April 2020 West Edition by Autobody News

WE STEDITION

AUTOBODY AK / CA / HI / ID / MT / NV / OR / WA / WY

Market Tsunami Sweeps Over Collision Industry by Autobody News staff

The last month’s all-but-unprecedented plunge in market confidence has prompted the Federal administration to request $850B in support for the economy including $50B for the airline industry and $250B for small business loans. The macro impact to the economy of all the closures is being played out in business pressure on companies large and small. As of March 17, the virus has infected more than 5,145 and killed at least 91 Americans, according to

data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, the virus has infected more than 189,386 people and killed at least 7,504. Given the slow ramp up of testing in the U.S. the numbers are likely far higher domestically. It’s likely that any public event involving more than 50 people scheduled for this spring is canceled or postponed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now urging a nationwide halt to gatherings of more than 10 people for See Market Tsunami , Page 20

Due to the recent cancelations and postponements of events, please check for up to date information on any meetings discussed herein. For updates on all meetings see www.autobodynews.com

Jeep ‘Death Wobble’ Class Action Lawsuit Filed in CA by David A. Wood, CarComplaints

A Jeep “death wobble” class action lawsuit alleges defective solid front axles and damping systems cause violent vibrations of the steering wheels while driving highway speeds. The Jeep class action lawsuit includes current and former owners of 2018-2020 Jeep Wrangler and 2020 Jeep Gladiator SUVs in the U.S. According to the lawsuit, the “death wobble” is the “seemingly uncontrollable side-to-side shak-

ing of a Jeep’s front-end steering components and—by extension—its steering wheel, presenting a serious safety hazard to the driver of the Jeep Vehicle and surrounding drivers.” California plaintiff Melinda Martinez owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler she purchased new in March 2019, but the Jeep allegedly experienced the death wobble multiple times. According to the lawsuit, she was traveling in the Jeep with her child

AUTOBODYNEWS.COM Vol. 38 / Issue 4 / April 2020

Auto Group Rejected By Supreme Court in Ford Parts Patent Fight by Matthew Bultman, Bloomberg Law

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider an automotive trade group’s challenge to design patents covering parts for Ford Motor Co.’s F-150 pickup truck. The high court’s denial of the Automotive Body Parts Association’s appeal leaves in place a decision that rejected the ABPA’s attempt to block Ford from enforcing patents on headlamp and hood designs against the group’s members. Replacement parts distributors and insurance companies for years

pushed for legislation that would cut the amount of time automakers could enforce design patents against collision repair parts makers.

The ABPA, a trade association representing companies that sell vehicle replacement parts, was among those that backed the legislation, See Ford Parts Patent Fight, Page 22

2020 NADA Expo Brings 23,000 to Las Vegas by Ed Attanasio

The jam-packed aisles at the Las Vegas Convention Center were filled with 23,000 attendees, dealers and suppliers from across the globe at the 2020 National Automobile Dealer Association (NADA) Convention & Expo in Las Vegas, Feb. 14 through Feb. 17.

See ‘Death Wobble’, Page 16

PERMIT #288 ANAHEIM, CA

PAID

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38 YEARS

UpdatePromise was in full force at NADA 2020� Pictured, back row, (l to r) Adam Guizado, Stephen McCallum, Krista Lucchino, Chief Operation Officer Richard Pannazzo, President and CEO Curtis Nixon, Tyler Holman, Brandon Nixon and Taylor Su� (Front row, l to r) TJ Huntington and Chad Genco� Credit: UpdatePromise

The annual NADA Show brings the entire industry together for the world’s largest automotive retail conference and expo, including companies that make products and equipment for the collision repair industry. Thousands of dealers and managers, OEM executives, allied industry, international guests and collision repair professionals connect with their peers and learn about the industry’s innovations. Over the course of four days, attendees were able to visit 500-plus exhibitors, more than 60 workshops, dealer franchise meetings and a lengthy list of keynote speakers at NADA 2020. 2020 NADA Chairman Rhett Ricart said times are good for the nearly 17,000 dealerships in the U.S., but there is still much work to do. “NADA has never been in a more fiscally fit position,” he said. “We want to make sure we can leverage that for advocacy as well as we want to get deeper and better education and tools for all the dealers.” Collision-related companies such as Global Finishing Solutions, SpaneSee 2020 NADA Expo, Page 32

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CONTENTS Patent Fight ��1

ABPA’s 40th Annual Meeting and Convention

Arizona House AOB Bill Held in Committee ��18

to Provide Networking Opportunities with

Auto Glass Industry Faces Calibration Issues ��32

Major Players in the Industry ��12 CAWA’s First Leadership Days of 2020 a Well-Attended Success ��18

Automating Claims for Drivers & Insurers ��64 Cadillac To Unveil First Electric Car In April ��58 Canadian Company Takes Aim at ‘Pushy

GEICO Files Federal RICO Lawsuit in California

Autobody Shops’ Via New App ��29

Against Glass Repairer, Alleging Fraudulent

CARSTAR Network is Giving Away Free Repairs ��58

Billing, Fake Invoices ��18

Chevrolet Ends Impala Production ��65

GEICO Sues Auto Glass Repair Shop, Alleging Fraud ��14 ID Man to Serve Jail Time for ‘Crash And Buy’ ��6 NATA Discusses New Oregon Business Taxes during Lunch and Learn ��14 PPG-Painted Cars Take AMBR and Other Notable Awards at the Grand National Roadster Show ��10 Richmond Auto Repair Worker Arrested in Insurance Fraud Sting ��13 Rogers Toyota Donates $6,000 to LCSC Auto Mechanics Technology and Collision Repair Programs ��13 Sisters Carry on Family Auto Body Business in San Dimas, Winning Awards for Designing Custom Vehicles ��6 Toyota of Kirkland Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19 ��6

CIECA Hiring Technical Project Coordinator ��60 Coronavirus Could Cost the U.S. Auto Industry

Anderson - Performing All OEM Safety Inspections is Critical—but OEMs Can Help Us Too ��44 Antonelli - Techs of Tomorrow: 16-Year-Old Texas Student Views Collision Repair as Art Form ��43 Attanasio - Mike’s Auto Body Adds Pleasanton Location ��36 Ledoux - ADAS for Off-Roaders ��48 Phillips - SCRS Executive Director Shares Free Resources Available for Collision Repairers ��52 Phillips - Uber for Business Offers Collision Shops Alternative for Customer Transportation ��46 Sisk - Driving the Future at WIN’s 2020 Educational Conference, Now Postponed ��54 Sisk - Mike Anderson Discusses “Utilizing Technology to Thrive and Not Just Survive in 2020” during February CIECAst ��40 Yoswick - Long-time Industry Lobbyist Offers Perspectives on Government’s Role in Industry Issues ��38

2020 NADA Expo Brings 23,000 to Las Vegas ��1 ABPA Denied By Supreme Court in Ford Parts

pending on the duration of control measures, those figures could jump to nearly 15%. This is a significant deviation from pre-coronavirus estimates, which essentially called for a flat 2019. Read more at autoblog.com. We thank AutoBlog for reprint permission.

AUTOBODY

Cox Automotive Presents Woman of the Year Award to Virginia Dealer ��24 DCR Systems Team Creates Fastener Solution ��14 Dealership-Based Collision Repair Facilities Projected to Grow ��28 Expect Towing To Kill Range Of Electric Pickup Trucks ��56 Fatal Tesla Model X Crash: Driver was Playing Video Game ��4 Ford to Offer All-Electric Transit ��29 General Motors’ $20 Billion EV Plan Starts by Abandoning Trump’s Emissions Rollback ��62 How To Not Write Estimates GM Reveals New Ultium Batteries for EVs ��26 GM Tripling Workplace Electric Vehicle Insurers Win Again—Mostly—in Antitrust Lawsuits Filed by Body Shops ��65 Jeep ‘Death Wobble’ Class Action Lawsuit Filed in CA ��1 Judge Grants AGA’s Motion to Compel Allstate

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano, Andrew Staicer (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bill Pierce Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Vicki Sitarz Online and Web Content Editor: Abby Andrews Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Editorial/Sales Assistant: Randi Scholtes Office Assistant: Dianne Pray

Serving Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the collision industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2020 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News P.O. Box 1516 Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews.com

Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 59

Kearny Mesa Subaru-Hyundai �� 20

AutoNation Roseville ��8-9

Kia Downtown Los Angeles �� 46

AutoNation South Bay Wholesale �� 24

Kia Motors America, Inc �� 23

Axalta Coating Systems �� 2

Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers ��50-51

BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 60

Kia of Carson �� 42

Car-O-Liner �� 31

Kia of Irvine �� 37

Car-Part.com �� 13

Larry H. Miller Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram �� 6

Car Pros Kia �� 52

LKQ Corporation �� 67

Car Pros Kia Renton �� 38

Matrix Automotive Finishes �� 5

Certified Automotive Parts Association �� 10

Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 64

to Produce its Pricing Agreements ��22

Classifieds �� 66

Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 58

Market Tsunami Sweeps Over Collision Industry ��1

Colortone Automotive Paints �� 14

MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 60

Mediation Scheduled Following Motion to

Courtesy Chevrolet San Diego �� 43

Montipower Americas, Inc �� 12

Cutter Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram �� 18

MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 39

DCH Auto Group Temecula �� 28

Moss Bros. Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge �� 25

Dismiss in Fraud Suit ��26 Most Specialty Parts Sold by Independent Retailers ��12 Nationwide, Automakers to Offer Potential Discounts ��30 New Bronco Coming in March, Bronco Sport to Follow ��21 Owning and Electric Car is More Expensive Than a Gas-Powered Vehicle ��26 Record Attendance at Collaborative Certified Collision Conference 2020 ��62 Subaru Windshield Class Action Lawsuit Continues ��56 Tesla Model Y Delivery Emails are Being Sent to Customers ��4 Toyota Fuel Pump Recall Expanded to

NATIONAL

Car dealerships are expecting to feel the pinch from coronavirus control policies as U.S. state governments have begun calling for lockdowns of walk-in businesses. Dealers, like other retail outlets, will begin to see the impacts of social distancing in the coming weeks. Analysts are projecting that U.S. auto sales could drop between 3% and 9% compared to 2019. De-

More Than a Million Sales ��3

Charging ��24 COLUMNISTS

by Byron Hurd

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

REGIONAL

Coronavirus Could Cost the U.S. Auto Industry More Than a Million Sales

Nearly 2 Million Vehicles ��66 VW Will Fund Dealers to Wage Local Marketing Campaigns for EVs ��30

Eagle Abrasives, Inc �� 19

Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 57

ECS Automotive Concepts �� 29

Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 61

Enterprise Rent-A-Car �� 44

PPG Refinish �� 11

Equalizer Industries, Inc. �� 40

Prime Auto Center �� 30

Fairview Ford-Lincoln-Mercury �� 22

Reno Buick-GMC �� 6

First Auto Group �� 49

SATA Dan-Am Company �� 27

Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 53

Sierra Chevrolet-Honda-Subaru �� 36

Frank Subaru �� 48

Spanesi Americas �� 16

Galpin Motors �� 47

Steck Manufacturing Company �� 26

Garden Grove Kia �� 37

Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 55

Glenn E. Thomas Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep �� 17

Tacoma Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram �� 33

GM Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 63

The Bay Area Automotive Group �� 45

Haldon Company �� 15

Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions �� 32

Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers ��34-35

Vintage Flatz/Cumberland Products �� 21

Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 65

Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 54

Industrial Finishes and Systems �� 7, 68

Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers �� 64

Innovative Tools & Technologies, Inc �� 41 autobodynews.com / APRIL 2020 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

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Fatal Tesla Model X Crash: Driver was Playing Video Game by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com

A deadly 2018 Tesla Model X crash in the area of U.S. 101 and State Route 85 in California was caused by the driver, Tesla’s Autopilot system, inaction by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and inaction by officials in California. The Model X crash killed 38-yearold Walter Huang, who was playing a video game on his phone when the SUV slammed head-on into a damaged crash attenuator installed to decrease crash forces. In a report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Huang was partially blamed for the 70 mph crash for not paying attention to his surroundings, the road and the Model X. Huang had even previously complained about his Model X steering toward the same attenuator when Autopilot was engaged, yet he still allowed it to happen while he focused on his phone. The NTSB says Autopilot was engaged with Traffic-Aware Cruise Control set at 75 mph when the lane-keeping assist system Autosteer initiated a left steering input while the SUV was about 5.9 seconds and 560 feet from the crash attenuator. Autopilot and other safety systems apparently took a vacation because the forward collision warning system did not provide an alert and automatic emergency braking did not activate. Huang also did nothing

to avoid the crash, not by steering, braking or any other action. Huang may not have taken any actions to avoid the crash, but there is still the issue of why the Model X failed to follow the correct lane in the first place.

Credit: CarComplaints.com

NTSB investigators believe various causes were responsible. These include bright sunlight that interfered with the cameras on the SUV, road lane lines that were faded and because of how close the vehicle ahead was to the Tesla Model X. In its final report, the NTSB found the probable cause of the crash as Tesla’s Autopilot system, which steered the Model X into the barrier. Also listed are the driver’s complete lack of response due to distraction from a game on his cell phone, and his overreliance on Autopilot. The report says the crash attenuator barrier had been damaged in a separate crash more than a week before the Model X crash, and the damaged barrier contributed to the driver’s injuries. The California Highway Patrol

was also blamed for failing to report the previous attenuator damage, and the maintenance department of the California Department of Transportation was named for not repairing the barrier in a timely manner. In addition to blaming NHTSA, which has done nothing to prevent distracted driving, the NTSB said tech companies should do more to create phones and devices that cannot be used while driving unless in emergencies. NHTSA has also allowed automakers to install every kind of distracting infotainment system imaginable while automakers boast of the safety of the systems, even though the devices are incredibly distracting. The NTSB also says Tesla is failing consumers by placing vehicles on the roads with technology in “beta” mode, which means the systems are being tested on public roads and then updated when defects or bugs are discovered. According to the NTSB, it should be obvious that crashes and injuries will likely occur, then Tesla will deny all responsibility by telling the public they were warned the systems were still being tested. Government officials emphasize there is no vehicle that can drive itself, a fact that seems to be lost on many Tesla drivers. Safety advocates have been screaming for years about NHTSA allowing automakers to self-regulate their self-driving cars and technology, primarily by creating voluntary

guidelines that are contributing to crashes and deaths. The Center for Auto Safety says the story may be about Tesla and the NTSB, but the real story is the lack of leadership at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to the Center, NHTSA’s “willing ignorance or extraordinary incompetence” is causing the agency to “fade ever more into irrelevance.” The NTSB crash report blames NHTSA and the U.S. Department of Transporation for ignoring multiple previous safety recommendations and taking a “nonregulatory approach to automated vehicle safety.” The report says NHTSA has failed to protect consumers by failing to ensure automakers install safeguards for systems related to automation. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s approach to the oversight of automated vehicles is misguided, because it essentially relies on waiting for problems to occur rather than addressing safety issues proactively.” - NTSB report According to the NTSB, partial automation doesn’t mean “self-driving,” and a driver cannot read a book, watch a movie, read a cell phone or play a video game without risking their own and everyone’s property and life. The driver’s family filed a lawsuit against Tesla by claiming Mr. Huang believed the technology was safe. We thank CarComplaints.com for reprint permission.

Tesla Model Y Delivery Emails are Being Sent to Customers by Randell Suba

Tesla has begun sending Model Y delivery confirmation emails to early customers, notifying them that their all-electric crossover is coming soon. Customers in Northern California who purchased a Tesla Model Y Performance with Performance Upgrade are being notified that their vehicle is almost ready for delivery. The confirmation email to customers is part of the final step and aimed at preparing customers for any remaining steps needed such as trade-ins or financing prior to taking delivery of their new vehicle. Model Y buyer Howard Feinstein shared on Twitter a screenshot of the email from Tesla. The next step for you is to confirm when

you’re able to take delivery so we can ensure the best experience possible. Once you confirm your availability, we’ll send you an update in the coming days to notify you when you can log into your Tesla Account and complete any remaining steps such as financing or trade-in. Your Tesla Advisor will be available to answer any additional questions you may have. We’re excited to have Model Y join your home and be a part of your transition to sustainable energy. Welcome to the Tesla family. Members of the Tesla Model Y Facebook group corroborated what Feinstein said. Some of the members of the group who also just recently ordered the Performance version of the all-electric crossover and are in North-

ern California also received the email notification. Tesla’s strategy to deliver new products that are fully-optioned to customers closest to its factory in Fremont isn’t a new one. The company adopted a similar priority schedule in 2017 when Model 3 started rolling off the production line. According to the delivery date email sent to customers, it would appear that the first Model Y deliveries will take place no earlier than March 15, 2020. Elon Musk confirmed during the Q4 2019 earnings call that Tesla has started a limited volume production run of the most energy-efficient electric SUV in Fremont last January or roughly 10 months after building a prototype. The full-spec Model Y costs around $67,990 including the Performance Up-

grade and the Full-Self Driving feature. It will cost $1,000 more if one opts for another paint color other than the standard Pearl White Multi-Coat. The Model Y was first expected to hit the production line in the fall of 2020 but was later moved up to the summer of 2020. However, in its Q4 2019 Update Letter, Tesla confirmed that the first deliveries of the Model Y crossover will happen before the end of Q1, marking a significant improvement in the pace of vehicle production. The Fremont factory in California is expected to churn out 500,000 vehicles this year while Giga Shanghai is expected to roll out the electric crossover for the Chinese market starting 2021. We thank Teslarati for reprint permission.

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ID Man to Serve Jail Time for ‘Crash And Buy’

Sisters Carry on Family Auto Body Business in San Dimas, Winning Awards for Designing Custom Vehicles

An Idaho man was sentenced to jail over an alleged “crash and buy” auto insurance fraud scheme. Nicolas Thorne of Jerome County was sentenced for insurance fraud in violation of Idaho code. On Dec. 14, 2017, Thorne’s vehicle was reportedly struck from behind by another vehicle on his way to Jerome. The next day, Thorne allegedly conspired with the driver of the other vehicle to commit a “crash and buy” where an insurance policy was purchased after the date of the accident. Within two hours of purchasing the insurance policy, Thorne ﬁled a claim, colluding with the other driver by falsifying the date of the collision, according to the Idaho Department of Insurance. Thorne and the other driver—who has criminal charges pending against him—both admitted to investigators with the department of insurance that the accident occurred before the claim was ﬁled. We thank Insurance Journal for reprint permission.

by Dave Kunz

eral auto body work, it’s custom vehicles that have really put the It’s not unusual for women to work business, and Theresa and Sara, on in the family automotive business. the automotive map. For a number But two Southern California sisters of years, they’ve been creating cusare very much hands-on. Theresa tom vehicles for big automakers to Contreras and Sara Morosan op- display at the big Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show in Las Vegas. Wild trucks that haven’t just wowed the crowds, but garnered these clever siblings some awards. “I think it’s because we go to so many different types of shows. Different types of consumer shows, and you It’s not unusual for women to work in the family see things in the hot rod automotive business. But two Southern California world, and we’ll think sisters are very much hands-on. Credit: KABC News ‘Hey, how can we incorporate that into our erate LGE-CTS Motorsports in San truck build,’” said Sara. And they’re always at it for Dimas, an auto body business that regular customers as well. Word their father founded years ago. “The reason my parents start- has spread quickly that this famied the auto body shop was because ly-run shop is a place to customize my dad loved working on cars,” your truck, especially one that will go oﬀ-road. said Theresa. “It’s really about be respectWhile the shop still does gen-

ed for what you do,” noted Theresa. These two women love what they do, and are lifelong oﬀ-road enthusiasts, so on weekends they get to play with the vehicles they create. But they’re also about giving back to the community, particularly when it comes to automotive education for young people. They’re heavily involved with the AXC automotive studies program at the nearby Fairplex. It’s essentially a centralized auto shop for high school students, as many individual schools don’t oﬀer that kind of trade education anymore. “We have Auto 101 through 104, and this year we added welding, and fabrication, and auto body,” said Sara. So you might see a really cool truck on the road and wonder what guy came up with it. In this case, “that guy” might be one of these two very skilled and creative ... ladies. We thank KABC News for reprint permission.

Toyota of Kirkland Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19 by Hannah Saunders, The Kirkland Reporter

On March 5, Toyota of Kirkland in Totem Lake, WA, confirmed on its Facebook page one of its employees has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19.) According to the post, Toyota is following recommendations of “local, state and federal agencies to limit any possible spread of the virus.” “We’ve notified our employees and are in the process of contacting our customers to advise them of the situation,” the post reads. “The health and safety of our customers, employees and community is our top priority.” As a result, management made the decision to close the dealership until March 9 to deep clean and disinfect the entire facility. “The dealer learned of this individual the evening of (March 3.) They have been in touch with the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) It was the dealer’s decision to close the dealer, not the CDC, out of an abundance of caution,” said Toyota’s chief communications officer Scott Vazin. In addition, according to the local dealer’s statement, they

have asked employees who have ﬂulike symptoms to seek medical care and, at a minimum, self-quarantine for 14 days. “We’ve also asked janitorial service to continue providing additional cleaning measures on a nightly basis, including disinfecting surfaces that come into contact most frequently—phones, keyboards, door handles, desks, etc.,” the statement reads. The dealership has also stopped all food and beverage services which has included closing its deli, soda and coﬀee machines. Other measures the dealership has taken, according to the post, include instructing valet and technicians to use a new set of gloves for every customer vehicle and providing all employees with health recommendations from the CDC. “We are in direct contact with the CDC and are closely following their guidelines and directions to ensure the health and safety of anybody visiting our dealership,” the statement reads. “Our goal is to prevent the spread of the virus while protecting you, our employees and our community.” We thank the Kirkland Reporter for reprint permission.

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PPG-Painted Cars Take AMBR and Other Notable Awards at the Grand National Roadster Show A PPG-painted custom 1932 Kugel Muroc captured the 2020 America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) award at the recent Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) held at the Pomona Fairplex in Pomona, CA. The car’s owner, Monty Belsham of Houston, British Columbia, turned to Squeeg’s Kustoms in Chandler, AZ, for the great look. Painters Doug Jerger and Moose Graczyk at Squeeg’s used an array of PPG paints to give the roadster

“RelentleSS,” a 1970 Chevrolet El Camino, claimed Best Truck, Best in Class and Outstanding Display awards. Credit: PPG

its striking black finish with firehot flames. Paint included DELTRON® DBC Basecoat Black and DCU2021 CONCEPT® Urethane Clearcoat, along with a rainbow of tangerine, apple red and magenta RADIANCE® dyes and pearls to ignite the fiery flames. The result was a rich, gleaming finish with dynamic highlights—and the coveted AMBR award. The all-metal, limited-production Kugel Muroc was sold in the early 2000s as a package comprising bare body plus chassis. It was up to the buyer to finish the rest of the car. This was Squeeg’s second AMBR win. His first came in 2011 for a 1934 Ford roadster.

The Refinery, a custom paint shop in Manteno, IL, owned by Adam Krause, took the historic Al Slonaker Memorial Award for an eye-catching 1936 Willys pickup. Credit: PPG

Other show winners also featured dazzling PPG finishes. The Refinery, a custom paint shop in Manteno, IL, owned by

Adam Krause, took the historic Al Slonaker Memorial Award for an eye-catching 1936 Willys pickup owned by Ron and Vicky Ernsberger of Holiday City, OH. After the preparation and bodywork was done by Krause and his brother Tyler, Adam sprayed PPG’s ENVIROBASE® High Performance basecoat with ECS65 and ECS67 A-Chromatic Sealers and GLOBAL REFINISH SYSTEM® 8152 clearcoat on the body and Global Refinish System D8115 Matte Clearcoat on the inside of the truck bed and bottom side of all the panels to give the truck a classic Ferrari Rosso Mugello (red) finish. This award is given to the best non-roadster on display and honors GNRS founders Al and Mary Slonaker. “RelentleSS,” a 1970 Chevrolet El Camino, claimed Best Truck, Best in Class and Outstanding Display awards. Honors go to painter Cam Miller and his HS Customs shop in Logan, UT, and truck owners Scott and Sherrie Cooper of Orland, CA.

tron DCU2021 Concept Urethane Clearcoat. Also in the running for the Al Slonaker Memorial Award was “War Paint,” a sharp 1932 Ford roadster pickup painted by Pete “Hot Dog” Finlan for Galpin Auto Sports, Van Nuys, CA. Finlan painted War Paint, owned by Californians Gary and Deborah DeVine, at his shop, Hot

and attractive finish. The pickup took home the 2020 George Barris Memorial Kustom D’Elegance award.

32 Ford Roadster Pickup: Another award winner was “War Paint,” a sharp 1932 Ford roadster pickup painted by Pete “Hot Dog” Finlan for Galpin Auto Sports, Van Nuys, CA. Credit: PPG

32 Kugel Moroc: A custom 1932 Kugel Muroc painted by Squeeg’s Kustoms captured the 2020 America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) award at the Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) held at the Pomona Fairplex in Pomona, CA. Credit: PPG

Dog Kustoms in Temecula, CA. He used Envirobase High Performance basecoat with EC550 EN-V® Ultra Gloss Clearcoat over a light purple color to give the Ford its distinctive

The GNRS, now in its 72nd year, took place Jan. 24 through Jan. 26, and featured nearly 500 roadsters, muscle cars, hot rods and more. For more information about awardwinning PPG automotive refinish products, call 800-647-6050 or visit www.ppgrefinish.com.

www.autobodynews.com

65 Acadian Canso: Dean Livermore of Hot Rods by Dean in Phoenix, AZ, earned the Best Paint award in the Al Slonaker Class for his bold finish on a rare 1965 Acadian Canso Sport Deluxe. Credit: PPG

Miller’s go-tos were PPG’s Envirobase High Performance basecoat; Ford’s “Kodiak Brown,” which Miller achieved with various toners; and VIBRANCE COLLECTION® 5700 clearcoat. Remarkably, the truck debuted last year at the GNRS and won the same three awards. Dean Livermore of Hot Rods by Dean in Phoenix, AZ, earned the Best Paint award in the Al Slonaker Class for his bold finish on a rare 1965 Acadian Canso Sport Deluxe owned by Richard and Penny Hammer of Viking, Alberta. The Acadian got its custom color, “Black Brandywine,” courtesy of Livermore’s mixing genius. He relied on Envirobase High Performance basecoat and finished the look with Del-

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ABPA’s 40th Annual Meeting and Convention Was to Provide Networking Opportunities with Major Players in the Industry, Now Postponed to September by Chasidy Rae Sisk

The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) was to offer a plethora of educational opportunities at its 40th Annual Meeting and Convention, April 28 through May 1, at the Hyatt Regency in Newport Beach, CA. It will now be held in September. “The ABPA Convention is the place to be to meet and network with the major players in our industry,” said ABPA Executive Director Ed Salamy. Attendees will include parts distributors, manufacturers, vendors and electronic information providers, as well as representatives from most major insurers. “This is an event not to be missed!” Salamy said. The event will kick off the evening of April 28 with a welcome reception. On April 29, the Annual ABPA Golf Event will be held at Strawberry Farms Golf Course, and the evening will feature a cocktail reception, reception dinner and the

opening of the trade show. The educational session will begin on April 30 with opening comments by ABPA Chairman Chris Northup, followed by Salamy’s state of the association address. The keynote presentation, “Counterfeit Goods and the Effect on the Global Supply Chain,” will be delivered by Rosemary Coates from Blue Silk Consulting and Nexio PC’s Imran Vakil. LKQ’s Ray Colas will provide an update on legislative and regulatory issues, and then “Your Car, Your Data. An Update on Auto Care’s Vehicle Data Initiative” will be presented by keynote speaker Paul Fiore of the Auto Care Association. ABPA Vice President Joseph Tsai will offer an introduction to board candidates, before ABPA’s awards lunch. In addition to educational breakout sessions, the afternoon of April 30 will include presentations by CAPA/ Intertek, the American Center for Mobility, Partslink and APU Solutions. That evening’s festivities will

begin with a NABC vehicle giveaway, followed by a cocktail reception and dinner. On May 1, registered attendees will head to the Port of Long Beach for an optional tour. “The ABPA is proud to offer this free event for our attendees,” Salamy said of the tour. During the 90-minute narrated excursion, attendees will get close to operations at the second-busiest port in the U.S., seeing towering cranes, the most advanced and green terminal in the world, new infrastructure projects such as the Gerald Desmond Bridge Port and possibly even a glimpse of local marine life. They will also learn about the variety of groundbreaking green programs the port has implemented to reduce the environmental impact of operations. Two attendance package options are available for attendees, and sponsorship opportunities are still open for industry vendors. For more information about ABPA or the conference, visit autobpa .com/.

Most Specialty Parts Sold by Independent Retailers Independent retailers in the automotive aftermarket remain the most used sales channel for getting parts to consumers, according to the new SEMA Industry Perspectives Report, the latest resource for SEMA members to gain insight on the health of the industry on a wide range of business metrics. While manufacturers and distributors sell into a variety of channels, including direct-to-consumer, more than 80 percent of manufacturers report their products sell through independent specialty retailers. While many retailers and installers report selling some of their inventory through online auction sites and marketplaces, these only account for 7% of sales. More than 70% of smaller manufacturers, with less than $1 million in annual sales, sell directly to consumers, while less than 30% have their parts stocked by dealerships or chain stores. Source: SEMA

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Rogers Toyota Donates $6,000 to LCSC Auto Mechanics Technology and Collision Repair Programs

Richmond Auto Repair Worker Arrested in Insurance Fraud Sting

In a Facebook post shared March 2, Rogers Toyota of Lewiston, ID, announced they have donated $6,000 to the Lewis-Clark State Auto Mechanics Technology and Collision Repair programs.

Four employees of Contra Costa County auto shops, including one in Richmond, were arrested following an undercover operation targeting auto repair insurance fraud. Marco Hernandez, 48, an employee of 101 Auto Body at 5327 Jacuzzi St. in Richmond, is among those busted in the operation conducted by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office and the California Department of Insurance. “An undercover officer visited several auto body repair shops in Contra Costa County and told estimators that they wanted to claim and repair pre-existing damage on a new insurance policy…,” the DA’s Office said. “The officer requested a repair estimate from the shop to assist with the false insurance claim.” Hernandez and three other defendants are accused of accepting business “with knowledge or reckless disregard for the fact that a customer intends to commit insurance fraud,” according

Credit: Rogers Toyota of Lewiston FB

Rogers Motors believes in higher education and giving back to the communities. “If we can help the students grow in their degree, everyone in our community benefits,” said Ryan Rogers, owner of Rogers Motors. Rogers Motors also awards automotive technology scholarships, established to support lo-

cal high school students entering college with plans to pursue a certification or degree in auto mechanics technology or collision repair technology at Lewis-Clark State College. The Lewis-Clark State Auto Mechanics Technology program will be located at the new Schweitzer Career & Technical Education Center, under construction in the Lewiston Orchards. The Center is on schedule to be completed this summer and open in time for the fall semester. Rogers Motors already has donated $150,000 for the naming rights of the auto shop at the Center. We thank Big Country News for reprint permission.

AUTOBODY

to the DA. The felony charge is punishable by up to three years in prison and an additional fine of up to $50,000. Kyle Coburn, 30, of AW Collision in Concord, Estephanie Gonzalez-Marquez, 26, of Tepa Autobody in Pittsburg; and Vu Hoang 33, of Kee’s Auto Body in Concord, have also been charged in the sting, the DA’s office said. “The District Attorney’s Office also reminds consumers to be wary of listening to anyone who suggests lying to an insurance company related to an insurance claim,” the DA’s Office said. “Providing false or misleading information in support of an insurance claim is a felony punishable by up to five years state prison and an additional fine of up to $50,000.” Anyone with information about possible auto insurance fraud can report that information to the District Attorney’s Office via email at DA-ReportFraud@contracostada.org. We thank The Richmond Standard for reprint permission.

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DCR Systems Team Creates Fastener Solution DCR Systems has introduced an innovative new product for the collision repair industry—the DCR Systems Inventory Table. Created by the DCR Systems team to be more effective during the repair planning process and ultimately, the reassembly process, the table was engineered and built by Symach. DCR Systems received a patent for the table’s unique structure in January. The table addresses the issue that much of the hardware, fasteners and clips needed to reassemble a vehicle correctly are often damaged, missing or deemed one-time use by the manufacturers as a result of an accident. DCR challenged its team to come up with a better way to identify, organize and make sound decisions on all of the materials, fasteners, clips and hardware required to repair the vehicle properly. Fastener systems are an integral part of the reconstruction of today’s automobiles, said Michael Giarrizzo, CEO of DCR Systems’ dealer-based collision centers. Source: DCR Systems

NATA Discusses New Oregon Business Taxes during Lunch and Learn by Chasidy Rae Sisk

The Northwest Automotive Trades Association (NATA) on Feb. 19 hosted a Lunch and Learn event at NATA’s office in Portland, OR. NATA Executive Director Cathi Webb said the Oregon legislature adjourned its 2019 year-end ses-

sion on June 30, passing hundreds of bills during the tumultuous final two days. “At the February Lunch and Learn, Nick Shepherd of Irvine & Company helped make sense of it for business owners by providing an overview of important new tax changes, as well as non-tax-related changes, that will likely impact businesses operating in the state,” Webb said. The hot topic during the meet-

ing was the new Corporate Activity Tax (CAT) for Oregon businesses. Shepherd, who also serves as NATA’s CPA, discussed this “unfavorable move” which, effective Jan. 1, allowed Oregon to impose a 0.57% tax on gross sales on all Oregon businesses. “This will really hurt small automotive businesses that are just getting by now, but Nick explained different ways for businesses to handle this additional tax,” Webb said. Webb said more than 30 members attended and received excellent information that will help them as they run their businesses each day. Monitoring legislative activity is imperative for NATA’s members, and the association takes its responsibility very seriously. In January, NATA Treasurer Jake Hammer and NATA Lobbyist Darrell Fuller attended the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) Lobby Day at the Oregon Capitol. Hammer said he and Fuller toured the capitol and met with small businesses from all over Oregon from

an array of industries. “We also met with different legislative delegates in an effort to discuss some of the upcoming bills and what the impact could be on small businesses,” Hammer said. “The event highlighted some of the legislation—past and present—that has made doing business in Oregon more difficult and less profitable.” NATA also focuses on providing members with educational opportunities, and on April 25, the association will host its second Education/Industry Roundtable at Portland Community College’s Sylvania Campus. For more information on NATA and its future events, visit www.aboutnata .org. For more information about this year’s Education/Industry Roundtable, contact NATA at 503-2539898.

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GEICO Sues Auto Glass Repair Shop, Alleging Fraud by Lyle Adriano

GEICO has filed a federal lawsuit in California alleging that a local auto glass repair shop submitted fraudulent repair bills.

The insurer is looking to recover damages, alleging that the repair shop – Winaffix Auto Glass – violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as the California Business and Professional Code. GEICO has also filed claims for common law fraud and unjust enrichment. The insurer alleges that Tal Elzari and Navid Vatankhahan, the owners of Winaffix Auto Glass, used their business in a scheme to overbill for windshield glass replacement. The alleged scheme involved creating false glass invoices that mimicked those from legitimate car dealer-

ships so that Elzari and Vatankhahan could fraudulently claim they were using pricey original equipment glass, rather than less expensive glass. The suit further alleges that Winaffix Auto Glass never purchased the glass their invoices claimed, and that the repair shop performed glass replacement services without having the proper license to do so. In a release, GEICO announced that in addition to this lawsuit, it intends to file suits in California and in other parts of the US as part of its continuing effort to protect its customers. “GEICO is committed to protecting our customers from the negative effect that insurance fraud has on premiums,” said GEICO assistant vice-president of claims James Jones. “These incidents of fraud hurt consumers in California because they cause premiums to increase, and we will continue to pursue them with a zero tolerance.” We thank Insurance Business Magazine for reprint permission.

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Death Wobble’ when the Wrangler steering wheel allegedly started to shake violently, making the plaintiff believe she was going to lose control of the SUV. Martinez says she took the Wrangler to the dealership in January 2020, but an employee allegedly “laughed and explained that the issue is known as the ‘death shake’ and ‘it happens.’” However, her Jeep received the new steering dampers based on a customer satisfaction program, but the plaintiff says her Wrangler still suffers from the “death wobble.” Vehicles with solid front axles don’t absorb bumps and vibrations as well as vehicles with independent suspensions because solid axles are better for off-road use; therefore dampers/ stabilizers are installed to reduce vibrations during highway driving. However, the class action lawsuit alleges, the bumps and vibrations cause premature loosening of the tie rods, control arms, track bars, ball joints and stabilizers.

The so-called death wobble typically occurs when traveling more than 45 mph, and while Fiat Chrysler (FCA) denies there are safety hazards, the class action alleges serious safety concerns exist. Chrysler’s customer satisfaction program mandates replacement of the steering dampers, but the lawsuit alleges multiple suspension components should be replaced. The plaintiff says those components include the ball joints, upper inner tie rods, dampers and track bars. According to the class action lawsuit, by claiming the vibration isn’t a safety issue and something that can occur to any vehicle with a solid front axle, Chrysler allegedly can continue making failed repairs until the warranties expire. Fiat Chrysler has known about the steering wheel vibrations since 2010, when the automaker created technical service bulletin (TSB 02003-10), instructing dealer technicians to replace the steering dampers and damper brackets if 2007-2009 Jeep Wrangler owners complained about vibrations from rough road surfaces. In November 2019, Chrysler added the 2020 Jeep Wrangler and

2020 Jeep Gladiator in TSB 19-00219 related to “Shimmy In The Steering Wheel After Hitting An Irregularity On The Road Surface.” Dealerships were told, “[t]he customer may notice a shimmy in the steering wheel after hitting an irregularity on the road surface such as an expansion joint, pothole or bump.” In 2019, Chrysler issued customer satisfaction notification (CSN V41) concerning 192,000 model year 2018-2020 Jeep Wranglers. “The front suspension steering damper on about 192,000 of the above vehicles may not effectively damp oscillation of the steering system, resulting in a sustained shake or shimmy in the steering wheel. This can be more noticeable when driving at speeds exceeding 55 Miles Per Hour (MPH) 88 Kilometers Per hour (KPH) after contacting a bumpy road surface and in temperatures below 40° Fahrenheit (5° Celsius),” Fiat Chrysler of America said. Affected owners were contacted about V41 and told Jeep dealerships would replace the front suspension steering dampers (580AC) with improved dampers (580AE). But the plaintiff claims the replace-

ment dampers are no better than the original steering dampers to prevent vibrations in the steering wheels. The plaintiff also alleges about 270,000 Jeep Wranglers should have been included in CSN V41, leaving many customers without any help at all. According to the lawsuit, FCA “has embarked upon and adopted a secret recall and warranty program of Jeep Vehicles subject to CSN V41 that is concealed from governing authorities and the Classes.” The plaintiff says Chrysler should buy back all 2018-2020 Jeep Wranglers and 2020 Jeep Gladiators in the U.S. Chrysler bristles at the “death wobble” phrase by emphasizing no deaths or injuries have been reported related to the vibrations the automaker says can occur on any vehicle with a solid front axle. The Jeep “death wobble” class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: Martinez, et al., v. FCA US, LLC. The plaintiff is represented by Moon Law APC. We thank CarComplaints for reprint permission.

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CAWA’s First Leadership Days of 2020 a Well-Attended Success by Chasidy Rae Sisk

The California Automotive Wholesalers’ Association (CAWA), representing the automotive parts industry, hosted its ﬁrst Leadership Days of 2020, Feb. 20 and Feb. 21 at the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, CA.

Rodney Pierini, president and CEO of CAWA, said CAWA members and friends turned out in large numbers to attend Leadership Days. “Beyond meetings and social events, the attendees heard presentations from several well-known industry representatives,” Pierini said.

“Attendees highly rated the meeting and its guest speakers, as well as the venue.” The meeting kicked oﬀ with Pierini and Chairman of the Board Tom Seboldt discussing association business. John Washbish, president and CEO of the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc., presented “Oh This Industry We Call the Aftermarket—What Now,” followed by “Collaboration on a Full Channel Level,” discussed by Rod Bayless, senior director of industry data analytics for Epicor. Attendees also learned about “Digital Disruption and the Future of the Aftermarket,” from Paul McCarthy, president of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association. CAWA and Idemitsu Lubricants America Corp. also hosted a regional meet-up for the Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG.) “CAWA continues to support YANG and welcomes their members, free of registration fees, to its Leadership Days,” Pierini said. Sponsors included the Automo-

tive Parts Services Group, Federated Auto Parts, Pronto, APA Engineering, Automotive Distribution Network, Dorman, DFC, GSP, Idemitsu, Old World Industries, Parts Authority, AASA, Epicor and the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance. “CAWA thanks the many companies that sponsored our Leadership Days,” Pierini said. CAWA’s next Leadership Days and Industry Summit will be held in conjunction with other aftermarket associations June 24 through June 26 in San Diego. CAWA will also host another YANG Regional Meet-Up during its June Leadership Days. For more information on CAWA and its future events, visit cawa.org or contact programs@cawa.org.

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Arizona House AOB Bill Held in Committee An Arizona bill impacting assignment of benefits (AOB) was held in committee during a House meeting at the end of February. The bill, also known as HB 2441, aims to alter the way auto glass shop owners obtain AOB from insureds. The Arizona Auto Glass Association (AAGA) recently sent out a notice informing auto glass shop owners in the state about the legislative update. The notice also referenced HB2441 as a “striker bill.” The association further explained the possible implications. “A ‘strike everything after the enacting clause’ amendment (also referred to as a ‘strike everything’ amendment or simply a ‘striker’) proposes to delete the entire text of the existing bill and substitute new language, essentially making it a completely different bill, possibly on an entirely different subject,” a portion of the AAGA notice reads. “These amendments are sometimes used to allow legislators to circumvent the deadlines on introduction of new legislation, deal with an issue that arises after the deadline or revive a bill that has previously been defeated.” We thank glassBYTES. com for reprint permission.

GEICO Files Federal RICO Lawsuit in California Against Glass Repairer, Alleging Fraudulent Billing, Fake Invoices Following several lawsuits in Arizona and Florida, GEICO has filed a federal lawsuit in California alleging an auto glass repair shop submitted fraudulent glass repair bills. GEICO seeks to recover damages alleging violations of the Civil RICO statute and the California Business and Professional Code as well as claims for common law fraud and unjust enrichment. GEICO alleges that owners Tal Elzari and Navid Vatankhahan used their business, Winaffix Auto Glass, in a fraudulent scheme to overbill for windshield glass replacement. Their alleged scheme involved creating false glass invoices designed to mimic those from legitimate car dealerships in order to fraudulently claim they were using expensive original equipment glass rather than less expensive alternative glass. In fact, it is alleged that Winaffix never purchased the glass their invoices claimed. They are also alleged to have performed glass replacement services without a license to do so. GEICO says it intends to file future lawsuits in California and around

the country in its continuing efforts to protect its customers and the public from fraudulent glass repair operators. “GEICO is committed to protecting our customers from the negative effect that insurance fraud has on premiums,” said James Jones, assistant vice president of claims in GEICO’s Poway, California, office. “These incidents of fraud hurt consumers in California because they cause premiums to increase, and we will continue to pursue them with a zero tolerance.” Jones went on to say that GEICO has a long history of seeking out individuals and companies willing to commit fraud. GEICO filed its case – Government Employees Insurance Company, et al. v. Winaffix Auto Glass, et. al. (2:20-cv-01401) – in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. GEICO also seeks a declaration that any pending claims are not owed. GEICO is represented by Barry Levy and Steven Henesy of Rivkin Radler, LLP and Jean M. Daly and Tyler E. Sanchez of Murchison & Cumming, LLP.

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Market Tsunami the next eight weeks, until approximately the beginning of May, citing the risk of the coronavirus. Stores and other suppliers are also closing at an unprecedented rate as employees are asked to stay home. In the past few weeks iconic events including the Masters golf tournament and the Boston Marathon have been canceled in addition to multiple sports leagues, notably the NHL, NFL and NBA at home and internationally. Major League Baseball has pushed back opening day until mid-May at the earliest. And with heavily populated states like CA, NY and NJ closing or curtailing patronage of bars, restaurants in at least 11 states are stopping group dining, it’s no surprise that almost all collision industry events have been postponed or modified because of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The automotive industry has been particularly hard hit in Hubei

province, site of 9% of China’s vehicle production and the epicenter of the outbreak. Hubei is one of five major automotive manufacturing centers in China as well as a hub for auto parts production for U.S. domestic and foreign automakers. Plant closures have already affected global automotive supply chains. And with stocks diminishing rapidly, a global shortage of auto parts looms in 2020. The Automotive Service Association (ASA) Board of Directors postponed the association’s joint CARS (Congress of Automotive Repair & Service), TTF (Technology & Telematics Forum) and annual business meeting until late August or early September. The event, co-located with the Technology & Telematics Forum as well as the association’s annual business meeting, was to have been held May 4-5, in the Dallas-Fort Worth community of Hurst. NORTHEAST has been postponed from March 20-22 to Aug. 21-23. It will likely still will be the collision industry’s second-biggest show, as NACE appears unlikely to

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occur this year. AASP-NJ, which hosts NORTHEAST, said it always had August as a backup date since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. “Thankfully, the MEC had a few open dates available for us to choose from,” AASP-NJ President Jerry McNee said. “We wanted to make sure it was far enough in the future so that the COVID-19 danger would pass, but not so far as to be too close to SEMA. We also felt that August would work for us since NORTHEAST is predominantly a ‘drive to’ show as opposed to a ‘fly to’ show.” ATE 2020, sponsored by ASA Northwest, is rescheduled for July 31–Aug. 2 at the DoubleTree Hilton by SeaTac Hotel in Seattle. The International Bodyshop Industry Symposium had been slated to return to the U.S. for a second year April 1-2. However, the organization has instead opted to hold the event virtually instead at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Jacksonville, FL. The agenda will be condensed into a three-hour live webinar.

“As a result of the Coronavirus, IBIS USA will now be held as a webinar on 2 April instead,” the organization said. “We will deliver much of the planned IBIS USA industry-leading content in a threehour live broadcast. Throughout this time, delegates will have the opportunity to interact and ask questions via the soon to be launched mobile app.” Despite being hosted online, the event will remain invitation-only, according to IBIS. For more information, contact suzie@ibisworldwide .com. SCRS decided to re-book significant spring events in conjunction with the July industry meetings taking place in Philadelphia, PA, prior to the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) quarterly gathering, scheduled for July 22 and 23. Calling it a “difficult decision,” the Collision Industry Conference announced it would cancel its April 8-9 gathering in Jacksonville, FL. “The decision was made with the concerns related to public safety and logistical issues due to corporate travel restrictions,” CIC said in

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an email. “While you may be disappointed, we hope that you can see that this was the right direction given the circumstances.” CIC also cited the declaration of a national state of emergency over the coronavirus as a contributing factor. CIC had previously declared it would proceed with the event, the same day that the popular NORTHEAST show announced it would reschedule for August. The National Auto Body Council also announced a change in plans. The organization said its Lone Star Parts for Cars event on April 2 in Dallas, Texas, would be pushed back to May 27. NABC cited “travel restrictions for many of the event participants” as well as virus concerns. “This follows the recommended procedures and protocols by the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local authorities.” The organization also pushed back its NABC board meeting to May 28 at the Berkshire Hathaway

Automotive headquarters in Dallas. “We thank all of our members and those who registered for this event for your continued support of the National Auto Body Council,” NABC CEO Bill Garoutte said in a statement. “We appreciate your understanding as we manage through this unique challenge. We hope everyone remains healthy and well in their local communities, and look forward to seeing everyone in May.” I-CAR has said “All unnecessary travel has been stopped, but local training is still going on until further notice.” The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) has announced the cancellation of its 2020 Annual Educational Conference scheduled for May 3-5 in Newport Beach, CA, due to concerns over COVID-19. “After careful consideration due to the coronavirus affecting potential safety and health concerns, the Women’s Industry Network has decided to cancel our Annual Educational Conference for 2020,” said Cheryl Boswell, WIN chair. Full conference registration fee

refunds will be issued to all participants—this includes Scholarship Walk and guest tickets for the WIN Celebration. No action is required on their part. Regional events cancelled and postponed AASP-MN has cancelled all scheduled committee meetings and events, including the Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference on April 23. See autobodynews.com for a new category of updates on collision industry events throughout the year. All associations are invited to submit their updates to our list. Please forward to aandrews@ autobodynews.com

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New Bronco Coming in March, Bronco Sport to Follow by Jennifer Geiger, cars.com

Information about the reborn Ford Bronco has moved slower than a police chase during rush hour, but we’re getting a bit more of it today. Automotive News reports that Ford told dealers the SUV will make its debut in March. Ford reportedly shared the news at the National Automotive Dealer Association Show in Las Vegas. What’s more, dealers also learned the automaker will offer the Bronco in two- and four-door trim, and its previously confirmed smaller sibling will go by the name Bronco Sport. The latter will likely debut at the 2020 New York International Auto Show in April, Automotive News says. Based on the report, the Bronco Sport will go on sale first, likely later in 2020. The larger Bronco model will follow in early 2021. Ford also told dealers it plans an aggressive rollout of accessories and features to customize the Bronco, similar to what’s available for the Jeep Wrangler — likeSee New Bronco, Page 22

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Judge Grants AGA’s Motion to Compel Allstate to Produce its Pricing Agreements by Emmariah Holcomb, glassBYTES.com

The legal showdown between the plaintiff, Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, Allstate Indemnity Company and Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company (collectively Allstate) and the defendants, Auto Glass America LLC (AGA) and its owner, Charles Isaly, marches forward. Last week, U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie R. Hoffman filed a response granting a motion that compels Allstate to produce its pricing agreements. According to court documents, the parties met and conferred in the courthouse Feb. 26, in an effort to resolve several motions, which included AGA’s motion to compel Allstate to produce its pricing agreements. “Auto Glass America, LLC’s motion to compel production of pricing agreements is granted. On or before March 6, 2020, Allstate Insurance Company shall produce documents responsive to request for production,” a portion of Hoffman’s response reads.

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Ford Parts Patent Fight which stalled in Congress. ABPA sued Ford in 2013 after certain members were accused of selling infringing parts. The group argued an F-150 owner has the right to repair a damaged truck, and ei-

ther make replacement parts or have those parts made for them. A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan refused to ﬁnd Ford’s U.S. Patent Nos. D489,299 and D501,685 unenforceable against ABPA members. Buying a vehicle doesn’t give the owner the right to make “new auto-body parts covered by Ford’s design patents,” the judge said. www.autobodynews.com

Hoffman also noted any documents produced shall be designated as highly confidential, for attorneys’ eyes only, consistent with the parties’ confidentiality agreement. In addition, if either party determines it does not have any responsive information or documents in its possessions, custody or control with respect to the discovery requests addressed, then according to Hoffman, the party must serve a supplemental answer or response stating so. The lawsuit began with Allstate’s allegations that both AGA and Isaly allegedly pressured its insureds into hiring them for windshield replacements, while obtaining assignment of benefits (AOBs). The lawsuit began to heat up, as AGA and Isaly responded to Allstate’s emergency motion 24 hours before the presiding judge issued an order, in response to which AGA and Isaly filed another motion against Allstate. Shortly after a mediation was scheduled. The insurance company previously urged the court to deny AGA and Isaly’s motion to compel Allstate to provide its pricing agree-

“It follows that the owner lacks the right to have those parts made for her by ABPA members,” U.S. District Judge Laurie Michelson wrote. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the ruling in July 2019. In appealing to the Supreme Court, ABPA argued the ruling could minimize, or even eliminate, the right to repair in design patent cases. “This result not only will adversely affect the automotive repair industry with its thousands of daily repair part transactions, but also will adversely affect every industry where products or product components have designs or portions of designs covered by design patents and are in need of repair,” the trade group wrote. Ford didn’t file a response to the ABPA’s petition. The case is Automotive Body Parts Association v. Ford Global Technologies LLC, U.S., U.S., No. 19-1002, 3/9/20 We thank Bloomberg Law for reprint permission.

ments. Allstate cited confidentiality as its reason for not providing its pricing agreements. “Prior to the instant dispute with AGA, there were a few disputes with other glass shops regarding amounts paid by Allstate, which were resolved by settlement. The settlement agreements were designated as confidential and included pricing terms for payment of windshield repair and replacement claims. Defendants now seek those confidential settlement agreements,” a portion of Allstate’s response to AGA and Isaly’s motion to compel pricing agreements reads. Now, however, the insurance company must produce its pricing agreement materials to the defendants on or before March 6, according to court documents. We thank glassBYTES.com for reprint permission.

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New Bronco ly a main competitor. Dealers also reportedly learned the Bronco, like the Wrangler, will have a removable hard top and removable doors. There remain a lot of gaps to fill in about the Bronco. All we know so far is that it’ll be a rugged, offroad-ready SUV expected to share a body-on-frame platform with the next generation of the Ranger pickup and production at the same Wayne, Mich., plant. Based on teaser images, we can also tell it’ll have a boxy, retro silhouette, with a rectangular grille, round headlights and “Bronco” spelled out across the front. Asked to confirm any details from Automotive News’ report, Ford kept mum: “We’ll reveal the all-new Bronco this spring and we’ll have more news to share later this year about our all-new, small rugged yet-tobe named SUV,” spokesman Jiyan Cadiz told Cars.com today in an email. Stay tuned for more once the Bronco is unveiled in March. We thank cars.com for reprint permission.

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GM Tripling Workplace Electric Vehicle Charging General Motors is making electric vehicle charging for employees even more accessible with the addition of 3,500 new EV charging plugs throughout its U.S. and Canadian facilities. This will triple the amount of charging locations that GM currently provides. Increasing the number of EV charging locations available to consumers is one of the top contributors to growing EV adoption. GM believes charging should be ubiquitous and is working with charging providers to offer EV owners options on where to charge. With the internal popularity of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, and with the well-publicized GMC and Cadillac models that will roll out in the future, GM is committed to ensuring all employees are able to conveniently charge their vehicles as the employee EV-owner population grows. Source: GM

Cox Automotive Presents Woman of the Year Award to Virginia Dealer “As our industry evolves, we need people of all genders and races,” says recipient Liza Myers Borches, head of Carter Myers Automotive. Cox Automotive presents its annual Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award to fourth-generation dealer Liza Myers Borches, president and CEO of Carter Myers Automotive. Named after Barbara Cox, the late co-owner of Cox Enterprises and daughter of the company’s founder, the award goes to women who demonstrate business leadership, community advocacy and a commitment to advancing the automotive industry. Cox Automotive President Sandy Schwartz presents the award to Borches at a Northwood University Dealer Education Award breakfast, part of the National Automobile Dealers Assn. convention and expo here. “Liza exemplifies this award by sharing many of the qualities and values that we admire in Mrs. Cox,” Schwartz says. “Being part of a multi-generational, family-owned

business, Liza shares a close connection with the Cox family story.” Borches oversees dealership operations and is dealer principal for the Virginia-based family auto group that includes 15 dealerships and 17 franchises.

en leaders in the auto industry becomes a normal part of the conversation and that the diversity of our customers and our country is reflected. “As our industry evolves, we need people of all genders and races, with the brightest minds, helping work through solutions for the future.” Also at the breakfast, Cox Automotive presents a $10,000 Barbara Cox scholarship to Hannah Gearhart, a Northwood University junior studying Automotive Retail Management. Fourth-generation dealer Liza Myers Borches Gearhart is a Dean’s List student, a member of She joined Carter Myers Au- the school track team and a member tomotive in 2003 after working at of the National Technical Honors American Honda for seven years. Society. Having a passion for cars since She now serves as president and CEO for all Carter Myers Automo- childhood, she is restoring a 1998 Chevrolet Camaro. She aspires to tive businesses. “There is still work to be done work in the finance department of to encourage more women to con- a General Motors dealership. sider a career in the auto industry,” Burches says. “I hope that during We thank Wards Auto for reprint permy daughter’s generation, wom- mission.

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Owning and Electric Car is More Expensive Than a Gas-Powered Vehicle by David A. Wood

Researchers find electric vehicle owners overall pay about 8% more over a 5-year period. Owning a new electric vehicle is more expensive than a traditional gas-powered car over a period of five years and 75,000 miles, allegedly by about $600 per year. But according to research from AAA, while the evidence shows the overall expense of owning an electric vehicle is 8% more, in some categories the cost is lower than owning a gasoline-powered vehicle. The electric vehicles used in the study were these 2019 models: Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Ionic Electric, Kia Soul EV, Nissan Leaf and Volkswagen eGolf. The gasoline-powered 2019 models included the Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla. The study says 71% of electric car owners had never owned one before, and consumers seem pleased with their decisions because 96% say they would buy or lease another one if they needed a new vehicle.

About 78% of electric owners also have gas-powered vehicles available in the household, but the majority of the driving is in their electric vehicles.

Previous AAA research found Americans weren’t too hip on electric cars for various reasons, the main two being the ability to charge the vehicles and worries about the batteries going dead while driving. But this latest research found that nearly all owners report they have never run out of a charge and 75% of charging takes place at home. “Range anxiety has been synonymous with electric vehicles from

the beginning. Hearing firsthand from owners that this is no longer a worry may change the mind of those who have otherwise been skeptical to the idea of owning an electric vehicle.” - Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of Automotive Engineering and Industry Relations Researchers say certain aspects of driving an electric vehicle have benefits even with the overall yearly cost higher than vehicles equipped with combustion engines. AAA found that driving a vehicle equipped with a traditional engine 15,000 miles per year would cost more than $1,200, but the same 15,000 miles would cost an electric car owner $545 for electricity. Maintaining an electric car is also typically cheaper ($330 less) than a traditional vehicle because electric vehicles don’t require things like air filters and oil changes. We thank CarComplaints.com for reprint permission.

GM Reveals New Ultium Batteries for EVs As of March 4, General Motors Co. is gathering hundreds of employees, dealers, investors, analysts, media and policymakers to share details of its strategy to grow the company’s electric vehicle (EV) sales quickly, efficiently and profitably. The heart of GM’s strategy is a modular propulsion system and a highly flexible, third-generation global EV platform powered by proprietary Ultium batteries. They will allow the company to compete for nearly every customer in the market today, whether they are looking for affordable transportation, a luxury experience, work trucks or a high-performance machine. GM’s new Ultium batteries are unique in the industry because the large-format, pouchstyle cells can be stacked vertically or horizontally inside the battery pack. This allows engineers to optimize battery energy storage and layout for each vehicle design. Source: GM

Mediation Scheduled Following Motion to Dismiss in Fraud Suit by Emmariah Holcomb, glassBYTES.com

The legal battle between Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, Allstate Indemnity Company and Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company (collectively Allstate) and Auto Glass America LLC (AGA) and its owner, Charles Isaly, intensified over the past few days. A notice for a mediation was filed Feb. 24, and has been scheduled for March 2. The decision to hold a mediation conference comes after the defendants filed a motion to dismiss based on a lack of jurisdiction. “Defendants (AGA and Isaly) move to dismiss the plaintiffs’ (Allstate) complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Since no individual plaintiff can establish, by a preponderance of the evidence, that any claim against any individual defendant exceeds $75,000, each of the plaintiffs’ claims is properly dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction,” a portion of the motion to dismiss reads. Meanwhile, Allstate responded to AGA and Isaly’s motion to compel Allstate to provide its pric-

ing agreements, and requested the court to deny this motion. The insurance company cited confidentiality as its reason for not providing its pricing agreements. “Prior to the instant dispute with AGA, there were a few disputes with other glass shops regarding amounts paid by Allstate, which were resolved by settlement,” a portion of Allstate’s response to AGA and Isaly’s motion to compel pricing agreements reads. “The settlement agreements were designated as confidential and included pricing terms for payment of windshield repair and replacement claims. Defendants now seek those confidential settlement agreements.” The lawsuit stems from Allstate’s allegations that both AGA and Isaly allegedly pressured its insureds into hiring them for windshield replacements, while obtaining assignment of benefits (AOBs). The lawsuit began to intensify, as AGA and Isaly responded to Allstate’s emergency motion 24 hours before the presiding judge issued an order; in response, AGA and Isaly filed another motion against Allstate. We thank glassBYTES.com for reprint permission.

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Dealership-Based Collision Repair Facilities Projected to Grow CARSTAR, North America’s premier network of independently-owned collision repair facilities, foresees a resurgence of collision repair facilities based in auto dealerships throughout the U.S. and Canada, following the 2020 NADA Show in Las Vegas. This comes in response to changing dealership dynamics, as dealership owners look to improve

• The advent of OEM certifications and the role these will play in collision repair standards going forward • The opportunity for customer retention through comprehensive services, including collision repair • The ability to capture more insurance-pay repair business • The revenue potential for a robust collision repair business that offsets slim dealership margins

their facility performance and profitability. Today, nearly two of every five franchised dealerships operate collision repair centers, the National Automobile Dealers Association reports. But CARSTAR forecasts that could grow. There are several factors driving the renewed interest in collision repair services at auto dealerships, including:

• The availability of dealership real estate and buildings that are vacant after dealership consolidation That’s where CARSTAR comes in. CARSTAR has created partnerships with some 50 automobile dealerships in the U.S. and Canada that combine the local dealer’s brand name with CARSTAR’s proprietary operating procedures, insurance relationships, training and procure-

ment programs. This allows CARSTAR to help deliver best-in-class KPI performance and the highest-quality repairs, while the dealership can focus on selling vehicles. That high-quality repair and customer service experience also helps the dealership retain customer loyalty for future vehicle purchases. For Randy Yockey, owner of Friendly Ford and CARSTAR Friendly in Roselle, IL, the decision to join CARSTAR was a no-brainer, and he encourages other dealerships to look at the partnership model as they evaluate their dealership opportunities. “We knew we were suffering with our collision center at our Ford dealership,” said Yockey. “Our body shop was going nowhere, and after two fires, we had no customers. We knew we needed to do something. “We were approached by CARSTAR, and joined for five years. I’m proud to say we just reupped for 10 years. “We went from no business to about $2.5 million in business in the first five years,” Yockey said.

“We have some 30 DRPs, we’re hiring every day and our shop is filled with work. We’re looking for a better location because we’ve outgrown our current one,” he said. “For other dealership owners, I’d say the partnership with CARSTAR is a no-brainer, I definitely endorse it,” said Yockey. “If you’re willing to work hard and invest in your business, improving your collision repair facility is a great opportunity. Take a look at CARSTAR, talk with local CARSTAR owners, talk to dealership owners like me. “Frankly, you aren’t going to make it unless you are part of a MSO,” he said. Source: CARSTAR

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Canadian Company Takes Aim at ‘Pushy Autobody Shops’ Via New App by Kelvin Gawley, NEWS 1130

A developer of a new app in Canada says he wants to make autobody repairs easier and cheaper for drivers—and take on dishonest body shops in the process. Iouri Ovtchinnikov, co-founder of AutoBuddy Technologies, said he first got the idea for a new app when he owned his own autobody repair shop.

“It was a really bad customer experience so I decided to do something to help people that are in those situations,” he said. Ovtchinnikov said the experience inspired him to provide a service that would experience a thing of the past. With a friend, he developed AutoBuddy, an app that lets drivers upload pictures of minor vehicle damage.

“I was really confused why some shops were doing it so low and why some shops were trying to rip me off,” — Iouri Ovtchinnikov He decided to drive around to his competitors with his own lightly scratched car to see how their rates compared to his. He said he would have charged $700 to $800 but got estimates ranging from $400 to $1,700. “I was really confused why some shops were doing it so low and why some shops were trying to rip me off,” Ovtchinnikov said, adding some of the shops were “very pushy.”

Then body shops in the area can provide estimates, kicking off a bidding process. In addition to saving vehicle owners time and money, Ovtchinnikov said the app keeps shops honest because those overcharging won’t get any business. He cited a 2018 report from insurance company Aviva that estimated auto insurance fraud costs Canadians $2 billion per year, in-

cluding from auto body shops lying to customers and intentionally damaging vehicles. Bridgeport Collision in Richmond is among the first shops using the app. Assistant Manager Mike Wang said he has had two cars come in through the app in the month his company has been on the platform. While it’s been a relatively slow start, Wang said he’s hopeful AutoBuddy will become more popular. Wang said he doesn’t consider autobody shops overcharging to be “fraud” but the result of an “imbalance of information,” which the app can help counteract. He called the app a “win-win” because it brings shops more customers while bringing down costs and hassle for customers, Wang said. As for ICBC, it seems the app is getting some support as the crown corporation said, “Any apps that help to bring greater awareness to consumers are a good thing, as they help people make more informed decisions.” We thank NEWS 1130 for reprint permission.

Ford to Offer All-Electric Transit The best-selling cargo van in the world—Ford Transit—is going digital, with an all-electric version coming for the 2022 model year. With the world’s best-selling cargo van and as America’s best-selling commercial van brand for 41 years, Ford intends to lead the transition to zero emissions in the segment with its all-electric Transit. Ford’s U.S. truck and van fleet sales have grown 33% since 2015 and the company expects continued growth of van sales in the U.S. as e-commerce and “last mile” delivery increase. Ford’s overall van sales delivered their best fourth quarter results since 1978 on sales of 59,930 vans. For the year, Ford van sales totaled 240,529 vehicles. Ford expects electric vehicles to grow to 8% of the industry in 2025 in the U.S. The all-electric Transit, which will be American-built, is part of Ford’s more than $11.5 billion investment in electrification through 2022. Source: Ford

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VW Will Fund Dealers to Wage Local Marketing Campaigns for EVs by Bradley Berman

Dealerships are often the weakest link in the EV marketing pipeline. An automaker can run flashy, expensive ads about EVs at the national level – but when consumers respond with a visit to a dealership, they too often get turned off by disinterested or ill-informed sales folks. Volkswagen is taking steps not only to avoid this problem but to fund EV dynamic marketing at the local level. Volkswagen of America CEO Scott Keogh met with Volkswagen Dealer Advisory Council Chairman Credit: VW yesterday during the national convention of auto dealers. He said that VW will establish a joint marketing fund to support the ID Crozz EV: “It’s intended to do things like dealer events, marketing, traditional marketing – any sort of outreach, anything –because we think a big component of this is to make sure that a dealer is marketing EVs locally, not just on the national stuff that we do.” Keogh is ready to put cash into these campaigns. According to Automotive News, VW will match local marketing funds, maybe even supplying 75% of the resources, depending on the specific market. A cap could be established for each dealer. This approach will be put to the test when Volkswagen introduces the ID Crozz (aka ID4) crossover EV late this year. The ID Crozz will sell in the low- to mid-$30,000 range af-

ter a $7,500 federal tax credit. It will optimistically offer “up to 300 miles” from its 83-kWh battery pack. The ID Crozz is expected to offer DC fast charging at 150 kilowatts. The specs are good. The design is attractive. The price is right. But VW needs to support its intro-

duction with aggressive marketing, even at the local level. CEO Keogh said: “This is a car that we want to sell in a very transparent, modern, omnichannel fashion. And we’ll make sure our dealers have the tools to do that.” Based on the Automotive New Report, dealers are buying into the idea. VW Dealer Advisory Council Chairman John Luciano said dealers – even those were previously reluctant about EVs – are smelling an opportunity. Luciano believes dealers will jump at the chance to get matched funds for local marketing in a voluntary program. “We had so many people that came up and said, ‘Wow, I was not in for any of this. Zero, not my market. Not my world.’ And now [they are saying] ‘I’m seeing that maybe instead I can own that market be-

cause I think everybody else around me [will be too cautious about taking a chance on BEVs].’” US Volkswagen dealers will also get funding for 50% of the equipment needed to support EV efforts. As we posted, Ford is also preparing its dealers to sell and service the Mustang Mach-E. While Ford appears to be preparing all 2,100 nationwide dealers for the Mach-E electric SUV, Volkswagen acknowledges that interest among its 650 US dealers will be varied. Keogh said: “We have a varied network, from dealers selling 2,000 cars a year to dealers doing 30,000 or 40,000 cars. We know that electrification is not going to be 100% equal in all markets.” Luciano, the VW dealer-council chair, believes that fewer than 10% of Volkswagen dealers will completely sit out from offering the

ID Crozz and other EVs. Electrek’s Take The new wave of EVs, like the ID Crozz and Ford Mustang Mach-E, feels different from when legacy automakers previously offered electric cars. A comparison of long-range, ground-up SUVs with the compliance-oriented VW e-Golf and Ford Focus Electric reveals a big difference in strategy and commitment. Volkswagen’s forethought on engaging dealers in local marketing campaigns also shows how automakers learned from the past. Big national branding exercises without local sales and marketing execution don’t maximize sales. Now, VW, Ford, and others need to start delivering the vehicles. We can’t wait to see what happens when all the dots align – great EVs, attractive prices, and fully engaged dealers. That will be the true first test of mainstream electric-car appeal. We thank electrek for reprint permission.

FOR LEASE Nationwide, Automakers to Offer Potential Discounts Nationwide, along with Toyota, Ford and Lincoln, announced partnerships to offer customers insurance options at a potential large discount, based on data collected by their connected vehicles about their driving habits. Nationwide and Toyota Insurance Management Solutions (TIMS) have teamed up to launch TIMS BrightDrive, simplifying the purchasing process while re-

warding customers for their safe driving. Ford Insure and Lincoln Motor Company Insure, powered by Nationwide, now offer a simple and convenient way to secure usage-based insurance coverage through Ford Motor Credit Company’s licensed insurance agency. Drivers of all three makes can be eligible for up to a 40% discount on their insurance.

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al years, he said. “It’s a popular show and space is limited, so we were on their waiting list,” Morgan said. “We were able si, Inc., Dr. ColorChip, asTech, Gar- to meet with the decision-makers, mat, CCC Informational Services, Pro which is what you always want from Spot International and UpdatePromise a show like this. Will we participate were exhibitors this year. next year? Absolutely.” Public Relations & Event Mar- Here is a brief recap from all of keting Specialist Ronnie Guindon at the highlights of this year’s show, acGlobal Finishing Solutions said his cording to press releases from NADA: company’s participation in the show Every year, NADA is wellwas a success. Sending three compa- known for helping nonprofit organiny reps and three of their western dis- zations in cities that host its annual tributors to the show was definitely a show. good idea, he said. This year, they donated $50,000 “We got a lot of traffic and met to the Nellis Support Team, a nonprofpeople from dealerships and colli- it organization supporting the 30,000 airmen and their families at Nellis Air Force Base, Creech Air Force Base and Nevada Test and Training Range in southern Nevada. This is the second donation in three years that NADA has made to the organization. Assurant, Inc., a globGlobal Finishing Solutions was happy with the show’s traffic al provider of lifestyle and and the leads they gathered at NADA 2020. Credit: GFS housing solutions that supsion centers who are in the market port, protect and connect major confor our equipment,” Guindon said. sumer purchases like automobiles, “At the NADA Show, we get quality contributed $25,000 through its leads as opposed to a large volume of Assurant Foundation to the NADA them, like at SEMA. More and more Foundation’s Workforce Initiative. dealerships are investing in their own “Assurant is proud to support in-house body shops, which is good the NADA Foundation’s Worknews for us.” force Initiative that’s committed to COO Tim Morgan at Spanesi, developing the next generation of Inc. was happy to be an exhibitor at auto professionals,” said Assurant’s NADA 2020 after waiting for sever- Global Automotive president, John Continued from Cover

2020 NADA Expo

Laudenslager. “We believe it is important to invest in the future and encourage the next generation of innovators, leaders, engineers and technology professionals.” During NADA Show 2020 in Las Vegas, Assurant drove dealers to their booth with a pledge to donate $100 to the NADA Workforce Initiative for each dealer who visited. On Feb. 16, Assurant presented NADA with a $40,300 check, representing funds raised during NADA to support the Workforce Initiative’s mission. NADA Foundation launched the Workforce Initiative in 2019 to harmonize industry efforts and offer a brand-neutral tool for recruiting service technicians and sparking an interest in service technician careers. The foundation’s website, nadafoundation.org, includes the first and only interactive U.S. map of training and scholarship opportunities available for aspiring technicians, as well as videos featuring a variety of technicians highlighting their careers and the challenging nature of their work. Once again, NADA backed its bark by raising funds for service dogs from Canine Companions for Inde-

pendence (CCI) over the expo floor on Feb. 16, as NADA Foundation and KAR Global auctioned off a VIP all-access “Epic Experience” package for the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500. Proceeds from the auction benefit the NADA Foundation’s Frank E. McCarthy Memorial Program, which supports CCI, a non-profit organization that pairs highly-trained assistance dogs with people with disabilities. With more than 120 educational sessions, attendees to NADA Show 2020 featured top industry experts that included an Intro to NADA Analytics with NADA’S Chad Royston, Orbee Auto’s Daniel Kim and Cox Automotive’s Jason Jager. LinkedIn’s Mariel Lasala discussed why the social platform is a gamechanger for auto dealerships. NADA 2020’s Distinguished Speakers series featured best-selling author and digital expert Erik Qualman. Using practical research, Qualman outlined the five habits that drive success and happiness for employees, partners and customers in today’s highly digital, WiFi world.

Auto Glass Industry Faces Calibration Issues by Emmariah Holcomb, glassBYTES.com

Select Honda vehicles equipped with multipurpose cameras (LDW and LKAS) have become more challenging to recalibrate due to the camera being incorrectly mounted in the bracket, according to some auto glass installers. Several installers say the vehicle’s camera is not aligned within the trapezoidal shape of the camera window. glassBYTEs.com has been receiving reports involving DOT

numbers 459 and 563, which installers are saying are at the root of recalibration issues. The DOT numbers are for glass made by Fujian Yanhua Glass Industry, Co., also known as Fuyao, and Shenzhen Automotive Glass Manufacturing, also known as Xinyi. Neither company has responded to glassBYTEs request for comment as of press time. We thank glassBYTEs.com for reprint permission.

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Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 wholesaleparts@metrohonda.com autobodynews.com / APRIL 2020 AUTOBODY NEWS 35

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with John Yoswick

Shop Showcase

Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.

with Ed Attanasio

Mike’s Auto Body Adds Pleasanton Location By adding new locations strategical- Concord and Walnut Creek and one ly to cover more of northern Cali- each in Lafayette, Pittsburg, Antifornia’s East Bay, Mike’s Auto Body och, Brentwood, Richmond, Vallejo, has grown steadily since its Napa, Fairfield, Alameda, Fremont, with Edopening Attanasio doors 44 years ago. San Ramon, its ADAC location in Recently, this MSO added its 17th Antioch, and now in Pleasanton, Milocation when it acquired Gil’s Body ke’s Auto Body has now blanketed Works in Pleasanton, CA. With the ul- the entire East Bay. Gil’s Body Works originally opetimate goal to expand its market and fortify its presence along the Highway ned in Dublin, CA, in 1988, and moved to Pleasanton 13 years with Ed Attanasio later. The facility is roughly 10,000 square feet in size and located close to the city’s downtown area. This acquisition is strategic and a great match for Mike’s with Ed Attanasio Mike’s Auto Body recently required Gil’s Body Works in Auto Body, according to the Pleasanton, CA, to expand its market in the East Bay. company’s Brennan Rose. Credit: Rick Rehm “We were extremely lucky 680 corridor, Mike’s Auto Body has that the people at Gil’s gave us the long been interested in doing business opportunity to sit down and discuss in Pleasanton, a growing area with ap- our company culture with them,” said Rose. “One of our primary goals proximately 80,000 inhabitants. with Stacey Phillips Already with two locations in was to make their family business, a

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family business, just like us. “It is definitely an ideal situation for Mike’s Auto Body because of their operational standards, overall facility structure and employees fit our business model perfectly,” Rose said.

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Mike’s will retain the crew at Gil’s while installing its own approach to collision repair and customer service. Credit: Rick Rehm

Veteran Manager Tony Castagnetto has agreed to oversee the operations at the new Pleasanton location to make sure that everything keeps rolling along during the transition period. “We’re confident that our new team will hit the ground running and

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enable us to operate seamlessly while we add our DRP partners and implement our company culture here,” Castagnetto said. “Just like us, Jeff Gil has a lot of long-term quality employees, and we want to make them part of our family at Mike’s Auto Body. “We don’t want to re-invent the wheel because Gil has a great reputation for doing outstanding work and their customers are loyal,” he said. Rose said any expansion has challenges, but by emulating his company’s system and culture, their success rate is high. “We would like to recognize our team for their hard work and dedication,” Rose said. “Our incredible people have enabled us to flourish and expand within our current region and enter new markets over the years. As owners, we know all too well that it takes a strong, focused management team and great employees to make any business successful.”

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Tractable Secures $25M in Funding, CEO Shares Grand Vision for Collision Repair Industry by Chasidy Rae Sisk

Tractable, an A.I. photo estimating company, announced Feb. 27 it raised $25 million to expand into new markets and enhance research and development initiatives on its software. The investment was led by Georgian Partners, with participation from existing investors, including Insight Partners and Ignition Partners. Combined with the $30 million previously raised, Tractable has raised $55 million. Tractable currently operates in nine countries but plans to use the recently secured funds to expand into new markets. It also plans to use the funds to invest in research and development to ensure its software is the best available A.I. on the market. “Our mission at Tractable is to bring A.I. breakthroughs to real-world problems and by doing so, make a positive difference to people’s lives,” said Tractable founder and CEO Alex Dalyac. “We’re achieving that every day, as our technology means people

across the world are recovering their livelihoods more quickly after an accident. “This new investment from Georgian Partners, who have a standout track record in investing in software companies, shows informed investors believe we will scale our success even further and reach new markets, new clients and new areas to operate in.” Tractable is particularly interested in obtaining new clients from the collision repair industry. “A.I. can benefit the collision repair industry throughout the life of the claim in a variety of ways,” said Ahmed Zifzaf, marketing lead for Tractable. “For starters, it expedites the process and allows for early parts ordering. This technology will be very useful as it pertains to a lot of elements in the collision repair lifecycle.” Julie Kheyfets, head of North American business for Tractable, explained a few ways the company’s software will benefit collision repair facilities. “When triaging vehicles, repair-

ers can use A.I. to quickly determine if the vehicle is repairable or if it’s a total loss,” Kheyfets said. “They can use the software to create estimates which, in addition to saving time, will help drive consistency and accuracy in the shop’s estimates. “Our software can also instantly audit an estimate to ensure it’s in line with insurer standards. The A.I. processes much of the shop’s operational paperwork and can save shops time and effort.” Since Tractable announced its A.I. offering for collision repairers at SEMA 2019, Kheyfets said, it has received a significant amount of demand from the collision repair industry, including from repairers. “A.I. is new to the collision repair ecosystem, and as with any new technology, some folks are very excited by the potential and value they see, while others are more cautious and will wait for widespread adoption before moving forward,” Kheyfets said, “We’re very excited about how much enthusiasm we’re seeing from shops.”

Currently, several major MSOs are testing Tractable’s A.I. technology in hopes of streamlining their operations and reducing their supplement rates. Although Dalyac believes it makes a lot of sense to start with these larger companies, he’s happy the company has received interest from independent collision repair facilities as well, and he’s hopeful the most recent round of funding will help Tractable pursue that level of business more actively. “Much of the marketing around A.I. entering the collision repair ecosystem is centered around insurers, but a lot of shops have asked if A.I. is for them too—the answer is yes!” Dalyac said. “We want every player in the industry, including repairers, to have their own A.I., which they can calibrate to meet the demands of their individual business.” Tractable is also working with the salvage industry and announced partnerships with LKQ and the Auto Body Parts Association in SeptemSee $25M in Funding, Page 56

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with Erica Schroeder

Industry Insight with John Yoswick

—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

Long-time Industry Lobbyist Offers Perspectives on Government’s Role in Industry Issues

Shop Showcase

Bob Redding serves as the industry’s should be able to expect they’ve been eyes, ears and voice in Washington, maintained and repaired properly, D.C. with Ed Attanasio Redding said, but those owning them As the national lobbyist for the may not “have skin in the game” for Automotive Service Association, Red- ensuring that happens. ding helps keep the autobody industry “If your family needs some cash (along with the mechanical service so you’re driving for Uber or Lyft, industry) appraised on legislative and (safe repairs) might not be the first regulatory activities and proposals, thing you have in mind as long as and brings the industry’s viewpoint to the car is blowing and going,” Redwith Ed Attanasio ding said. “We think with new vehicle technologies, somebody needs to be looking at these vehicles. Not just post-repair inspection, but also some type of annual or biennial vehicle safety with Ed Attanasio inspection.” A topic Redding said he thinks the industry should be more attuned to is eminent domain, the right of a Bob Redding serves as a lobbyist for the Automotive local or state government to with Ed Attanasio Service Association. Credit: Sheri LaFlamme expropriate private property table when lawmakers or government for public use. agencies are making decisions. The New York Times recently During a recent interview in his published a special section on the office, just a five-minute walk from many automotive businesses—inkey U.S. Senate office buildings, Red- cluding Joe’s Auto Body—in a secwith Phillips ding talked about someStacey of the topics tion of Queens now owned by the he’s engaged in as part of his work for city and slated for redevelopment to ASA. “become New York’s next gleaming Almost every year, for exam- neighborhood.” ple, the association opposes efforts The city of Austin, TX, is seekto curtail or even eliminate existing ing to update its land development state vehicle inspection programs. code in a way that will effectively with Stacey Phillips This year there are been proposals to zone out some existing automotive scale back the inspection programs businesses. in Virginia and West Virginia. Redding said a section of Alex Redding said in addition to help- andria, VA, that “has a long history ing shops in those states voice sup- of having collision and mechanical port for the vehicle safety inspection shops” could change as a major Amwith Stacey Phillips programs, ASA is supporting efforts azon facility and new subway service to add such programs in those states moves into the area. without them, including California. “How are you going to have a “There’s interest there, but we’ve subway station and Amazon across got to get a study first, and that’s what the street from a mom-and-pop mewe’re working on now,” Redding said chanical shop and a couple collision of the multi-association effort in Calishops,” Redding said. with Stacey Phillips fornia. He said it’s hard to get the in Redding said such programs— dustry motivated on the issue. in place in only about 15 states—are Redding is one of three co-chairs increasingly important as ride-share of the Collision Industry Conference and other trends reduce private own- Governmental Committee, and in a reership of vehicles in use. cent poll by that committee, eminent Those riding in such vehicles domain ranked a distant last on the

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topics CIC attendees said they wanted the committee to address at upcoming meetings. “I almost think it comes down to: If it’s not my shop, I’m not worried about it,” Redding said. “Which is tragic. Because next time it could be your shop.” As a long-time observer of politics, Redding tends not to speak about one party being better for the industry than another. He understands many ASA members share positions relative to taxes as Republicans, but sees Democrats as also being sympathetic toward small businesses and some industry issues. At a state level, for example, he points to a Republican-controlled Senate in Pennsylvania that wanted to kill that state’s vehicle emissions testing program—a program ASA supports for its mechanical shop members— only to have Democrats in the state

Media and Publicity for Shops Shop Strategies

House save it. So Redding mainly focuses on what likely can and cannot be accomplished based on whatever party has control. Looking to this fall’s election, Redding said control of the U.S. Senate is “really up for grabs,” but that Democrats will likely maintain the majority in the U.S. House despite Republicans likely picking up some seats there. “If it stays Democratic, you will see more vehicle safety initiatives, and efforts to put much more money into electric vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure,” Redding predicts. “If autonomous vehicle legislation has not gone across the finish line by then, they will have another two years (to work on it) and I think it likely would.” Democratic control of the House See Lobbyist Offers Perspectives, Page 55

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Mike Anderson Discusses “Utilizing Technology to Thrive and Not Just Survive in 2020” during February CIECAst by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Feb. 13, CIECA offered a CIECAst webinar entitled “Utilizing Technology to Thrive and Not Just Survive in 2020” with Mike Anderson of Collision Advice. Topics included eliminating human disruption, how AI will impact collision repair facilities, electronic quality control checklists, text reminders, customer updates using technology, and much more. CIECA Executive Director Ed Weidmann began the webinar by welcoming attendees and introducing Mike Anderson of Collision Advice. After covering antitrust and competition guidelines, Anderson dove into a discussion about eliminating human disruption. “It is no secret that more and more admin tasks are being added to collision repair facilities,” Anderson said. “Due to this fact, we, as collision repairers, must find ways to utilize technology to work smarter, not harder, and improve our efficiencies. “We must also find ways to eliminate human disruption so that we can stay on task and not get side-tracked. Claims count is also declining, and we need to utilize technology to counter this.” Recommending that shops reevaluate their staffing, Anderson pointed out that estimators can’t handle the same workload as they could in the past due to the increased admin time needed to research OEM procedures, source parts due to insurance requirements, meet customer service expectations and more. He urged, “We MUST embrace technology to reduce the workload of your staff.” Anderson identified suggestions for reducing this administrative burden. Instead of manually scheduling appointments, shops can use scheduling technology to optimize shop production and consumer demand after hours. Automatic email and text appointment reminders can be sent, and online reservations for rental cars should be used.

He also discussed electronic QC forms and management system interfacing with vendors to import parts invoices instead of manually inputting those invoices. “There are a lot of things we can utilize technology for,” Anderson stressed. “No matter what segment of the industry you’re in, ask yourself what things you can stop doing manually and start utilizing technology to do. Work smarter, not harder.”

views may become the CSI of the future. We are seeing some insurers using online reviews as their CSI, and some OEMs are also considering this.” Talking about business photos on Google, a shop’s website, Facebook and anywhere else it may be published, Anderson said, “Your first picture should be what your business looks like from the street, so a client recognizes your building while driving down the road.

Connected cars will spur innovation and growth among automotive and non-automotive industries alike,” — Mike Anderson Next, Anderson discussed customer service expectations and informed webinar participants that consumers have liquid expectations and no longer compare their experience with a collision repair facility to other automotive services experiences; they are comparing the experience to the ease and relevance of their experience of the best in all industries. Examples he gave were Uber, which provides electronic receipts and Amazon, which is available 24/7. Anderson asked, “Are you using technology to offer your services after hours?” Anderson said more accidents happen on Saturdays than any other day, and 36% of consumers need services outside of normal business hours. “Normally, they want to schedule for an estimate or drop-off, and you have to provide the ability to schedule appointments after hours,” he said. “You absolutely need to do this if you want to tap into that 36%.” Emphasizing the importance of taking advantage of their shop’s Google listing, Anderson explained that most consumers search “best” when they are looking for a type of business, and only businesses with four or more stars get listed under that designation. He explained how that listing can be used to receive texts from potential clients after hours, and he discussed how to obtain reviews and link them to a business’s website. Anderson predicted, “Online re-

“I would discourage you from including pictures of equipment or disassembled cars—this means nothing to consumers—but include photos of your waiting room, happy customers and staff.” Moving on to photo estimating, Anderson acknowledged the contro-

versial views many collision repairers have of this tool, but he pointed out, “Photo estimating is not a perfect solution, but we must start somewhere as a way to interact with the customer outside normal business hours. “There’s a difference between settling a claim and a marketing strategy, and claimants like this technology,” he said. “Remember that 36% of people need your services outside of normal business hours, and couples want to make a joint decision when they are both together to discuss alternate transportation, finances and other matters. “Don’t rush to conclusions about photo estimating; there’s a right application for this tool,” Anderson continued. “Offer it as a marketing strategy so customers can reach you after hours,” he said. “Use the photos to triage or schedule work, or utilize them to get a jump start on researching OEM procedures. “You know you can’t write an

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estimate without completely disassembling the vehicle, but this isn’t a black and white area,” Anderson said. “Photo estimating is something the industry needs, but we have to set parameters around it.” Noting that ADAS is also starting to have an impact on the industry, Anderson noted that claims were down by up to 7% last year, and he anticipated that trend continuing. Noting that as claims frequency declines, capture rate is and will continue to be critical, Anderson suggested, “Increasing severity is hiding the loss of car count. Scanning and calibration caused severity to increase, hiding the fact that we have fewer cars coming to our shop doors, so it’s important that we use technology to track the car count, not just income produced. “Lots of sales cover lots of sins,” Anderson said. “When sales are up and shops are making money, we quit paying attention to things that make us successful, like capture rate. Are you following up with potential customers?” Anderson urged shops to build best practices now, and onitor where work comes from monthly. “Referral source reports from many management systems allow you to track where your work is coming from, but the attention is in the detail!” Anderson said. “Make sure you note who referred your customers, and if they are a DRP client, you want to know if they were referred by the insurer or were already planning to use your shop and just happen to be a policyholder for an insurance company with which you have a DRP relationship,” he said. “I want you to thrive, and not just survive!” Anderson reiterated. “In order to do that, you have to provide details that allow you to proactively assess what’s going on,” he said. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a common topic people discuss, and Anderson explored how AI will impact collision repair centers. According to CCC Information Services, the company has been working with deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML) technologies since 2011, and the algorithms it has in place show that, today, it is 90% accurate in predicting when an insurer will declare

a car a total loss through analysis of a photo of the damaged vehicle. “What does this mean to the collision repair professional?” Anderson pondered. “As AI is implemented into our industry, total losses will be identified before the vehicle is sent to a shop. This eliminates the vehicle storage profit center which is huge for some shops, therefore, they’ll have to replace that lost revenue. “On the positive side, shops with DRP agreements will be able to focus on repairable vehicles,” Anderson said. Regarding total losses, Anderson offered a “golden nugget.” “Make sure to ask customers if they want you to delete their personal data from the vehicle before sending it to the salvage yard,” he said. “Customers store cell phone data, garage door codes, GPS information and more in their vehicles, and removing that information benefits the consumer and the insurer. Shops need to offer it,” he said. Anderson then explained that the days of pen and paper QC forms are gone, and electronic QC procedures are imperative, pointing out that the electronic version records a date, time, and in some cases, a geotag. He explored some of the challenges related to electronic checklists, such as data storage, setting standards and holding staff accountable for accurate completion. The benefits of utilizing electronic QC checklists were also addressed. According to Anderson, “Collision repairers today absolutely must use electronic QC checklists. They create verifiable trust between all parties, including the OEM, insurer and consumer, and it allows the shop to hold everyone to the same standards.” Anderson then explored the opportunities that exist with test drives and the importance of ensuring the shop has a strong WiFi signal that can handle all employees accessing it at the same time. Examining the topic of telematics and connected vehicles, Anderson observed that the age of connected cars began with GM’s OnStar in 1996, and as of 2016, there were 250 companies with over $38.7 billion in funding in that space. “Today, it is coming at us at

lightning speed,” Anderson said. “Connected cars will spur innovation and growth among automotive and non-automotive industries alike,” he said. “For companies willing to invest in the automotive industry of the future, payback could be huge. In 2020, analysts project the global connected car industry to be a $141 billion market.” Anderson urged collision repairers to acquire training now, as he discussed generational preferences related to connected cars and the importance of checking owner’s manuals to learn if a vehicle needs to be placed into service mode prior to disassembly to prevent an alert being sent to the vehicle owner while the car is in the shop. Talking about voice activated search and the frequency with which this is utilized while driving, Anderson pointed out, “The vehicle will be and may already be watching you! As more cars are connected to the Internet in the future, we’ll see more cameras, and it’s important to understand that anything we say or do around the vehicle can actually be recorded on

SOUTHE

those cameras.” As the February CIECAst came to a conclusion, Anderson shared his wish list. He’d like to see a genius feature for parts and OEM research where the system is more integrated and makes recommendations, in addition to a search feature to identify one-time use parts and AI to determine best scheduling practices. “The collision repair industry hasn’t scratched 10% of its potential when it comes to utilizing technology,” Anderson said, quoting an “old country song” to add, “We have a long way to go and a short time to get there!” CIECA’s webinars are eligible for AMi credit toward an industry-recognized professional designation and specialty degree. The next CIECAcast is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17 at 11 a.m. CST and will feature Michael Ortega, Senior Director of Application Development at IAA. The webinar is entitled “The Key to Collaboration: Combining Technology and Communication.” For more information on CIECA and its webinars, visit cieca.com.

