See Registration Open

age being paid regularly has grown. But looking at the numbers still keeps me awake at night. As of this year’s survey, there were still 28% of shops—more than one in four— that acknowledged never having billed for seat belt inspections. I have to believe many of those shops aren’t doing this critical work, perhaps because they’re not researching

and following the OEM procedures. And in the seven years we’ve asked, never have more than two in five shops billing for this work said the insurers regularly pay for it. How can the insurance industry deny payment for this needed step? And though shops are morally—if not otherwise—obligated to do it even if they’re not paid for it, are insurer payment practices contributing to it not being done on every single vehicle?

Ladies and gentlemen, it often doesn’t require any more than looking at the vehicle owner’s manual to document the seat belt inspection requirement. In the resources sec-

tion of the “Who Pays” body labor report, we point to an excellent list of links to vehicle owner’s manuals, put together by the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG).

You can take the current “Who Pays for What” survey during July at www.surveymonkey.com/ r/3X7FDBP

In some cases, in addition to a visual inspection, the OEM procedure may require the use of a diagnostic scan tool to check the pre-tensioners. On some Honda and Acura vehicles, for example, a deployed pre-tensioner does not trigger a diagnostic trouble code, so other “live data” from the scan must be checked. In these cases, it’s important to know I’ve read of instances where shops have found their aftermarket scan tool didn’t catch blown pre-tensioners an OEM scan did.

I encourage you to check the NHTSA website, www.nhtsa.gov, for some sobering statistics about highway deaths, and some tools you can use to help educate your customers.

But we also all need to make sure we’re not contributing to the problem, by repairing every vehicle fully and correctly, including the seat belt and other OEM safety inspections.

A “Who Pays for What?” survey this spring found only about 37% of shops are paid regularly when billing for labor required to inspect seat belts as part of repairing a collision damaged vehicle each educational session with a convenient symbol next to each course designating manager, estimator, owner or technician.

Tuition-based education is $40 per class or $225 for a full weekend pass, including a special legislative luncheon. Contact ABAT for a “whole shop” discount.

Classroom capacity is limited and educational sessions will fill up quickly.

Join the industry’s best tool and equipment providers, paint suppliers and manufacturers, OEMs and partners on the trade show floor. Fullsize equipment, demos, contests, car show, celebrity autographs and more.

Show admission is free.

For more information and to register, visit abat.us/events/2022tradeshow/

Source: ABAT

AUTOBODY

www.autobodynews.com

Your Trusted Source for All Your Genuine GM Collision Parts

833-691-1440

Direct: 210-341-2217 24 Hr. Fax: 210-308-8683 Hours: Mon-Fri 8am - 6pm Sat 7am-4pm

• Extensive 3 Million+ Inventory of OEM GM Parts • Fleet of 13 Delivery Vehicles Covering the Greater San Antonio Area and South Texas • Certified GM Wholesale Parts Specialists Dedicated Exclusively to WS Clients with 150+years combined experience • We offer Progressive Competitive Pricing and Discounts

3 Collision Repair Business Leaders Find Ways to Develop Positive Company Culture

Three auto body shop owners spoke during the recent Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ Repairer Roundtable about their efforts to build a positive culture within their companies.

Bruce Halcro of Capital Collision Center in Helena, MT, said a change in pay plans was one step he took a few years ago.

“We were paying flat rate, and it created more divisiveness than anything,” Halcro said. “Everyone was doing their own thing and saying, ‘That’s not my job.’ So we switched everybody to hourly, working out a pay plan that got them as close as we could to the flat rate that they had.”

Halcro said he tries to get out to each technician’s work area every day to talk with them briefly.

“Sometimes it’s about the car they’re working on, but most of the time it’s about family,” he said. “I think that’s an important connection to have with employees. I think how you treat employees, showing them that you value them, really builds a culture.”

One thing Halcro said has surprised him was the impact on his company’s culture he’s seen from its sponsorship this past year of a youth hockey team.

“So we had our own section, a ‘Capital Collision section,’ at the games,” he said. “We actually hired a couple of the players to come in a couple hours a day, twice a week, to clean the shop, empty garbage. By the end of the year, almost our whole crew was going to these hockey games. By Wednesday, they all would be talking about who was going to the hockey game that Friday night. Honestly, that was one of the best team-building things that we’ve done, that’s been impactful for our youngest employees to some of our older ones.”

Ron Reichen, owner of Precision Body & Paint, which is opening its fifth location in Oregon this year, said part of developing his company’s culture involves having second-year students from a local community college collision industry training program spend their threemonth co-op at one of his shops.

“We try to have them touch each one of the different disciplines within that 90 days,” Reichen said. “So they get to see where their appetite might be. During that 90 days, they’re learning the culture. They’re learning to come to work on time, to keep their work area clean, to read the OEM repair procedures, to read and follow the repair plan. They understand they’re part of a team.”

Other entry-level hires often start off in a shop’s parts department, with opportunities for a career path laid out up front.

“You’re not going to be stuck on the wash rack or with a broom the rest of your life,” Reichen said. “If they demonstrate a good work ethic, then our master technicians will say they are interested in taking on this person, being a mentor, to grow them, whether their interest is on the refinish or body side or mechanical.”

He said getting on a collision repair training program’s advisory committee is one of the best ways both to find entry-level employees and help with the industry’s overall technician shortage.

“We also look at the high schools with the SkillsUSA program,” Reichen said. “We find that even though a high school may not have an auto body or refinishing program, they may have a mechanical program. And with our industry changing, with more and more calibrations and ADAS and things like that, there’s opportunity there. You have to get creative.”

He said his company also works with those being released from a state penitentiary. “That involves a certain amount of calculated risk,” Reichen acknowledged. “It’s a lot of work, but we’ve had a pretty good success rate with doing that.”

Andy Tylka of the Tag Auto Group in Indiana acknowledged it has been a challenge maintaining his company’s culture while growing the business from six shops to 15 over two and a half years.

“But those people decided to sell to me because our culture was very similar to theirs,” Tylka said at the SCRS event. “A single-family-owned culture. Knowing everyone’s name, having those conversations, knowing something about everybody’s life, them knowing your life.”

He said rewarding loyalty is ex-

Shop Showcase tremely important. “There might be a shop that needs a technician and with Ed Attanasio they’ll just load [the new hire] full of benefits and pay, while disregarding Social Media for Shops with Ed Attanasio

SEMA Show Goes On with Ed Attanasio the loyal employees who have been there all along,” Tylka said. “I need

Media and Publicity for Shops to do a better job of that as well.” Growing your own new emwith Ed AttanasioMontana shop owner Bruce Halcro said sponsorship of a youth hockey team has been good for team-building within his shop ployees is a great way to instill your culture, he said. He spoke at severShop Strategies with Stacey Phillips Body Shops Giving Back with Stacey Phillips Tips for Busy Body Shops with Stacey Phillips My SEMA with Stacey Phillips Shop Strategies with Victoria Antonelli

Oregon shop owner Ron Reichen said having students work in multiple departments during their first 90 days helps them learn the company culture We Deliver! CCC 1 Honda Price Promotion Dealer Garcia Honda 8301 Lomas Blvd NE Albuquerque, NM 87110 Parts: 800.677.6632 Parts Direct: 505-260-5003 • Knowledgeable Wholesale Parts Staff • Honda Genuine Parts Parts206959@garciacars.com www.garciacars.com Mon-Fri 7:30am-6:00pm • Sat 8:30am-5:00pm

al Indiana Auto Body Association chapter meetings last year to share details about his company’s apprenticeship program, including how it’s structured, the check-off lists of what apprentices need to learn and how to find apprentices, not just through auto body job boards but those for construction and plumbing, etc.

“Because there are people in those trades who are having a bad day or are looking for another industry,” Tylka said. “What shocked me was through all the chapter meetings, there were only two shops that had a structured apprenticeship program. All the others were deterred from getting apprentices because they just didn’t know what to do with them.

“I think that’s what the industry needs is at least some kind of guideline to give a mom-and-pop shop some direction as to apprentices other than just putting a kid with a technician and hoping they learn something,” Tylka said. “I’m hoping as our apprenticeship develops to share that within Indiana, and that will start to have a snowball effect.”

by Christine Jean-Baptiste, Teslarati

The Biden Administration announced June 28 a few private companies have committed more than $700 million in investments to boost domestic production of more than 250,000 new electric vehicle chargers annually.

According to the White House, this investment will create at least 2,000 well-paying jobs and make EV charging more accessible, affordable and fair.

The $700 million in private investments will follow the $7.5 billion from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which aims to help the EV sector by adding more charging infrastructure throughout the country, among many other things.

The White House said the most key investments come from Electrify America and Siemens, which announced an additional $450 million in investments the same day to help grow the infrastructure of ultra-fast chargers for EVs.

While Electrify America’s investments will “support the rapid deployment of up to 10,000 ultra-fast chargers at 1,800 charging stations,” Siemens is on track to build 1 million EV chargers over the next four years.

Additional industry actions include ABB E-Mobility with 125 new jobs in two new facilities; ChargePoint, which will establish new production lines for Level 2 chargers at its Milpitas, CA, facility, and create approximately 250 new manufacturing jobs; and FLO, which will invest $3 million to build 30,000 charging stations annually.

Tesla was also mentioned by the White House for its dedication to deploying fast-charging stations and adding to its already industry-leading infrastructure.

“More than 1,600 employees work at Giga New York producing the Tesla Solar Roof and Supercharger stations, which are capable of charging vehicles up to 250 kW,” the White House said. “Tesla is expanding production capacity of power electronics components that convert alternating current to direct current, charging cabinets, posts and cables. Later this year, Tesla will begin production of new Supercharger equipment that will enable non-Tesla EV drivers in North America to use Tesla Superchargers.”

