CAPA says its part certification program provides collision repairers with the opportunity to keep cars repairable without compromising quality. Collision repairers on CAPA’s board of directors are speaking out on why CAPA is important to them.
When CAPA certified parts are used as alternatives to OEM parts, then insurers are less likely to “total” vehicles, shop owner and CAPA board member Mike West says.
“If a repairable vehicle is totaled, I’ve lost business,” said West, owner of Southtowne Auto Rebuild in Tukwila, Wash.
Along with being a CAPA board member, West is a former ASA Collision Division Operations Committee member and is Collision Division director of ASA-Washington.
“Totals are bad for my customer, my shop and for the thousands of collision repairers struggling to cope with the rising costs of operating a business,” he said. “Let’s face it, alternative parts have had a bad reputation, and the extra labor and problems associated with non-CAPA parts hurts my business. By insisting on CAPA Certified parts, I’ve dramatically improved the chances that the part will fit, meet safety standards and be profitable for my shop.”
Bob Anderson, owner of Anderson’s Automotive Service, located in Sheffield, Ohio, and chairman of CAPA’s board of directors, says he used to not believe there was a difference between CAPA parts and other aftermarket parts on the market.
“As a ‘hands-on’ shop owner, I know what it means to have to deal with a poor quality part. As former chair of the ASA, I heard from shops around the country, and the top shops simply can’t afford to deal with problem parts,” said Anderson. “In the early days when I’d hear about CAPA parts, I had no idea that they were any different than non-certified parts. It wasn’t until I did my own research that I discovered the real standards behind the CAPA Quality Seal. Had I not taken the time to do that, I would have continued to believe that all aftermarket parts are the same. Now, I know that’s simply not true. My problem is that about 80 percent of the aftermarket parts available to me are not CAPA certified. As a result, it’s hard to find them. I’ve learned that the only way to tell if the part is a genuine CAPA part is to look for the yellow and blue seal.”
Ben Steinman, owner of Ben’s Auto Body in Mexico, Mo., and CAPA Board member says that the independent testing used to certify CAPA parts makes the program trustworthy.
“Because CAPA is a non-profit independent, third-party standard setting certification program, the CAPA seal really means something when it comes to quality,” said Steinman.
“CAPA has benefited enormously from the advice and support of some of the nation’s most influential and important collision repair leaders,” said Jack Gillis, CAPA executive director.
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