The Pennsylvania Collision Trade Guild has written to Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario of the Pennsylvania Insurance Department raising concerns about the safety and functionality of replacement crash parts. It also asks for immediate action to ensure the safety of vehicles repaired with non-OEM replacement parts.
In a letter, the guild says results from recent tests have shown that structural crash parts manufactured by non-OEM part makers have been seen to be inconsistent in construction as compared to the OEM parts. These include bumpers, bumper brackets, energy absorbers and structure members.
The letter says that citizens who are operating vehicles that have been repaired using untested and inferior replacement crash parts are putting themselves and their passengers in danger. It also states that various organizations including the Certified Aftermarket Parts Association and the Automotive Body Parts Association among others have asked manufacturers and distributors of non-OEM parts to remove them from distribution. See related links at the bottom of this article.
The guild, on behalf of the auto body collision repairers of Pennsylvania and its consumers, asks the State of Pennsylvania to recall all vehicles repaired with inferior structural aftermarket replacement parts and re-repair them to return them to their pre-loss condition relative to safety and performance.
The Pennsylvania Collision Trade Guild is a division of the Pennsylvania Association of Automotive Trades. For the full text of the letter, visit www.pctg.org/documents/Joel-Ario-Letter.pdf.