After Biden’s Build Back Better plan stagnated due to a lack of support from some, including vocal opposition from U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV, the White House has been forced to push the boundaries on what it can do to help create more EV adoption in the U.S. One of the most recent pushes is new guidelines for 500,000 additional EV chargers with a $5 billion federal initiative.

Tesla, Hertz Help Uber Drivers Save Money with 15K EV Rentals

by Steven Loveday, InsideEVs

According to Uber viaElectrek, some 15,000 rideshare drivers in cities across the U.S. have rented Tesla's EVs through Hertz. It was previously reported Hertz ordered 100,000 Tesla Model 3 sedans, though there was talk of additional orders going forward. At the time, it seemed it would take many months, if not years, to get Tesla's vehicles at Hertz locations throughout the country, but they're already available in 30 cities.After Hertz shared it had ordered 100,000 Tesla vehicles, it announced 50,000 Tesla rentals would be made available for use by Uber drivers.

“To date, more than15,000drivers have rented a Tesla through this program—and they’re making a real impact,” said Uber SVP of Mobility and Business Operations Andrew Macdonald. “Together they’ve completed more than 5 million fully-electric trips and driven over 40 million electric miles.,” If the program plays out as planned, Hertz may expand its deal with Uber, and potentially order more Tesla EVs. It already appears the program is a success, with Uber drivers sharing their satisfaction with the vehicles and the savings.

It costs an Uber driver $334 per week to rent aTesla Model 3, and the rate includes maintenance and insurance. Electrek said some Uber drivers are realizing savings of more than $160 per week due to not having to pay for gas. One Uber employee out of Boston said he would typically pay $25 to $30 per day for gas.

The hope is the savings on gas will afford Uber drivers the extra funds to rent a Tesla. However, to make the program even more appealing, Uber provides an additional $1 for every trip in an electric vehicle. Uber drivers can make up to an additional $4,000 per year with the extra money that's provided per trip when they drive an EV.

Uber has also pointed out 95% of its drivers who are renting Tesla's EVs at Hertz have never driven an electric car for their job before. Moreover, Uber said 92% of the drivers who have used the program are now considering purchasing their own electric car.

Bob Utter Kia

ALL the Genuine Kia Parts You Need

• Dedicated Wholesale Staff • Competitive Prices • Perfect Fit Everytime • Fast Free Delivery • Large Inventory • Extended Warranty

903.892.5967

www.bobutterkia.com

Mon-Fri 7:30am-6pm Sat 7:30am-1pm 903.891.7304 24hr Fax

2433 Texoma Parkway Sherman, TX 75090

The California Autobody Association (CAA) recently held a one-hour Zoom meeting with the California Department of Insurance (CA-DOI), covering a handful of topics of interest to the entire membership.

One particular subject that has been a pebble in CAA’s shoe for several years was brought up again during the meeting. You might be thinking that pebble was illegal steering, but you’d only be half right.

When we talk about steering in this industry, it’s usually about insurers trying to persuade consumers to take their vehicles to DRP shops, because those shops offer the insurer more attractive labor rates, and in many cases, a promise to use the lowest priced parts available.

Instead, this is about “parts steering.” Parts steering is where insurance companies search a multitude of different online vendors scattered across the country to find each part at the lowest price, and then cap payment on their estimate based on that price. Sound reasonable?

Monte Etherton, chairman of the CAA State Legislation Committee and state board member of CAA’s San Diego chapter, has been monitoring this situation for years and doesn’t think it’s reasonable at all.

“Here’s an analogy,” he said. “Your 8-year-old car needs some work, so you take it to the dealer and they give you an estimate for $3,500. You tell them you’ll get back to them. Their estimate lists five parts that total $2,000 of the $3,500. Since you want to save some money, you start scouring the internet for those parts.

“You find the cheapest parts from five different online stores, and all offer free shipping. Buying those parts instead of the parts from the dealer will save you almost $500. You make a neat list of all the store’s phone numbers and the prices and take it back to the dealer and ask them to buy the parts they need from those places so you can save some

SUPERIOR SERVICE STARTS WITH SUPERIOR PARTS.

WE ARE YOUR SOURCE FOR MAZDA GENUINE PARTS.

Free Next Day Delivery Extensive Inventory Competitive Rates Friendly Parts Specialists

matthew.holmes@schomp.com

www.schompmazda.com 505 S Havana Street | Denver, CO 80247 Monday-Friday 7:30 - 5:30

303-364-3368

money. What do you think they would do?”

Etherton cites “parts steering” as a major problem in the industry.

“Some insurance companies will only pay us based on the price of the cheapest parts, so they are literally forcing us to buy certain parts from their vendors or lose money,” he said.

“I did one job on a Volkswagen where the insurance company’s estimate had an aftermarket headlight from an out-of-town vendor, because it was cheaper than my local aftermarket supplier,” Etherton said. “I emailed them that they can’t require me to buy a part from a specific supplier, and they replied with this fallacy: ‘We can’t tell you where to purchase your parts, but we don’t owe more because you select a different vendor.’”

In 2018, CAA received a written legal opinion from the CA-DOI in response to questions regarding several industry problems, including parts steering. Two paragraphs from the opinion explain how parts steering is related to customer steering, which is illegal in California:

“No insurer may require that an automobile be repaired at a specific automobile repair shop. (Cal. Ins. Code §758.5(a)). If the claimant elects to have the vehicle repaired at the shop of his or her choice, the insurer may not limit or discount the reasonable repair costs based on charges that would have been incurred had the vehicle been repaired by the insurer’s preferred shop. (Cal. Ins. Code §758.5(d)). As a result, by refusing to pay any reasonable price for a replacement part that is higher than the price quoted by the insurer’s preferred parts vendors, the insurer is limiting or discounting the reasonable repair costs based on the charges that would have been incurred had the vehicle been repaired by the insurer’s chosen repair shop thereby preventing customers from using the repair shop of their choice and preventing the policyholder from using any shop other than those shops that purchase their replacement crash parts from the preferred parts vendors of the insurer.

“Limiting or discounting the reasonable repair costs based on the charges that would have been incurred had the vehicle been repaired by the insurer’s chosen repair shop is a violation of Insurance Code section §758.5(b) (3) and would constitute a violation of the Unfair Insurance Practices Act. Cal. Ins. Code §758.5(f). That is, if an insurer limits or discounts the reasonable repair costs based upon the replacement part prices available from a certain parts vendor, the insurer would effectively prevent a customer from using the automobile repair shop of his or her choice in violation of Insurance Code section 758.5(b) (3). An insurer would, however, be permitted to reasonably adjust a collision repair shop’s written parts price estimate for any part, including new OEM crash parts, if the insurer demonstrates that the price charged by the repair shop for the replacement part is “unreasonable.” 10 CCR §2695.8(f).”

This opinion was also a topic of the Zoom meeting. Both the DOI’s deputy commissioner and the Claims Services Bureau chief urged shops experiencing this problem to send a copy of the DOI letter to the insurer with their supplement.

Miscategorized Parts

There is another facet to this problem. In California, the law requires shops only list parts on their estimate as new, used, reconditioned, rebuilt, an OEM crash part or a nonOEM aftermarket crash part. Insurers are also supposed to follow these regulations when writing estimates, but some do not.

“A few months back, we had a 2021 Mercedes in the shop,” Etherton said. “It only had 1,000 miles on it and was hit pretty hard in the right suspension. The customer’s insurer specified 13 used, non-OEM or reconditioned parts from six different vendors located in California, Texas, Michigan and Oregon. The parts’ prices ranged from about $10 to $1,000.

“Some of the part descriptions were really questionable, like a reconditioned upper control arm and a reconditioned engine cradle, and a used wheel that was also refurbished. By law, we have to be crystal clear about parts with our customer,

but how can I do that if I don’t even know what they are?” Etherton continued. “And none of these parts had a manufacturer’s warranty, something we would get if we bought them from the dealer. We ended up losing that job because we believed new genuine factory parts belonged on that car, and the customer didn’t want to pay the difference. She did tell me she was changing insurance companies though.”

The Difference Between Opt-OEM Parts and Genuine OEM Parts

Many parts on insurers’ estimates have been miscategorized with such terms as “alt-OEM”, “opt-OEM” and “surplus-OEM.” In reality, these parts may be over-production, blemished or damaged OEM parts. One thing they all have in common is none of them carry the original car manufacturer’s warranty.

Every part sold by every vehicle manufacturer has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), which is the price a shop charges for the part. In contrast, opt-OEM parts do not have an MSRP, only a cost. When a part does not have an MSRP, insurers will allow a “markup,” usually 20%.

Etherton thinks he knows how opt-OEM came into existence.

“Let’s say a shop buys a bumper from a Chevy dealer that has an MSRP of $200, and the shop gets it for $140 wholesale. The shop will make a $60 profit,” he said.

“Let’s also say an opt-OEM vendor—maybe a wrecking yard— has bought 50 of those bumpers on the gray market for $120 each. They offer the bumper to insurers for $150. The insurer marks the part up $30—20%—for the shop. The insurer now gets the $200 bumper for $180, but the shop loses half their profit, the shop’s Chevy dealer loses a sale and the customer loses the Chevy factory warranty because the shop didn’t purchase the part from the dealer. Who wins here?”

Another issue is some vendors are mislabeling their parts to gain an advantage with insurers.

