parts.
According to IIHS Chief Administrative Officer Joe Nolan, test vehicles that used non-OE, CAPA-certified parts received similar damage protection to those equipped with OE parts.
“Competition in the parts area helps keep insurance costs down. But substandard or poor quality structural parts that don’t match original equipment can undermine the cost savings and affect vehicle safety,” he said. “We commend CAPA for pursuing a certification standard for aftermarket bumpers. In tests we conducted, bumper parts meeting CAPA’s specifications performed the same as their car company brand counterparts.”
More information:
