Are shops still using A/M parts even though many insurers have altered their stance on writing for them on estimates?
According to the 2000 BodyShop Business “Industry Profile,” of those shops using OE crash parts, 88.3 percent of their repair orders include them. Of those shops using A/M crash parts, 67.4 percent of their repair orders include them. And of those shops using non-CAPA certified crash parts, 30.2 percent of their repair orders include them.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that shop owners say OE crash parts fit the best: 95.2 percent provide an acceptable fit. On the other hand, respondents reported that only 55.5 percent of CAPA-certified crash parts and 45.7 percent of non-CAPA certified crash parts provide an acceptable fit.
What happens when CAPA-certified parts don’t fit well? Seventy percent of shop owners report that insurance companies never pay for re-fitting the parts, while 10.3 percent say they pay half the time and 2.8 percent say they always pay.
When a shop does have a problem with a CAPA-certified part do they notify CAPA? Unfortunately, 47.7 percent of respondents say they never notify CAPA regarding problems with certified parts.
If a customer objects to the use A/M crash parts, do insurers pay for OE? According to our survey, 70.4 percent of shop owners say yes, while the other 29.6 percent say no. Those same shop owners say vehicle owners have an unequivocal right to know when A/M crash parts are used to repair their vehicles. More than 78 percent of shop owners also say it’s the body shop’s responsibility to inform the owner when A/M or salvage parts are used.
Writer Melissa McGee is managing editor of BodyShop Business.