“Something else we see is when the vendor lists a bumper cover as a used part when it’s actually a new ‘surplus part,” Etherton said. “Many new factory bumpers are raw plastic, which requires a special prep to make the paint stick. That prep costs about $100. Since a used bumper is already painted and wouldn’t need that treatment, the insurer won’t put the treatment on their estimate. The problem is, the bumper isn’t a used part, and the work still has to be done.”

How Shops Choose Which Vendors from Which to Purchase Parts

Just like any business, body shops must choose their vendors carefully. Shops need to know a vendor will be in business next month or next year if there’s a problem. They need to deal with experts that will send the correct parts the first time, quickly and at no charge, whether that part is a $2.50 fastener or a $700 aluminum hood.

Another problem Etherton brought up is the logistics of adding unnecessary vendors to his shop’s bookkeeping system and staff.

“Most online vendors limit what they sell to big-ticket high-volume parts, so they can’t fill a complete order,” he said. “If you buy from one, you either have to pay COD or have an open account, right? Any body shop worth its salt has charge accounts with their vendors because you can’t afford to write a check for each invoice and have $100,000 tied up before you get paid.

“Not being able to use our regular vendors means we have to pay upfront for the parts, either by check or credit card,” he said. “And when I call these vendors to see if they really have the part, I usually spend at least five minutes on hold waiting for people to answer the phone. Probably half the time they either don’t have the part, it’s not what they said it was, or they won’t deliver to our area.

“And if you do buy the part and it’s wrong, they already have your money,” Etherton said. “Hopefully they’ll give it back, but you need to pay return shipping and wait.

“The other option is to open an account with each of these vendors. Now if you know anything about bookkeeping, we already have like 50 various parts vendors on our list. If we had to add a new vendor to our database for every time an insurance company found a cheaper part, we’d probably have 200 more vendors, and who’s going to keep track of

Doing the Insurance Adjuster’s Job

Another subject discussed during the CAA CA-DOI meeting was how insurers are requiring more and more documentation from shops before they will pay the claim. The documentation is in the form of damage photos, work in process photos, purchase invoice copies and more.

“What happens is that we have a customer who wants us to fix their car, so we write an estimate and send it to their insurance company,” Etherton said. “Now some insurance companies review our estimate and pay it to the penny, while others cut the estimate no matter what you send them. And it’s not uncommon for an insurer to start off low at $2,000 and end up paying an actual cost of $8,000.

“I think the insurers that cut estimates are just trying to make our job so difficult that we will give up and accept their lowball offers,” he said. “They want pictures and copies of everything, and as I said before, whatever the lowest part prices they can find on the internet is the most they will pay us for the parts we need to fix the car.”

Etherton’s main point is this--other than allowing the insurer to inspect the car at his shop, he has no obligation to them to document anything. The obligation he does have is to the vehicle owner.

“The law says if I fix your car, we will have a contract between us, which is my estimate,” he said. “I give you the estimate, and then you authorize the estimate so it becomes a work order. So, I repair your car based on that work order. If I don’t follow that work order while repairing your car, then I have committed fraud and could lose my license.

“Even though these insurance companies have the right to inspect the damaged car, they choose not to. It’s easier to deny the claim from a distance than it is in person.”

FREE

4x Monthly E-Newsletter. www.autobodynews.com

Superior Service Starts with Superior Parts. We are Your Source for Mazda Genuine Parts

• Team of friendly wholesale parts specialists • Contact us about next day delivery throughout Texas,

Oklahoma, and Louisiana • Contact us about Collision and Mechanical Price Matching

Mon-Fri 7am-7pm Sat 8am-3pm

FREEMAN MAZDA

972-438-7620

Wholesale Direct 972-815-2834

24 Hour Fax

DataTouch Offering New Service to Help Collision Repair Shops Manage Access to its Data

Pete Tagliapietra is sympathetic to collision repairers whose customers have found accident information about their car on a vehicle history report.

But Tagliapietra said that’s only a small subset of what he sees as a much larger concern of shop estimate data being obtained, used and sold by unauthorized third parties.

“It’s my belief that most shops are oblivious to how much estimate information is being scraped off their computers, giving third parties a wealth of knowledge about how that shop does business,” said Tagliapietra, founder of the newly-launched DataTouch, LLC. “Even just a small set of a shop’s estimates tells someone whether or not the shop has DRPs, and if so, which ones. It tells them the labor rates the shop has negotiated with different insurance companies. It shows who the shop is buying parts from, and at what price. It also shows what kind of cars the shop repairs, and what cars the customers in that geographic area buy and drive.”

All that, Tagliapietra said, is even aside from the customer’s personal identification information on the estimate, which a growing number of states have mandated businesses take adequate steps to protect.

“If I owned a body shop, I wouldn’t want third parties to know all of this—how I run my business and with whom—and to be able to use it or sell it without my authorization, and clearly even in ways that are not in my best interest,” he said.

Tagliapietra said it’s his belief “the CARFAX issue”—estimates resulting in entries on a vehicle’s history report—and all the other third-party use of shop information are the result of thousands of “data pumps” running on shop computer systems across the industry.

“Data pumps have become prolific,” Tagliapietra said earlier this year. “It’s gotten out of hand, from my point of view, because the data has become so valuable. Most shops probably have an unauthorized data pump, or more likely multiple data pumps, that are sucking the repair line information and personally identifiable information off of every estimate they write.”

A shop may have authorized the installation of some or all of the data pumps running on its computer system, because they can help automate some shop processes, such as sourcing alternative parts, subletting repairs or materials. In other cases, the shop may not be aware of a third-party vendor installing a data pump, or that a data pump installed by a company the shop is no longer doing business with continues to scrape estimate data from the shop’s computers.

“But the data pumps themselves are only the first part of the problem,” Tagliapietra said. “The real issue is that shops can’t control what portions of an estimate get scraped by those data pumps. A parts vendor doesn’t need your labor rate information or the customer or insurer name nor even the entire VIN, yet they get all that. A CSI provider doesn’t need anything other than the basic customer contact information, yet they get all the estimate line items and subtotals. A remote scanning company doesn’t need anything other than the complete VIN to identify the specific vehicle and the ADAS functions on that vehicle.

“Too much of a shop’s information is going to too many third parties---often without the shop’s knowledge or consent---and that information has significant value to those companies that can get it.”

Tagliapietra founded NuGen IT and sold that company to OEConnection in 2020. He is launching DataTouch this summer as a potential solution for a shop that wants to get a better handle on who has access to its data. For a one-time fee, DataTouch can audit a shop’s computer system to identify what data pumps are operating on it.

“They’re often hidden well enough that unless someone knows what they’re looking for, they’re not going to find them,” Tagliapietra said.

The shop then has the option to subscribe to the DataTouch monthly service, which enables the shop to administer by trading partner which portions of estimate data go to each third party. A recycler, for example, may only receive a parts list and the year, make and model of the vehicle, and the first 11 digits of the VIN.

“That’s enough information to run it through a parts exchange and supply the part,” Tagliapietra said. “When a shop picks up a phone and says, ‘I need a left front fender for a 2004 Chevy Tahoe,’ the recycler doesn’t say, ‘Give me the VIN.’ So why when ordering electronically does the shop send them the entire estimate and all of that information?”

Shop Showcase DataTouch also will assist a shop in deleting data pumps that with Ed Attanasio are obsolete or not approved by the shop. Tagliapietra said he believes DataTouch will put collision repairers back into better control of their Social Media for Shops estimate and business information, and better able to protect their cuswith Ed Attanasio tomers’ privacy as well. “We can help shop eliminate the possibility of trading partners sharing repair information to unauthorized entities, such as vehicle SEMA Show Goes On history reporting companies and so much more,” he said. with Ed Attanasio Media and Publicity for Shops with Ed Attanasio Shop Strategies with Stacey Phillips Body Shops Giving Back with Stacey Phillips Tips for Busy Body Shops with Stacey Phillips My SEMA with Stacey Phillips Shop Strategies with Victoria Antonelli LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: Autobody News THESE DEALERS ARE GENUINE WHOLESALE PARTS SPECIALISTS. Stevinson Toyota East

AURORA

800-332-5877 303-341-2396 303-360-7881 Fax M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 bhimelstieb@stevinsonauto.com Sterling McCall Toyota

HOUSTON

800-231-1440 713-270-3942 Fax M-F 7am-7pm; Sat 7am-4pm

Colorado

Toyota of Laredo

LAREDO

888-818-5176 956-718-4259 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 8:30am-5pm www.toyotaoflaredo.com Vic Vaughan Texas Toyota of Boerne

BOERNE

210-870-1809 210-870-1802 Fax M-F 7am-7pm; Sat 7am-5pm tobparts@toyotaofboerne.com

Texas

Claudia Morgillo has multiple titles, including certified professional leadership coach and trainer. She and her husband own six Fix Auto locations in the Ontario, Canada, area, two Novus glass companies and a centralized head office.

Q: As a woman and a leader, what communication and other skills you’ve developed over the years to be a manager in a male-dominated industry?

A: I have developed a lot of processing modalities, including learning how to communicate, train and motivate the people that I work with while being a female in this industry. I think as a woman, knowing how to communicate with different people in general is a real plus.

My dad has been in the industry for almost 50 years and he introduced it to me; I followed him around at a young age and later worked alongside him in his jobber business.

At this point, I’ve been in collision repair for more than 25 years. Thirteen years ago, my husband, Claudio Chiodo, and I purchased our first body shop, and have grown from that point on.

Q: How do you motivate your people? Do you take different approaches with each person?

