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Vol. 12 / Issue 4 / July 2021
Auto Body Shops Asked to Submit Experiences with SRS Inspections by John Yoswick
I-CAR is seeking help from collision repairers as it reviews OEM safety inspections related to secondary restraint systems (SRS). Scott VanHulle, manager of I-CAR’s Repairability Technical Support and OEM Technical Relations, said the project grew out of a virtual summit the training organization held in March with 150 shops, insurers and automakers. The discussion centered around whether the industry had adequate information about what inspections
were required and when, what the inspections should “look like” and the “why” behind the inspections. The OEMs may not be aware of shortcomings in their procedures related to this, VanHulle said, because traditionally much of the feedback they receive is from dealership service departments that aren’t dealing with collision-damaged vehicles. I-CAR hopes to develop industry-vetted best practices related to the inspections, provide feedback to the automakers about any potential repair information improvements See SRS Inspections, Page 19
No Signs Microchip Shortage is Delaying Crash Parts by John Yoswick
PartsTrader’s Greg Horn said in May his company isn’t seeing any significant disruption in crash parts availability based on the global microchip shortage, which is impacting new vehicle production. He pointed to a number of data points that led him to that conclusion. Enterprise’s most recent “length of rental” data showed the average number of days replacement vehicles were in use in the first quarter of 2021 was “essentially flat” when compared to the same quarter in
2020. His company’s internal data showed the average quoted delivery times for parts going through PartsTrader across all model vehicles did not change significantly in the past 13 months. Looking at parts for just model year 2020 and 2021 vehicles showed even a modest improvement in April, compared to April of 2020. Parts on the system are also receiving the same number of bids or quotes on average over the past year. “As we look at all those components, we really don’t see any See Microchip Shortage, Page 27
Toyota Says It’s Still Too Soon to Focus on Electric Cars by Steven Loveday, Inside EVs
Toyota continues to assert its vehicle lineup will offer a variety of options over the next 30 years, a stance it reiterated at the company’s annual shareholders meeting.
Toyota has been pushing hybrids and hydrogen for years, and it still insists it’s not time to focus on
electric cars. An investor asked during the meeting why Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, has a different view from that of Honda. The competing Japanese brand has set a goal to have a fully electric lineup by 2040. Toyota Director Shigeki Terashi, who joined the call from Toyota’s Aichi headquarters, reportedly replied, “It’s too early to concentrate on one option.” Terashi added between now and 2050, the brand needs to offer mulSee Focus on Electric Cars, Page 22
Rhode Island Collision Repairers Seek to Clarify Concerns with 2 House Bills by Chasidy Rae Sisk
Last month, the Rhode Island House Corporations Committee heard from collision repairers advocating for House Bill 6234 and House Bill 6235, both introduced by Reps. William O’Brien, Scott Slater, Jacquelyn Baginski, Raymond Hull, Camille Vella-Wilkinson Gregg and Amore. House Bill 6234 seeks to updateRhode Island General Laws §27-9.14, the state’s Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act, by addressing issues related to paint and materials charges, vehicle abandonment and sublets. House Bill 6235 would require insurers using recycled parts to choose parts that are “at least equal in kind and quality to the OEM parts in terms of fit, quality, performance and warranty, and be from a vehicle of the same year or newer and have the same or less mileage than the vehicle receiving the used part.” House Bills 6234 and 6235 were reviewed simultaneously during the Rhode Island House Corporations Committee hearing. O’Brien, the
House Corporations Committee vice chairman, said the main reason he sponsored the bill was related to a constituent’s experience where their insurer abandoned a total loss, accumulating $1,000 in storage fees, which, he said, the insurer was responsible for. The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies Northeast has “no objection to the total loss notification provisions,” according to Rory Whelan, northeast regional vice president, though the group opposes the other two amendments proposed by the bill. Rep. Robert Craven Sr. supports House Bill 6234 because of “the general frustration that the auto body shops are having dealing with the insurers, but most importantly, the consumer who pays for this insurance policy and doesn’t get what he or she expects to get.” Craven indicated insurers object to paying for items as simple as taping windows before painting, though it is part of the process required. PolicySee 2 House Bills, Page 20
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