Collision Repair

West Virginia crash parts bill seeks to eliminate consumer consent

March 15, 2017

ASA opposes SB 544 and asks West Virginia repairers to contact their state legislators in opposition to the bill.

West Virginia Senate Bill (SB) 544, introduced by state Sen. Mark Maynard, R-6, would eliminate the requirement for consumer written consent when using aftermarket parts in a vehicle that is still under the manufacturer’s warranty. The legislation would modify West Virginia’s current law requiring consent from the vehicle owner to mere notification.

Current law stipulates that motor vehicle body shops must use genuine crash parts for a period of three years, the year the motor vehicle was manufactured and the two succeeding years thereafter, “sufficient to maintain the manufacturer’s warranty for fit, finish, structural integrity, corrosion resistance, dent resistance and crash performance unless the motor vehicle owner consents in writing at the time of the repair to the use of aftermarket crash parts.”

ASA opposes SB 544 and asks West Virginia repairers to contact their state legislators in opposition to the bill.

The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind dedicated to and governed by independent automotive service and repair professionals. ASA serves an international membership base that includes numerous affiliate, state and chapter groups from both the mechanical and collision repair segments of the automotive service industry.

ASA advances professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services. To take advantage of the many benefits of membership in ASA, please visit www.ASAshop.org or call (817) 514-2900.

For additional information about ASA, including past news releases, go to www.ASAshop.org, or visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingTheHill.com.