A: Four main groups are impacting our industry—Generation Z, ages 7-22 (born between 1997 and 2021); Millennials, ages 23-38 (born between 1981 and 1996); Generation X, ages 39-54 (born between 1965 and 1980); and our Boomers, ages 55-73 (born between 1946 and 1964).

I went back to school and earned a lot of different training and coaching certifications to help and support my teams through the real challenges our industry was facing.

In the end, it comes down to attaining the right skills to motivate people in general. For instance, how do you create buy-in, build comfort and trust, and all those things? So, I went back to learn how to build and use the tools needed for these essential skills and, most notably, the neuroscience behind them. I became a professional coach and a leadership trainer to motivate all these people individually. Every person requires a different approach, so if you try to treat everyone the same, it will likely fail. I have developed tools that are tried, tested and true. But in the end, it comes down to peoples’ motivations and how they feel appreciated. How do they understand caring, because everybody understands caring differently?

Everybody’s going to respond to buy-in in their own way, so how do I create that for them? That’s my approach—it’s individualized and that’s why I went back to school to find out about how I can achieve that for all these people. I’ve been doing that for more than five years now full-time within my organization and for external clients as well.

I have also been working closely with David Luehr at Elite Body Shop Solutions, as well as different industry leaders, and owners of other shops to help them identify and build their skills and grow into being an MSO or whatever they’d like to do. Q: What are your three main concerns about the collision repair industry? A: Everyone is talking about supply chain issues, hiring and retaining good people, and how to fix today’s sophisticated vehicles. My perspective on this is that it will always come back to people.

Years ago, someone shared an equation with me that said, “Process plus people equals profits.” I thought, what does that really mean?

So, the process part is self-explanatory, right? We’re always constantly looking at process building

and tweaking processes, but what are people doing about that? You never get to check the box because it’s all about training, retraining and retaining people in this industry. Where are their mindsets for them? Do they want to be retrained and stay in our industry? So, my concerns will always come back to what we need to do to find, hire and train all of these people and keep them motivated. Because as much as we want to continue moving forward and pursue all of these new advancements being thrown at us, we can’t just tell people they need to move forward. Claudia Morgillo It’s about how do we support helps body shop pro- these people to do these things? fessionals succeed in an ever-changing industry That’s always my main concern— the people part of it. How do we keep them engaged and interested in training that’s changing with the times and still be motivated without getting exhausted? That is my concern for this industry because everything else seems to fall into place if we can do that. Q: How can you help shop owners and managers to retain their workers with poaching rampant in some areas of the country? A: I tell people it all starts with leadership, including Parts Direct: 318-425-3417 Toll Free: 800-551-8189 self-leadership. So, we are ideally going out into the world and showFax: 318-425-1705 ing other people what we’d like them to see and know about us, which of course, takes a lot of self awareness to be developed. If we can’t lead ourselves, we can’t effectively lead others. So that’s why I help and support shop owners and managers by showing them how to lead themselves appropriately. People want to work for empowered leaders and learn from them. If you’re leading by example, your people will follow you through good times and bad times. The main causes of stress are often due to a lack of skills in those areas. For instance, weak time management skills are often a result of poor self-regulation and awareness. In my opinion, productivity is most often affected by gaps in someone’s communication skills. Those things get in people’s

Electronic Catalog Available Online!

Your Best Source for Genuine GM Parts, Powertrain Engines and Transmissions

• Fast, Next-Day Delivery • Millions in Inventory • We also sell tires!

7500 Youree Drive Shreveport, LA 71105 www.chevyland.com

with with

way, sometimes regarding attitude and knowing how you show up in the world. How do you turn someone’s perspective around when things are getting hard? Because we all get there eventually, but how we choose to go forward can make or break an entire day for some shops.

So, it’s about creating that self-awareness and giving them tools they can put in their toolbox so that when they do get in the thick of it, they will be OK to get through successfully.

Q: Why do some shops excel and others struggle?

A: I think it pretty much goes into that same sentiment, that some shops struggle because of culture and a lack of self-awareness. I feel it always comes back to culture. You can have all the OEM certifications and DRP relationships you like within your business, but if your team doesn’t know your organization’s “why,” they will sometimes struggle to understand “why” they are doing what they are doing every day, week, month and year alongside you.

That’s trouble if they don’t know why they’re there and the culture isn’t being solidified. They know what they’re there to do and nothing more; that is where you run into gaps.

I can see that some shops struggle because they don’t have the shop’s culture on their radar and don’t know what they don’t know. So, they don’t even know what is not working because they don’t even know what to look for.

Ideally, we need to ask some basic questions. How do we communicate with each other? How do we want to communicate with each other going forward? Why do “we” choose to repair cars as a career? Do we feel like a team? What does our ideal team look and feel like?

These are just some of the possible empowering questions we ask our teams to help support and build better cultures within our organizations.

www.autobodynews.com

by Joey Klender, Teslarati

Lordstown Motors announced July 12 it promoted several of its executives, continuing to mix up its front office in preparation for the production of the Endurance all-electric pickup.

Daniel Ninivaggi, who assumed the role of CEO after Steve Burns was relieved of his duties, was elected to serve as Lordstown’s executive chairman of the board. This will put Ninivaggi’s new focuses on corporate strategy, strategic partnerships and capital raising as Lordstown continues to battle with the somewhat typical challenges of an electric vehicle startup. Edward T. Hightower, who previously served as Lordstown’s president, was elected to the “additional role” of CEO, effective immediately. Hightower will remain the CEO of MIH EV Design LLC, Lordstown’s joint venture with Foxconn, the company that bought the automaker’s Ohio factory earlier this year. Lordstown also announced the arrival of Dr. Donna Bell, who will assume the role of executive vice president of product creation, engineering and supply chain. Bell has nearly 30 years of automotive experience with Ford, where she dealt with numerous tasks related to automotive product development and technology innovation leadership experience.

Along with Bell, Andrew Reyntjes joined the company and will become the senior vice president of commercial sales, service and marketing. He has more than 15 years of service in various roles throughout the fleet industry, including with GM.

Jill Coniglio-Kirk recently joined Lordstown as vice president of people and culture. Jane Ritson-Parsons is also transitioning away from the chief commercial officer role she assumed a year ago when she joined Lordstown. She will become an advisor for the company. “Jane’s leadership in several of our functions was instrumental to the progress we have made over the past year,” Ninivaggi said. “I thank her for her many contributions to the company and look forward to her support as an advisor.”

Lordstown plans to begin production of the Endurance pickup truck in Q3, with initial commercial deliveries slated to begin in Q4.

Despite Increase in Demand, Gas Prices Keep Falling

by Ellen Edmonds, AAA

Pump prices declined again, falling another 12 cents since the previous week to $4.67 as of July 11.

The dip in the national average for a gallon of gas occurred despite a slight rise in demand, likely due to robust July 4th holiday automobile travel. AAA forecasted 42 million people would hit the roads for the holiday weekend, a new record.

“Usually, more people buying gas would lead to higher pump prices,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “But the price for oil, the main ingredient in gasoline, has fallen and is hovering around $100 a barrel. Less expensive oil usually means less expensive gas.”

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand increased from 8.92 million b/d to 9.41 million b/d ahead of the 4th of July holiday, while total domestic gas stocks decreased by 2.5 million bbl. Typically, these supply/ demand trends would put upward pressure on pump prices; however, falling oil prices have contributed to lower pump prices.

The July 11 national average of $4.67 is 32 cents less than a month ago and $1.53 more than a year ago.

The nation’s top 10 largest weekly decreases: Texas (-18 cents), Ohio (-17 cents), Illinois (-17 cents), California (-16 cents), Wisconsin (-15 cents), Indiana (-15 cents), Kentucky (-15 cents), Alabama (-15 cents), Virginia (-14 cents) and Florida (-14 cents).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive markets: South Carolina ($4.18), Georgia ($4.18), Mississippi ($4.18), Louisiana ($4.22), Texas ($4.22), Alabama ($4.25), Arkansas ($4.26), Tennessee ($4.28), North Carolina ($4.31) and Kentucky ($4.37).

Source: AAA

Santa Fe Kia

1701 Saint Michael’s Drive Santa Fe, NM 87505

505-982-1957

M-F 7:30am – 5:00pm Sat 8:00am – 12:00pm

n Wide Delivery Area n Competitive Pricing

FOWLER HONDA

955 North Interstate Dr. Norman, OK 73069 866.369.5376 405-573-5719

parts@fowlerhonda.com M-F 7am-9pm Sat 8am-4pm

n Wide Delivery Area n Competitive Pricing n Large Inventory n Honda Certified Staff

What Your Auto Body Shop Needs to Know to Be Ready to Repair EVs

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation reported in June almost 200,000 electric vehicles were sold in the first quarter of this year—a 4.2% increase over the previous quarter—representing 5.9% of overall light-duty vehicle sales. Is your shop gearing up to repair them?

Repairers, trainers, automakers and others participated in a recent panel discussion at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) about what EVs will mean for auto body shops. Here are some of the highlights from that discussion.

Consider Your Lifts

“The normal two-post lift is not going to be the future, in my opinion,” said Virginia shop owner Barry Dorn, whose company is certified to repair a number of automaker’s EVs. His reasoning: Shops will need a lift that can be used when an EV’s main battery pack need to be removed.

