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Vol. 7 / Issue 12 / September 2018
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones Says He’s Hoping to Halt Proposed Auto Tariffs
Discussion at CIC Highlights Dramatic Changes Coming to the Industry
by William Thornton, AL.com
by John Yoswick
On July 18, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones said he and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) are working to craft a “solution” to proposed tariffs on imported automobiles, which they say could negatively impact U.S. jobs. “We hope to introduce that proposal as early as next week, after consulting with our automotive manufacturers and working with our colleagues to grow bipartisan support for this legislation,” Jones said in remarks on the Senate floor in Washington. “I realize that folks affected
by these proposed tariffs are looking for a silver bullet to stop them dead in their tracks. Right now, the only silver bullet in this case is for the President to change his mind and recognize how many jobs are at risk because of these proposed tariffs. Until that happens, we’re going to fight to protect what our states and our workers have earned.” Jones’ comments occurred as segments of the auto industry are converging on the nation’s capital to lobby against the proposed tariffs. The push is coming at the same time See Hearings on Tariffs, Page 14
Did the John Eagle Decision Change Anything? by Gary Ledoux
The John Eagle decision of October 2017 was one of the most momentous in the history of the collision repair industry in America. Because Dallas-based John Eagle Collision Center did not follow OE repair procedures to repair some hail damage on a 2010 Honda Fit, resulting in severe physical and emotional harm to owners Matthew and Marcia Seebachan in a subsequent accident, attorney Todd Tracy represented the couple in a civil lawsuit which they won, forcing the shop to pay $31.5 million in damages.
Almost a year has gone by since then. Plenty of magazine articles have been written and seminars have been provided by Tracy and auto body associations about the effects of the lawsuit and how shops can protect themselves from experiencing a similar situation. Some ad-hoc conversations with shop owners and spurious social media postings by both shop owners and techs indicate that some shops have taken the John Eagle case seriously and made some positive changes to their SOPs. Others seem to have taken the “It’ll never happen in my See John Eagle Decision, Page 38
Michael Simon, director of strategic accounts for Bosch Automotive, is the latest to remind the industry that the absence of any dash warning lights doesn’t mean a vehicle doesn’t need to be scanned. “And the diagnostic codes do not point to a repair, only a symptom,” Simon said at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Atlanta in August. “If a doctor takes your blood pressure and your blood pressure is high, what does that mean? He’s got to figure out if it’s hypertension, is it stress in life, or what’s going on. It’s the same thing with codes. What does that code mean? It says something isn’t working right, but it still requires you to diagnose.” In his presentation at CIC, Simon
made it clear that he was speaking personally rather than as a representative of Bosch. He said the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in new vehicles today are part of the automakers’ learning mode on the road to autonomous vehicles. “This is the start of the biggest economic and social shift of the last 100 years,” he said. “Think about how many businesses and people will be affected by this technology change.” To offer some perspective on the transformation that is likely to occur in the coming decade, Simon reminded CIC attendees what the key new features were of the best-selling car 10 years ago: the 2008 Toyota Camry. “It had some darker wood; the See Discussion at CIC, Page 22
Cleveland Body Shop Owner Indicted for Trafficking by Chris Mosby, Cleveland Patch
Law enforcement said a suspected fentanyl trafficker in Cleveland, OH, has been arrested and indicted for trafficking the drug while having a firearm. Tyler Hall, 28, was indicted on two counts of possession with intent to distribute narcotics and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hall reportedly had cocaine and fentanyl in his possession when he was arrested, the Department of Justice said. “This defendant was identified by law enforcement as a serious threat who has caused pain and destruction in and around his neighborhood,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “Police officers, federal agents and prosecutors will continue to work together to prosecute those who illegally have firearms and
deal drugs.” Hall had 1.46 grams of fentanyl, 22 grams of crack cocaine and a Walther 9 mm semiautomatic pistol when police searched his home
on July 3, court documents said. The Clevelander was a person-of-interest in three non-fatal opioid overdoses. Two of the overdose victims had information that their supplier’s name was Tyler and that he worked, See Shop Owner Indicted, Page 38
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