NSF believes the record has been sufficiently cleared that continued litigation would be a distraction from NSF’s real work in testing and certifying the quality and safety of aftermarket automotive parts to ensure that high-quality aftermarket safety parts are available, and thus would not be in the best interest of the aftermarket parts industry or consumers. Accordingly, rather than continue litigation, NSF agreed to dismiss its case against CAPA and Gillis to focus on continuing to grow its business and do what NSF does best certify products to protect consumers.
NSF is putting this matter behind it and is focused on continuing to grow its automotive parts certification programs, including the Automotive Aftermarket Parts Certification program, which NSF announced in February 2010.
“There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that NSF International is fully committed to supporting the automotive aftermarket parts industry,” said Bob Frayer of NSF International. “NSF will continue to test and certify the quality and safety of aftermarket automotive parts to ensure that high quality aftermarket safety parts are available to vehicle owners and body shops, and it’s toward that goal that our resources will be focused.”
Background on NSF’s Automotive Aftermarket Parts Certification Program
For years NSF has provided certification services to the automobile industry. Building on this long history of automotive expertise, in early February 2010, NSF announced its Automotive Aftermarket Parts Certification Program.
The NSF Certification Program was developed to counter the growing concerns that lower quality parts were being used in the automotive repair industry. The program verifies both the quality and performance of certain aftermarket auto parts via testing and inspections.
NSF International’s Automotive Aftermarket Parts Certification Program tests and certifies reinforcement bars, steel bumpers, step bumpers, brackets and absorbers against a rigorous set of requirements developed by NSF in conjunction with industry leaders.
Automotive parts certified by NSF are tested side by side with original equipment (OE) and parts must demonstrate comparable performance to OE parts to bear the NSF Mark. The NSF Mark has 67 years of experience in testing, certifying and writing product standards behind it.
NSF Automotive Aftermarket Parts Certification Process
To verify that aftermarket parts bearing the NSF Mark meet all quality, safety and performance standards and are comparable to the OE part, NSF requires the following:
- On-site inspection and approval of the manufacturing
facilities’ production and quality system
- Rigorous part testing to ensure the highest levels of
performance and random, in-market part testing
- In-plant part quality assurance program
- A traceability requirement that allows for an
effective recall process
- An ongoing process for monitoring and taking action
regarding customer complaints
- Ongoing monitoring of certified parts through quarterly facility audits