“When you consider the width of the battery you are going to take out, at least for the Audi brand, the batteries are the size of a queen-size mattress and weigh close to 2,000 pounds,” said Mark Allen of Audi of America. “So you’re going to need a lift that has at least 67 inches between the posts. Not the arms, the posts. And then a flat floor underneath so you can get a lift table underneath.” Many shops in the past have had to upgrade the electrical service to Shop Showcase with Ed Attanasiotheir building in order to accommodate the power needs of some welding equipment. Putting in one or more EV charger stations will likely require yet another upgrade. “The answer they are mostly getting [when shops inquire about Social Media for Shops with Ed Attanasioany necessary electrical upgrades] is: You only have just enough power coming into the building to run the things you have there right now,” said Bob Augustine, co-chair of CIC’s Emerging Technology Committee hosting the panel discussion.SEMA Show Goes On that are very close to areas you don’t want to be,” Dorn said of PDR.

Trying to Save Money Could Cost You

Jason Norman of Enterprise RentA-Car said he’s seen instances of people thinking they can reduce the cost of charging cables or adapters by getting one available online at a quarter of the cost of the OEM part.

“It’s very tempting, and it turns out they look very similar,” Norman said. “But the reality is this is one of those times when the OEM equipment and procedures are critically important. A lot of those [cheaper] adapters and cables don’t have the embedded technology to do things like measure heat and current. So you end up with significant problems.”

The panel shared a photo of the charred remains of electrical connectors inside a charging system installed some years ago by a California shop. The heat involved in EV charging also can lead to expansion and contraction, which can loosen connections over time.

“There is a certain amount of maintenance you’re looking at on these chargers,” said Oregon shop owner Ron Reichen. “You have to go in and retighten things from time to time.”

Darrell Amberson said his multi-shop collision repair company in Minnesota repairs a lot of EVs, and it’s not something shops should avoid.

“It’s no big deal. We’re still fixing cars,” Amberson said. “But on the other hand, it does require a difference from the start to the finish of the process. And every person in the organization has to have some different understanding, especially in terms of safety.”

Expect to Need a Power Upgrade

with Ed AttanasioOther Possible Changes to Process-

es and Facility

“It’s a lot of Go-Jaks,” Dorn said of the dollies needed to move EVs around the shop once they have Media and Publicity for Shops with Ed Attanasiobeen powered down for repairs. “We had to reconfigure the drains in the floor because they get caught up on that. We had to reconfigure our paint booth because you’re pushing a dead vehicle. There are literally Shop Strategiestimes we have to have a tow truck with pull an EV into the booth.” Stacey Phillips Shops also need to know what EV repairs require powering down the vehicle. Even something as seemingly minor as paintless dent repair (PDR) may require de-ener-Body Shops Giving Back with gizing the vehicle, Dorn said. Stacey Phillips “Depending on the vehicle, there are some areas that are literally right beside a fender or right under the hood

Tips for Busy Body Shops with Stacey Phillips As the automotive industry ramps up its commitment to electric and hybrid vehicles, I-CAR continues to expand its leading EV curricMy SEMA ulum with a first-ever, five-day EV hands-on skills development with Stacey Phillipscourse at I-CAR’s new Chicago Technical Center (CTC) in Vernon Hills, IL.

The new course, taught by I-CAR’s bench of EV experts, will serve as the capstone to eight Shop Strategiesprerequisite EV courses for collision repair professionals.

I-CAR Offers EV Skills Course

EV safety instruction includes learning how to safely disconnect high voltage systems, confirming zero potential, and initializing high voltage systems following repairs and service.

To register for this new five-day hands-on course, visit I-CAR.com. Source: I-CAR

AUTOBODY OEM Parts You Need and Trust.

Genuine Mitsubishi Crash Parts are close at hand from these quality dealerships:

Bell Road Mitsubishi PHOENIX 623-842-8908 (623) 842-8915 Fax

M-F 7:30-6:00 / Sat 8:00-4:00 parts@bellroadmitsubishi.com Don Herring

Mitsubishi - Irving 844-329-5220 (469) 443-1872 Fax #1 Volume Parts Dept. in the

Nation. $900,000 in Inventory.

ARIZONA

West Loop Mitsubishi

SAN ANTONIO

800-224-1968

(210) 681-4583 Fax M-F 7:30-6:00 #1 Volume Dealer in All of Texas. wlparts@lonestar-auto.com TEXAS

TEXAS

Every transaction has a value in terms of both human resources and money, and online reviews from customers play a significant role in both for any business.

Many auto body shop owners and managers use review sites to connect with customers and get feedback. But many are still skeptical about the authenticity of the reviews posted.

Before the online consumer review industry gained momentum roughly 18 years ago when Yelp was founded, people had to rely on recommendations from friends, neighbors and associates. Word-of-mouth worked pretty well, but now we can access hundreds of reviews within minutes, rather than polling the mailman or the checker at your grocery store for the best restaurants, movie theaters or body shops.

As a body shop owner or manager, ultimately, all you want is to acquire new customers, retain existing ones and increase revenue. But like many, you’re probably a little overwhelmed by the speed at which technology evolves and how to respond to it.

Recently, I saw this powerful quote from the Harvard Business Review: “Many companies need to dramatically shift their marketing

Megan Fulkerson of 3P Marketing said shops that have negative reviews and do not acknowledge them appear to not care. She suggests responding to every review, positive or negative

strategies to account for the rising power exerted on future customers by the opinions of existing customers.”

I had a friend who used to say opinions are like a certain orifice we

The following dealerships are eager to serve your needs. Call your local Subaru collision parts specialist today!

Think Genuine Subaru Parts.

We’re focused on getting you the Genuine Subar th G iW’ f d tti u Parts you need — fast and competitively priced. Put us to the test on your next Subaru repair or service job.

ARIZONA Subaru Superstore of Chandler

PHX Metro East (877) 443-3239 (480) 268-2402 Local Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 7-5 WholesaleEast@ShopSubaru.com

Subaru Superstore of Surprise

PHX Metro West (844) 378-9875 (623) 232-7202 Local (623) 232-7303 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 7-5 WholesaleWest@ShopSubaru.com

LOUISIANA Baldwin Subaru

Covington (888) 310-9605 (985) 892-2902 (985) 273-3273 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6; Sat. 8-3 parts@baldwinmotors.com

TEXAS Huffines Subaru

Corinth (888) 928-2978 (940) 321-2679 (940) 497-2920 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-7; Sat. 8-5 les.hickman@huffines.net all possess. It still applies, but now everyone’s opinions seem to count more than ever, especially online.

For companies that do an exemplary job and garner high CSI ratings as a result, online review sites are a wonderful thing. On the other hand, what happens if you’re a good company, but you’re not getting a significant number of accolades from the public—or, worse, negative bogus reviews from competitors and disgruntled former employees?

Megan Fulkerson, managing partner and strategist at 3P Marketing in Evansville, IN, works with body shops and other small businesses on their online reviews and how to set them up for success.

“While managing reviews can seem daunting, taking care of your customers and providing safe and proper repairs is what we try to do every day,” she said. “Taking things one step further and by having CSRs or estimators ask the customer to provide a review is a great way to have current responses added to your list of online reviews.”

Online reviews are crucial in the collision industry because people want to be comfortable before they trust a body shop with their vehicles, Fulkerson said.

“The collision repair industry is especially important because vehicles are most commonly the second largest asset one possesses in their lifetime. For most, it is critical to the success of their day—ensuring the kids are at school and they make it to work on time,” Fulkerson said. “Because of this heightened importance and cost endured when getting collision repair, many are extra hesitant to entrust their vehicle at a shop that does not have recent and good reviews.”

Fulkerson said shops always need to respond to reviews, both positive and negative.

“Another important aspect of getting reviews is responding to them,” she said. “The only opportunity we have as a business owner to dispute a review is to leave a response. By remaining cool and calm but potentially shedding some light onto the negative experience mentioned, you can show that you stand by your work and will always make it right.

“Businesses that have negative reviews and do not acknowledge them appear that they do not care,” she said. “While many aspects of marketing and advertising are evolving, the need for good reviews remained unchanged.”

Those shops that embrace online reviews and pursue new marketing techniques such as geofencing, SEO strategies and digital advertising are excelling, Fulkerson said.

Here are some more interesting numbers and analysis from ReviewTrackers:

Google remains the No. 1 review site of choice. Nearly 64% of consumers say they are likely to check Google reviews, through Google Maps and Search, before visiting a business location—more than any other review site. Yelp ranks second at 45.18%, followed by TripAdvisor and Facebook.

Google’s review growth is driven by the volume of zero-click searches, which rose to 65% in 2020. By showing review snippets and star ratings in organic search results without having to send users to a third-party website, Google has effectively cut in line ahead of other websites in the online reviews space.

Eighty-eight percent of all reviews come from only four review sites—Google (73%), Yelp (6%), Facebook (3%) and TripAdvisor (3%). Approximately 75% of new business is influenced by only a handful of business review sites and directories: Google, Facebook, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Apple Maps and Bing Maps.

Review interaction is up by 50% from pre-pandemic levels. It’s one of the many signs demonstrating consumers’ heightened sensitivities about where to go or what to purchase in the wake of the pandemic.

If your shop is missing the boat when it comes to sites like these, I would suggest to not try to do it yourself. Hire a knowledgeable company that specializes in leveraging these review sites to deliver solid leads and increase your car count.

A Nissan Pathfinder hood latch recall follows a federal investigation into why the hoods suddenly fly open while driving.

The 2013-2016 Nissan Pathfinder hood latch recall involves nearly 360,000 SUVs in the U.S. and Canada.

The government opened an investigation into Pathfinder hood latches in December 2021 after receiving 14 reports which said the hoods opened when the latches failed.

According to Nissan, the hood can open while driving if the primary hood latch is inadvertently released or the hood is not closed properly with the bell crank lever in the open position. Trying to drive a Pathfinder with the hood blocking the driver's view may be a challenge.

