Press Release: 

 

New York State Auto Collision Technicians Association

 The New York State Auto Collision Technicians Association, (NYSACTA) today announced it is alerting its members and the general public to the potential safety risks with the use of aftermarket crash parts, and is calling on all insurers in NY who specify the use of un-tested, unqualified, NON-OEM compliant crash parts to take corrective action immediately.

NYSACTA President, Mike Orso said, “I would think safety would be the most important element of any collision repair. Some insurers by their actions are putting their claimant or insured’s family in a vehicle that the [insurer] specified a repair with untested, at risk parts to save money. No one should be re-engineering a car after a wreck as it puts the consumer in damage as well as all highway users at risk. It creates un-due legal liability on the repair shop.” Orso went on to say,  “the rules are: Repair or Replace the vehicle after a crash. Meaning; return the vehicle to pre-loss condition. One issue here is that; there is no recall system in place to warn consumers that their vehicle may be unsafe to drive or that their families safety is in unknown, unpredictable peril should a repaired car be involved in a another crash. Consumers should call their repair shop or check their collision invoice to identify what parts that may have been installed that are aftermarket. NY State Law requires shops to note the status of parts used in the repair, i.e. New, OEM, Used, Aftermarket, Reconditioned or Repaired.”  
 
Ed Kizenberger, NYSACTA Executive Director said, Already some insurers have announced they are discontinuing to specify aftermarket safety parts. Maybe they’re learning from the Toyota situation? We will be alerting our members, the media and state representatives in the Legislature to this matter. We have always been a proponent of following OEM guidelines and recommend our members strictly follow proven methods of collision repair. Remember; shops are the professional experts assuming the ultimate liability for the repair. ”

Orso went on to say, “The right thing to do is for insurers to issue an immediate recall to any consumer concerning any vehicle repaired with aftermarket safety parts. Insurers must be held accountable for all the costs of re-repair, and the consumer must demand refund for those who paid an additional premium for the use of OEM parts or those who paid any difference to repair a vehicle with OEM parts. The aftermarket industry needs to establish a formal recall system FOR these parts if and when they are used. The vehicle should have permanent label affixed alerting future owners and passengers that the vehicle has been modified and safety could be affected.”  
 
Ed Kizenberger said, “For the future consumers can avoid this situation by only doing business only with those shops who are members of NYSACTA that have publicly adopted a Professional Code of Ethics or at the very least, is advocate for the consumer’s right to a proper repair using approved OEM parts and procedures.”