“On certain Pathfinder vehicles, dust and dirt contamination may accumulate on and around the bell crank lever pivot joint,” Nissan said. “Over time, the build-up of contamination combined with a lack of proper inspection and maintenance of the bell crank assembly (as described in the Owner’s Manual) can create mechanical binding that could cause the lever to remain in the open position after it has been disengaged.”

Nissan also said the contamination can scratch the bell crank protective anti-corrosion coating, which allows corrosion of the metal in the pivot joint.

Even though the investigation continued for months and Nissan has ordered this recall, the automaker is still trying to figure out how dealerships will repair the Pathfinders.

Nissan mailed interim recall letters to a selected sample of 40,000 Pathfinder owners beginning June 30. This hood latch recall letter will invite the owner to bring their Pathfinder to a dealer to have technicians inspect the bell crank and hood lock assembly and replace them if needed. But the replacement parts will be the same hood latches and components as originally installed in the Pathfinders. The collected components will be used by Nissan to create a recall remedy.

Nissan will then mail interim Pathfinder hood latch recall letters to all other affected owners by Aug. 3. The recall letters will show owners how to properly inspect the bell crank assemblies and hood lock levers for proper operation.

If the lever moves freely, the Pathfinder owner can clean the lever based on the Nissan Pathfinder owner’s manual. The owner can also bring the Pathfinder to a dealer for the cleaning and maintenance.

However, if the levers don't move freely, Nissan Pathfinder owners should take their vehicles to dealers to have the bell crank assemblies and hood lock levers inspected. The dealers will clean and lubricate the parts if the levers are working properly.

The components will be replaced with new like-for-like hood latch components if the levers and locks aren't working.

“When the final remedy plan is available, Nissan will mail final remedy notification letters and include a statement concerning reimbursement for the cost of obtaining a pre-notification remedy for a subject vehicle that was no longer under warranty at the time of a repair,” Nissan said.

Owners of 2013-2016 Nissan Pathfinders can call 800-867-7669 and ask about hood latch recall numbers R22A2 and R22A3.

Non-Tesla Supercharger Pilot Launch Expected Late 2022: White House

by Maria Merano, Teslarati

The Biden-Harris Administration released a fact sheet suggesting the non-Tesla Supercharger Pilot program will be available in the U.S. later this year.

The White House fact sheet briefly mentioned Tesla’s contributions to expanding EV charging stations in the U.S. It acknowledged Tesla’s investments in Giga New York, which produces Supercharger stalls and Solar Roofs.

“Tesla is expanding production capacity of power electronics components that convert alternating current to direct current, charging cabinets, posts and cables. Later this year, Tesla will begin production of new Supercharger equipment that will enable non-Tesla EV drivers in North America to use Tesla Superchargers,” the fact sheet said.

The pilot program would open the Supercharger Network, with more than 35,000 Superchargers worldwide, to non-Tesla vehicles in the U.S. As of this writing, the non-Tesla Supercharger Pilot is available in most of Europe.

The Supercharger rates for non-Tesla drivers vary by site but can decrease with the company’s charging membership. Prices for the Supercharger Pilot program are listed in the Tesla app.

Tesla also charges idle fees to vehicles, ensuring Supercharger stalls are always immediately available once customers finish charging. Charging fees vary by country. In the U.S., Tesla charges 50 cents per minute when the Supercharger station is 50% full and $1 per minute if the station is 100% occupied.

Teslas Get Updated Seat Belt Functions in New Update

by William Johnson, Teslarati

As part of a recent over-the-air (OTA) software update, Tesla improved its vehicles’ safety and comfort by introducing improved seat belt and suspension enhancements.

The seat belt enhancement is an update that uses the vehicle’s onboard cameras to detect when a crash is imminent to automatically tighten seat belts in the cabin. This feature already existed in a limited capacity, as Tesla’s seat belts would tighten as airbags were deployed. However, this update now allows vehicles to act more proactively to protect their occupants.

Tesla already benefits from a low center of gravity, making it hard to tip over; myriad safety features; and, despite what some news outlets would argue, an increased level of safety due to a reduced number of combustible parts. These updates prove there is more that can be done to prevent automotive deaths, and Tesla is implementing changes to address these risks.

While the seat belt enhancement applies to all vehicles, the suspension enhancement only applies to the Model S and Model X with adjustable air suspension. These vehicles will now, also through the use of the onboard cameras, be able to detect rough roads and potholes. Similar to the vehicle’s ability to detect debris on the road, this system uses the suspension to raise the vehicle proactively to protect the body panels and occupants from being jarred when going over rough terrain.

Also included in this update is the green light chime and the return of the range at destination feature. The green light chime alerts the driver when the traffic light they are waiting at has turned green, or when the vehicle in front has started to advance. The range at destination feature, while previously available on vehicles, returns to allow drivers to see how much battery they will have left when they reach their destination.

These updates mark the first 2022.20 series of updates Tesla is releasing to vehicles and follow a long stream of 2022.16 updates that included everything from autopilot max speed increases to driver profiles to updated visualizations.

Ford’s total U.S. market share in June expanded to 12.9% as its sales outperformed the industry.

While overall industry sales were down 11%, Ford sold 152,262 vehicles in June, a 31.5% improvement over June 2021, despite ongoing industry semiconductor chip and supply constraints.

The market share gains came from the F-Series, Explorer and Expedition, along with continued strong expansion of battery-electric vehicles.

“Amid industry-wide supply constraints, Ford outperformed the industry, driven by strong F-Series, Explorer and new Expedition and Navigator SUV sales,” said Andrew Frick, vice president of sales, distribution and trucks, Ford Blue. “Combined, these vehicles represented just over 56% of our sales in June—up about eight percentage points from May. F-150 Lightning was America’s best-selling electric truck in June in its first full month of sales, while our overall electric vehicle sales were up 77% over last year.”

Demand for new vehicles remains strong. The number of retail sales coming from previously placed orders continued at its record pace of about 50% in June.

F-Series sales were up 26.3% over a year ago, representing 37.9% of Ford’s overall sales mix—up from 32% in May. F-Series has been expanding its truck leadership through the first half of the year, outselling its second-place competitor by about 40,000 trucks.

Almost 60% of F-Series retail sales came from previously placed orders, as it continues to turn at record rates.

Ford total pickup sales, including F-Series, Ranger and Maverick, were up 26.3% over a year ago, with total pickups sales of 66,663. Ford’s total pickup share gained approximately seven percentage points over last year—at 29% in June. This is the highest share of any brand in the total pickup segment.

Sales of Ford electric vehicles jumped 76.6% from a year ago, totaling 4,353 for the month. Going into July, both F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E dealer stock is higher than last month, positioning both for a stronger July sales month.

Ford brand SUV sales totaled 60,894, which were up 35.3% over last year. Bronco continued to add to Ford’s total sales, selling 8,681 SUVs, while Explorer more than doubled sales.

On an improved mix of F-Series, Expedition, Explorer and Navigator, Ford’s average transaction pricing expanded approximately $1,900 per vehicle in June relative to May. This compares favorably to an industry increase of about $150. These vehicles represented just over 56% of the mix in June and was up about eight percentage points over May and three percentage points from a year ago.

Source: Ford Repairify™, Inc., a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC, on July 6 announced the acquisition of Automotive Training Group (ATG), a leading technical training company known for its unmatched curriculum and experienced instructors.

With live and virtual classes offered in all 50 states and internationally, ATG is dedicated to automotive professionals by offering highly technical training backed by quality instructional materials and experienced educators.

Founded in 2004, ATG has found success in the market by presenting its technical courses in an understandable and interesting manner that challenges even the most experienced technicians. Curriculum is developed with a diagnostic approach, combining OEM support information with real-world technician experience using actual case studies where possible.

Source: Repairify, Inc.

Cox Automotive Introduces Service Advisor

Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive company, on June 29 announced Service Advisor, now available for car owners nationwide. Service Advisor is designed to help car owners identify local auto repair shops and find fair prices for services rendered. Referencing data stemming from millions of services performed, Service Advisor answers key ownership questions like what services are needed, when to have them performed and, most importantly, how much it should cost based on similar repairs in the area.

With inflation on the rise and both new and used vehicle inventory still constrained, the cost of keeping their current rides on the road is a major concern for most motorists. Additionally, according to the Cox Automotive Monthly Repair Order Revenue Index, the cost of repairs is on the rise. Average revenue generated per repair order rose for the sixth consecutive month after levelling off in November 2021.

Source: Cox Automotive Inc. Coming in hot: Coming in hot:

Your next parts order Your next parts order

Fresh and ready to go—help increase customer satisfaction with OEM-quality Genuine VW Collision Parts.

LOUISIANA

Southpoint Volkswagen Baton Rouge 800-291-0032 225-236-6194

Fax: 225-236-6201 M-F 7:30am-6pm brvwpaulj@bellsouth.net

Find an authorized Volkswagen dealership near you at

vwwholesaledealers.com

“ Volkswagen” and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen

AG. ©2022 Volkswagen of America, Inc. YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT THE FIRST REPAIR.

Original BMW Parts & Accessories.

Texas

BMW of Dallas

Dallas 800-245-7269 972-241-3953 Fax

BMW of Houston North

Houston 888-215-7431 281-875-4021 Fax Oklahoma

BMW of Tulsa

Tulsa 800-331-3996 918-388-0679 Fax

QuoteWizard on July 13 released a report on the 70 best and worst driving cities in the nation.

QuoteWizard sets out each year to see which cities have the worst drivers in America, by analyaing data from 6 million car insurance quotes from drivers in the top 70 cities in the country, then evaluating cities on four factors to determine overall driver quality and taking a composite ranking of overall incidents.

Incidents include accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs and citations, like running a red light, using a cellphone while driving, etc.

Cities rated among the worst were those with the highest rates of incidents, and the best driving cities had the lowest rates of incidents. To view the full report, visit https:// quotewizard.com/news/ posts/the-best-andworst-drivers-by-city

Worst Driving Cities

1. Bakersfield, CA 2. Sacramento, CA 3. Baton Rouge, LA 4. Los Angeles, CA 5. San Francisco, CA 6. San Diego, CA 7. Fresno, CA 8. Riverside, CA 9. Richmond, CA 10. Jacksonville, FL 11. Salt Lake City, UT 12. Milwaukee, WI 13. Cleveland, OH 14. Tampa, FL 15. Columbus, OH 16. Colorado Springs, CO 17. Richmond, VA 18. Virginia Beach, VA 19. Dayton, OH 20. Greenville, SC 21. New York, NY 22. Providence, RI 23. Honolulu, HI 24. Miami, FL 25. Omaha, NE 26. Baltimore, MD 27. Denver, CO 28. Orlando, FL 29. Columbus, SC 30. Portland, OR 31. Madison, WI 32. Kansas City, KS/MO 33. Indianapolis, IN 34. Wichita, KS 35. Phoenix, AZ

Best Driving Cities

1. Louisville, KY 2. Hartford, CT 3. Little Rock, AR 4. Oklahoma City, OK 5. Tulsa, OK 6. Dallas, TX 7. Pittsburg, PA 8. Detroit, MI 9. Houston, TX 10. Chicago, IL 11. New Orleans, LA 12. Charlotte, NC 13. Greensboro, NC 14. Rochester, NY 15. Memphis, TN 16. San Antonio 17. Nashville, TN 18. Allentown, PA 19. El Paso, TX 20. Lexington, KY 21. Philadelphia, PA 22. Rochester, NY 23. Durnham, NC 24. Austin, TX 25. Birmingham, AL 26. Minneapolis, MN 27. Albany, NY 28. Seattle, WA 29. Tucson, AZ 30. Boise, ID 31. Greenville, SC 32. Atlanta, GA 33. Boston, MA 34. Charleston, SC 35. Las Vegas, NV

Source: Quote Wizard

FREE

4x Monthly E-Newsletter. www.autobodynews.com

The Right PARTS. A PERFECT Fit.

Order Genuine Mazda Parts From These Parts Specialists in Your Area.

COLORADO

Schomp Mazda

Denver Direct 303-364-3368 Fax 303-364-7147 M-F 7:30-5:30

www.schompmazda.com marc.jones@schomp.com

TEXAS

Freeman Mazda

Irving 972-438-7620 Fax 972-815-2834 M-F 7-7; Sat 8-3

www.freemanmazda.com

Nissan Frontier and Titan Owners Warned to Use Parking Brakes

by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com

More than 180,000 Nissan Frontier and Titan trucks are recalled because they could roll away even when the trucks are shifted into PARK.

Nissan is warning 2020-2022 Frontier and Titan owners to engage the parking brakes every time they park their trucks.

Nissan received a report in June 2021 alleging a 2020 Frontier began to move after the driver shifted into PARK, but the dealer was unable to replicate the problem.

Nissan took the transmission and sent it to the supplier, JATCO, but the company found no problems.

The automaker thought it was just a random incident until Frontier and Titan warranty claims began arriving. Nissan collected the components but engineers couldn't duplicate the issues, and neither could JATCO.

JATCO finally duplicated the problem that was caused by the parking pawls. "Due to dimensional variation during the manufacturing process, reduced clearance may cause contact between the edge of the parking pawl and the boss on the transmission case, which may result in non-engagement of the parking pawl," Nissan said.

Nissan is aware of four allegations of minor injuries.

Nissan is trying to determine how it will repair the Frontier and Titan trucks. Interim Nissan recall letters are expected to be mailed July 20, and second letters will be mailed once dealers are ready to repair the trucks.

Nissan Frontier and Titan truck owners may contact Nissan at 800867-7669.

Nissan's recall numbers are R22A2 and R22A3.

Financing a new vehicle purchase is growing more expensive for consumers, according to the car shopping experts at Edmunds.

New data from Edmunds reveals:

• The average annual percentage rate (APR) on new financed vehicles in Q2 2022 climbed to 5% for the first time since Q1 2020. • 12.7% of consumers who financed a new vehicle purchase in June committed to a monthly payment of $1,000 or more—the highest level that Edmunds has on record— compared to 7.3% in June 2021, 4.6% in June 2019 and 2.1% in June 2010. • The average amount financed for new vehicles hit a near-record level in the second quarter of 2022, climbing to $40,602—compared to $39,726 in Q1 2022 and $36,215 in Q2 2021. Edmunds analysts note that the first and only other time that the average amount financed for new vehicles surpassed $40,000 was Q4 2021, when the average APR was just 4.1%. • An influx of luxury shoppers are turning their backs on leasing and choosing to purchase their new vehicles. Edmunds data reveals new-vehicle lease penetration fell to 18.5% in June, down from 30.5% in June 2019.

“Low interest rates used to be one of few reprieves for car shoppers amid elevated prices and supply shortages. But the Fed rate hikes this year are making finance incentives far costlier for automakers, and consumers are starting to feel the pinch,” said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds’ executive director of insights. “Although there appears to be a steady stream of affluent consumers willing to commit to car payments that look more like mortgage payments, for most consumers the new car market is growing increasingly out of reach.”

To help guide car shoppers, Edmunds analysts calculated how much additional interest consumers can expect to pay over the course of a $40,000, 72-month car loan.

“A single percentage point increase might not seem like much at first blush, but that adds up to hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars over the course of a 72-month (or longer) loan—a significant cost considering consumers are financing as much as ever,” — Ivan Drury

They note that jumping to a 5% APR from a 4% APR would cost consumers $1,324 more in interest over the course of the loan. Jumping to a 6% APR from a 4% APR would cost $2,672 more.

“A single percentage point increase might not seem like much at first blush, but that adds up to hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars over the course of a 72-month (or longer) loan—a significant cost considering consumers are financing as much as ever,” said Ivan Drury, Edmunds’ senior manager of insights. “Seeking out finance incentives was less necessary during recent years in which finance rates had been low, but shopping around for lower APR offers from dealers or third parties could make a difference in today’s market.”

Edmunds analysts also note consumers are opting for loans with longer terms to make monthly payments more palatable. Edmunds data reveals 36.1% of consumers who financed a new car purchase in June opted for a loan term of between 73 and 84 months, compared to 32.8% in June 2021.

“Consumers are exploring every possible avenue to make their next vehicle purchase affordable, and longer loan terms are a good example of that, even if that choice poses risks considering vehicle wear and tear and greater negative equity (the amount by which their loan balance exceeds their vehicles’ value) as their vehicle ages,” said Drury. “The best moves shoppers can make are staying as informed as possible and not relying on car financing strategies of old—because buying a car in 2022 is a whole different ball game.”

Source: Edmunds

Elephant Insurance Implements CCC

CCC Intelligent Solutions announced Elephant Insurance will extend its use of CCC technology to include its AI-powered, digital claims solutions. Specifically, Elephant will leverage CCC’s technology to help digitize and further transform total loss resolution, advancing the insurer’s ability to deliver straight-through processing across the claims experience.

Total losses have been increasing in recent years, driven by a confluence of factors including surging new and used vehicle prices, growing complexity of the cars themselves and supply chain disruptions driving up the cost of replacement parts. With CCC, insurers can proactively engage policyholders following a probable total loss and guide them in capturing important information. Leveraging photos of vehicle damage, AI and the CCC Cloud, insurers can more quickly make decisions and digitize connections and information sharing with participating auto lenders to achieve faster resolution.

Source: CCC

Cox Automotive Lowers Full-Year New-Vehicle Sales Forecast as Supply Problems Persist

June U.S. new-vehicle sales are expected to show a market still constrained by a lack of supply and one that is virtually unchanged since January.

According to the Cox Automotive June sales forecast released June 28, the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of new-vehicle sales this month is expected to hit 13.8 million, up from last month’s 12.7 million pace but well below last year’s 15.5 million level.

The sales volume in June is expected to finish near 1.2 million units, down 7.5% from last year’s volume of 1.3 million sales. However, this is an increase of 7.5% from May’s volume of nearly 1.1 million units. There is one more selling day this June than last year and the same number as last month.

Tight inventory continues to negatively impact new-vehicle sales. Since June 2021, monthly sales volume has been stuck in a tight window, with little deviation, averaging 1.1 million units a month and peaking only at 1.3 million in June 2021.

With no clear timeline for any notable recovery in new-vehicle inventory levels, Cox Automotive is lowering its full-year 2022 U.S. auto sales forecast to 14.4 million

units, down from its current forecast of 15.3 million. The current forecast now is for new-vehicle sales volumes to fall below the 14.6 million sold in 2020 when the market was initially ravaged by the global COVID pandemic.

“Last June, I wrote that the concern about the supply situation could not be overstated, as we were in untested territory for the market,” said Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist, Cox Automotive. “That sentiment remains, as there has been no significant shift in the conditions on the ground since last fall. Even though economic conditions have worsened in the past months, the lack of supply is still the greatest headwind facing the auto industry today.”

Credit: Shutterstock

June 2022 Sales Forecast Highlights

Second-quarter 2022 sales are forecast to fall 19.3% compared to Q2 2021 First-half sales are forecast to be down 17.3% from the same period in 2021.

General Motors is forecast to outsell Toyota in Q2, jumping back into the top-seller position.

Tesla is the only major brand to increase sales year over year in the first half. Honda, Nissan and VW all see first-half sales drops in excess of 30% year over year.

To celebrate 75 years of F-Series trucks, Ford is introducing the 2023 F-150 Heritage Edition—a modern take on the timeless 1970s and ’80s two-tone exterior paint offerings featuring the classic style combined with the outstanding durability, capability and technology today’s F-150 customers love.

Available on XLT series F-150 trucks, the design represents a fresh interpretation of the classic A-B-A exterior paint pattern, with an A color encompassing roof and pillars, a B color for the midsection, then A repeating on bumpers, lower door and lower body.

Interior offerings in slate gray and black complement the expressive exteriors. Distinct seat trim covers featuring unique inserts, plus embossing on the console lid further enhance the uniqueness of the Heritage design. A white “75 Years” logo appears in the upper center windshield and is included in the center screen startup animation and on the center console.

Source: Ford A wise man once said it’s best to face the awful truth of your situation than to lie to yourself that everything is just fine.

Well, the automotive industry is in a bad place and has been since the pandemic shutdowns. One of the most shocking indicators of where we’re at now is the revelation General Motors is holding onto about 95,000 unfinished vehicles at the end of Q2.

Many news outlets are blaming the glut of unfinished cars, trucks and SUVs squarely on the microchip shortage, but they’re missing the big picture. Many raw materials and hence a whole array of components have been in short supply in the automotive industry since early last year. Try ordering enough car parts and you’ll find that fact out real quick.

Per a press release from GM, most of the unfinished vehicles it’s sitting on were assembled in June.

Consider this: according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, new vehicle sales in the U.S. fell about 17% for the first six months of 2022. However, demand for cars remains high, so the problem obviously is a constrained supply. With prices soaring in the new and used markets, that’s what we’d expect to result.

Other automakers have suffered all kinds of supply chain problems, ranging from shortages in microchips to constrained availability of glass and aluminum. Toyota, which in December returned to full production capacity, has since seen many manufacturing setbacks, resulting in a 19% drop in sales for Q1 and Q2 of 2022. Worse, Nissan saw a 34% drop while Hyundai Motor Co. said sales decreased 16%. Everyone is suffering.

Another problem is creeping up, one that threatens to make this industry tailspin even worse: rising interest rates. The Wall Street Journal report claims automaker executives believe despite this, sales should level out through at least the end of 2022. Beyond then, well things could get ugly, although automakers seem to think they don’t have that far to fall if a deep recession does strike. Where things could get even more complicated is the projection by Intel’s CEO and others that the chip shortage will last well into 2024. Even once the supply of chips returns to pre-pandemic levels, it will take some time to produce enough new cars to even out the auto market. Plus, shortages of other raw materials or manufactured components could still put the squeeze on production.

AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE

When all you need to do is move a vehicle, use:

> EASY TO USE <

SAVES YOU TIME AND MONEY Go to www.forkliftwrecker.com and watch our video. 877.593.6959

MPD 30 $3.15 Autowriter $3.95 Posca $3.75 Auto Marker $2.49 Sakura $3.25 Unipaint $3.85

or order online: www.markingpendepot.com

Is now available for purchase! The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops Greatest Body Shops

by: Dave Luehr and Stacey Phillips The Book That Will Challenge Everything You Know About the Collision Repair Business.

Order your copy today and join the Body Shop Secrets community! www.bodyshopsecrets.com

Ditch the mask. Try our new line perfection tape.

Our new and unique line perfection tape is abrasiveresistant and allows you to achieve crisp, sharp body lines. Sand directly on the durable tape surface without shredding. As tape wears, orange appears to warn of wear-through. • Works for blocking, sanding body filler and primer • Chemical resistant • Conforms to contours • Helps eliminate the need for constant reapplication of tape • Saves time and material

Give it a try!

We’ll send you a free roll of Perfect Line with any online purchase. (Expires 12/31/20)

www.crashwrap.com | 888.264.3770

Don’t Miss the Weekly Industry NEWS Your Shop Needs. Sign Up Free Today! www.autobodynews.com

Looking for Good Collision Personnel?

•1,262 Collision Techs resumes online •1,295 Painters resumes online •1,177 Estimators & Mgs resumes online •11,256 Mechanical Tech resumes online www.actautostaffing.com or 727-733-5600

FREE 4x Monthly E-Newsletter. Subscribe Today!

The average price paid for a new vehicle in the U.S. in June was the highest on record and marked the first time the average transaction price (ATP) surpassed the $48,000 mark, according to new data released by Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive company.

The new-vehicle ATP increased to $48,043 in June, according to Kelley Blue Book, beating the previous high of $47,202 set in December 2021. June prices rose 1.9% ($895) from May and were up 12.7% ($5,410) from June 2021.

New-vehicle inventory days’ supply inched up to the high 30s in June after being in the mid-30s since mid-January. Customer demand remains strong given continued supply issues.

These conditions enabled most dealers to continue selling inventory at or above the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). The average price paid for a new vehicle has been “over sticker” throughout 2022. In June, new vehicles from Honda, Kia and Mercedes-Benz were transacting on average between 6.5% and 8.7% over MSRP. On the other side of the spectrum, Buick, Lincoln and Ram were selling at nearly 1% below MSRP.

The average price paid for a new non-luxury vehicle in June was $43,942, up $615 from May, the highest price for a non-luxury vehicle on record. Car shoppers in the non-luxury segment paid on average $1,017 above sticker price. Consumers have paid roughly $1,000 more than MSRP in each month of 2022 versus only $158 over MSRP in June 2021.

“While prices for the industry are, on average, higher than MSRP, there are some non-luxury segments that are more affordable, such as compact cars and compact SUVs/ crossovers,” said Rebecca Rydzewski, research manager of economic and industry insights for Cox Automotive. “These segments are selling for more than 30% less than the industry average transaction price.”

In June, the average luxury buyer paid $66,476 for a new vehicle, up $1,097 month over month, the highest price for a luxury vehicle ever. For comparison, luxury vehicles were selling for nearly $825 under MSRP one year ago.

Luxury vehicle share remains historically high and increased to 18% of total sales in June, up from 17.3% in May.

The average price paid for a new electric vehicle (EV) increased in June by 3.8% compared to May and 13.7% versus a year ago. The average price for a new electric vehicle—more than $66,000, according to Kelley Blue Book estimates—is well above the industry average and more aligned with luxury prices versus mainstream prices.

Hybrid/alternative energy vehicles are selling at just over $39,000 in June, a $3,593 increase over May, and an $8,453 increase versus a year ago.

High gas prices are driving consumers to consider electric vehicles, hybrids and smaller, more fuel-efficient gas-powered models.

New-vehicle average transaction price changes month over month by segment saw prices mixed in terms of increases and decreases. With an ATP of $39,040, hybrid/alternative energy cars saw the largest increase of $3,593. Hybrids have been in the lowest supply lately of any segment. With an ATP of $66,997, electric vehicles saw an increase of $2,444 in June, while vans increased by $658 to an ATP of $50,126.

The different car segments showed nominal increases in average transaction price in June versus May. Also in extremely short supply, compact cars were up only $146 or 0.6%, while mid-size cars were up 1%, or $325 for the month. Luxury cars showed a 6.4% decrease in ATP and full-size cars showed a 0.2% decrease.

Meanwhile, electric vehicles had the lowest incentives (as a percentage of ATP) of 0.4%, and entry-level luxury cars had the highest of 3.4%. Incentives dropped to a record low level in June, averaging only 2.3% of the average transaction price.

Source: Kelly Blue Book

Visit these Genuine Hyundai Parts Dealers

Texas

AUTONATION HYUNDAI

North Richland Hills 7724 North East Loop 820 800-888-2079

817-589-7882 Fax

Mon-Fri 7am - 7pm; Sat 7am - 4pm reeda2@autonation.com

The RIGHT COLLISION PARTS

FOR YOUR COLLISION JOB.

Texas

NORTH FREEWAY HYUNDAI

Spring 20440 Interstate 45 832-446-4000

832-442-5174 Fax

Mon-Fri 7am - 6pm; Sat 7:30am - 3pm parts@nfhyundai.com www.northfreewayhyundai.com

Classic Collision Announces Acquisitions in Texas, South Carolina

Classic Collision, LLC, a leading national multi-site collision repair operator based in Atlanta, announced two new closings June 24—the acquisition of Jones Auto Wrecking Company in Florence, SC, and Gabe’s Collision Center in San Antonio, TX.

Jones Auto Wrecking has been in business for more than a century.

“We’re proud to be the oldest, most-trusted auto wrecking company in Florence, SC. Our company is rooted in family values and customer satisfaction, and we look forward to serving the community under the Classic name,” said Stewart Jones, former owner of Jones Auto Wrecking.

Gabe’s Collision Center’s friendly staff and expert technicians have been serving the San Antonito area for almost a decade.

“We are committed to making the customer experience as smooth as possible and our certifications by manufacturers hold us to a higher standard of vehicle repairs. We are excited to be part of Classic’s growth in Texas and will continue providing high-quality repairs in our community,” said Rodrigo Valencia, former owner of Gabe’s Collision Center.

“We are excited to welcome the Jones Auto Wrecking and Gabe’s Collision Center teams to the Classic family,” said Toan Nguyen, CEO of Classic Collision. “We believe their expertise in the collision repair industry will greatly contribute toward expanding our service offerings. With a steady pace, we will continue to advance our presence and growth across the country.”

FREE 4x Monthly E-Newsletter. Subscribe Today!