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Techs of Tomorrow: 16-Year-Old Texas Student Views Collision Repair as Art Form was given a damaged piece of sheet metal in class. Ivan Reyes took his first collision re- “Without hesitation I began to pair class in 2018 during his freshman fix it and finished within five minyear at Kingwood Park High School utes,” he said. “It was in that moment in Kingwood, TX. Reyes said he when I looked around the room and wanted a different perspective on the saw my peers still trying to figure automotive industry and believed things out, I discovered my talent.” Reyes described the prothat instructor Jeff Wilson’s cess of metal forming as course would offer that. pretty straight forward. “I feel collision repair is “First you get your palm a form of art because it transdolly and a hammer, typicalforms something damaged ly one with a flat head, you back to looking new again,” place the palm dolly behind he explained. “I’ve always had a love for art, and I feel the metal, apply pressure, Ivan Reyes that collision repair also reand lightly tap the hammer quires the same amount of patience, directly behind the metal while the technique and the right ‘eyes’ for de- palm dolly is supporting the protail.” cess,” he explained. “With caution, Wilson said Reyes is a perfec- you smoothly start making circles tionist on the non-structural side of around the direct damage until it has the collision industry, while most of gone flush.” his students are more drawn to paint- Reyes said he finds this practice ing. appealing because it takes him to a “He has a natural talent for form- “stress-free zone.” “It’s just me and the metal, and ing metal back into shape and making it look new again,” Wilson added. all I can focus on is right in front of Reyes recalls the first time he me,” he added. “It feels natural and by Victoria Antonelli

simple to me.” Reyes said his favorite project so far was working on an SUV trunk door with extensive damage.

Ivan Reyes, sophomore at Kingwood Park High School, is already becoming a role model in his collision repair classes, says instructor Jeff Wilson. Credit: Ivan Reyes

“We got to repair the panel and apply etching primer, 2K primer, base and clear coats to complete the job,” he explained. “Seeing the final product definitely evoked a feeling of

success.” One minor challenge Reyes has come across in Wilson’s class is perfecting his technique when using body filler. “I find this part a bit difficult because of the patience needed to get it right,” he said. “But I know that with Mr. Wilson’s help and mentorship, I will also master this process one day soon.” Reyes said one of his proudest accomplishments was fixing a customer’s 2001 Dodge Ram tailgate. “It had been through years of use and I was able to transform it back to looking brand new,” he explained. “What made that moment special to me was the amount of admiration I received from Mr. Wilson and my peers.” “He is truly becoming a positive role model for the course,” Wilson added. Once Reyes graduates in two years’ time, he said he plans to attend UTI for autobody and collision repair along with automotive techSee Techs of Tomorrow, Page 49

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with Stacey Phillips

From the Desk of Mike Anderson with Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson is the president and owner of Collision Advice, a consulting company for the auto body/collision repair industry. For nearly 25 years, he was the owner of Wagonwork Collision Center, an OEM-certified, full-service auto body repair facility in Alexandria, VA.

Performing All OEM Safety Inspections is Critical—but OEMs Can Help Us Too At last November’s SEMA, I had the honor of moderating a session featuring representatives from a number of automakers. The subject came up of the detailed safety inspections most automakers call for being done on vehicles that have been in a collision. In many cases, these inspections require a lot: measuring the steering column, checking seat belt anchors, inspecting wiring and connectors, removing the dash to check the knee bolsters and mounting points, etc. During the discussion, Nicole Riedel of Subaru of America was asked if the detailed, labor-intensive safety inspections that her company—like many other automakers— call for really must be done on every vehicle undergoing collision repairs. “Every time,” Riedel emphasized. “Even if you are in New York City and vehicles are just getting sideview mirrors clipped, you still have to do it (after those repairs.) We will not deviate from that procedure…We need you to do it every single time.” I think it’s critically important that shops research on every job what safety inspections the particular automaker is calling for, to educate themselves, their customer and, if necessary, any insurer involved. I’m getting a lot of calls from both shops and insurance companies about these safety inspections. In some cases, the educated shops that recognize the need to do them are being told by a third party that a dealership or an OEM-certified shop says the inspections are not necessary. My message to you, is that you, as a professional--whether a shop or an insurer—need to understand that whatever an uneducated dealer or shop thinks does not negate the need to follow the OEM procedures, nor remove you from the liability for not doing so. I think too few shops in the industry are doing these inspections, and that makes it tougher for the shops trying to do the right thing. There are generally very sound

reasons why the post-crash safety inspection steps are so important. One automaker explained to me, for example, that measuring the steering column is necessary because that column contains collapsible plastic bushings. If those bushings are collapsed, the steering column needs to be replaced. There’s no other way to know that without measuring it. A vehicle scan isn’t going to tell you if those bushings are collapsed, or if a dash or sensor bracket or seatbelt mounting point is damaged. That all requires a visual inspection. So first and foremost, my message here is that you need to be doing these inspections whenever they are called for under the automaker procedures. I was in a meeting recently with about 30 other industry professionals where one person shared that of 10 steering columns he’d inspected for one particular domestic automaker, three were damaged. Another said his shop had just removed a headliner and found a supplemental restraint system senor had been dislodged. Wow. Think about what may have happened if those issues were not found. The result in a future accident could have had disastrous consequences. But I also have a message for the industry as a whole and for the automakers in particular: We need to develop more clarity on this subject, if only to remove the friction I’m seeing. I salute the automakers looking for creative solutions that reduce the need for the invasiveness of some of these inspections. One OEM, for example, has put a sight glass in the steering column underneath the airbag cover. If you look through that sight glass and see a particular marking, that tells you the steering column has collapsed and needs to be replaced. If you don’t see the mark, you’re good to go. That’s an easier, less labor intensive solution. Some automakers also try to clarify differences in what steps are nec-

essary based on whether airbags have deployed or not deployed. But others use such phrases such as “minor to moderate collision.” I think we need to get a better definition of what qualifies as a “minor to moderate collision.” Just like most of you, I’m not an engineer, so I don’t feel qualified to determine that. If what’s required in terms of safety inspections varies based on the severity of the collision, we need the automaker engineers to help us define that. Perhaps I-CAR can work with the automakers to do that. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has developed one definition (https://www.nhtsa. gov/car-seats-and-booster-seats/car -seat-use-after-crash) of a “minor crash” in relation to when child safety seats must be replaced. I don’t know if that’s how au-

tomakers would define it in terms of post-collision safety inspections, but it’s one possible starting place for the discussion. I’m by no means saying the safety inspections may not always be necessary. The automakers are the experts. If they say the inspections are necessary every time, then they are. Shops need to continue to research the procedures and follow them every time. But the automakers can play an important role here in clarifying or communicating exactly when and why the safety inspections are needed to help remove some of the friction that is leading both shops and insurers—those trying to do the right thing—to reach out to me on this topic every single day.

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with Stacey Phillips

Tips for Busy Body Shops

Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.

with Stacey Phillips

Uber for Business Offers Collision Shops Alternative for Customer Transportation When a vehicle is dropped off at a Rather than using the personal duction in risk. coupons shops can hand out to cusbody shop for repair, transporting a Uber app, Bauman encourages col- “If you were going to pull a CSR tomers, who can then decide when customer to his or her desired location lision repair facilities to sign up for or technician off the shop floor to get they want to ride. The business sets withMany Stacey Phillips can often be an issue. shops rely Uber for Business, which is the same a customer to work, you lost all of the parameters of the voucher and on loaner cars, rental cars and shuttles. price and offers the same functional- that person’s productivity when they can decide how much of a ride will However, Jim Bauman, auto- ity as the regular Uber app. were giving a person a ride,” said be covered or where it can go. motive partnerships lead at Uber, said Bauman said the vouchers help these options aren’t always conducive businesses enhance customer service “It’s a great way for shop owners to take care of their to every situation. and drive repeat business, as well customers and keep their costs in check,” — Jim Bauman “We’ve talked to a lot of body as remove the customer’s burden of shops—both with independents driving, navigating and parking. Victoriaand Antonelli MSOs—as well as insurance com- “There is no contract, no mini- Bauman. “Instead, that employee can “These are going to be great panies, and across the board there mum usage and no premium in terms stay focused on his or her job.” products for collision centers as they The ride is covered under Uber’s offer a really seamless experience for is no one, perfect solution for taking of fee for using a business account,” care of customer mobility,” said Bau- he said. “What it allows a body shop insurance policies in case anything customers,” said Bauman. “We want man. “Obviously, rental cars are a big to do is to control who is allowed to happens, which Bauman said reduces to make sure the collision industry part of the collision industry, but they book an Uber ride for a customer and the risk exposure for body shops. knows we are here for them with don’t solve everywith problem, Ed especially Attanasio gives full transparency and account- “It’s a great way for shop own- solutions that solve their problems.” if a customer doesn’t have rental cov- ability.” ers to take care of their customers and For information on how to eserage replacement insurance.” Bauman leads Uber for Busi- keep their costs in check,” he said. tablish an Uber for Business account, In situations like these, shop ness’s strategy and partnership for Currently, there are more than visit this link https://www.uber. owners may ask a customer service the automotive industry, which of- 1,000 car dealerships in the U.S. that com/us/en/business/info/automotive representative (CSR) or technician fers mobility solutions for those op- use Uber Central daily. -solutions/ or contact an automotive to drive a customer in their person- erating large and small businesses. Uber Vouchers are configurable account executive at 415-910-9384. al or shop-owned vehicle. with Gary Ledoux There are two main Uber for Not only can this impact a CSR’s Business products Bauman recomproductivity, but Bauman said it also mends for body shops: Uber Central and Uber Vouchers. Kia Downtown Los Angeles Uber Central uses dispatch software to book rides for customers. Riders aren’t required to have the Uber with Stacey Phillips app on their phones and all of the communication occurs via text. “If you know how to use the Uber app for yourself, you’re going to learn how Uber Central, one of the Uber for Business products, uses Large Inventory of Genuine Kia Parts to use Uber Central with dispatch software to with book ridesMike for customers. Credit: Uber Anderson no problem,” said Bauman. increases the risk exposure for a body “It’s a very similar flow, but it’s a disExperienced Wholesale Parts Staff shop. patching software so you can set up Recognizing the success car deal- rides for customers to get them from erships are having using Uber for Busi- point A to point B.” ness’s tools to address these challenges, There are additional benefits Uber began reaching out to body shops to using Uber Central that Bauman Mon-Fri 7am-7pm as well. said business owners don’t have ac Since launching its ride-sharing cess to with the regular app. platform in the U.S. 11 years ago, For example, employees can keep 213.342.0980 Fax Uber has expanded internationally track of the repair number, so they and instituted a variety of programs in know the trip associated with each job. 1834 S. Figueroa Street the 66 countries in which it operates. Bauman said the company built Los Angeles, CA 90015 In 2014, the company established easy-to-use tools that have an immeUber for Business, which specifically diate, positive impact on Customer focuses on the needs of business own- Satisfaction Index (CSI) scores, cyers. cle time, reduction in costs and re-

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ADAS for Off-Roaders by Gary Ledoux

Recently, I purchased a 2020 Jeep Wrangler 4WD, and it came with, among other things, an epiphany— at no additional charge, mind you. Now, this is not my first 4WD vehicle, but the last one was purchased more than 30 years ago, certainly before the days of Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS.) The Jeep Wrangler arguably has more available accessories than perhaps any other 4WD (or 2WD for that matter) vehicle sold in America. Many new Jeep owners, and those who buy other 4WD vehicles, like the ultra-popular Ford, GM and Ram pickup trucks, start by replacing the factory wheels and tires with a taller accessory wheel/tire combination, for more ground clearance. And then, to make the taller rubber fit, a lift kit is needed. This is followed by side steps to get into the 4WD skyscraper, rock-liquefying high-intensity offroad lights—and the list goes on. And now about that epiphany. ADAS systems, which by now we have all come to know and love, have some flexibility built into them to allow for the wearing and replacement of standard-size tires, and the sagging and replacement of aging suspension systems. What they don’t automatically allow for is a vehicle whose driving geometry has completely changed, being several inches higher than it was originally, or a rate of tire rotation for taller tires, which could affect automated braking systems and speedometer readings. And then of course, you have the accessory bumpers designed to accept a plethora of driving lights (or a winch to get you out of those really tough spots) but that could affect air bag deployment. A trip to a few Jeep-owner social media sites revealed most Jeep owners were pretty much oblivious to the concept of ADAS or other safety features and how various accessories could adversely affect them in an accident. But this is not to target Jeep owners. In their defense, the RAM, Ford and GM pickup trucks, also favorites for four-wheelers, have much more robust ADAS systems.

Of course, no 4WD owner, Jeep or otherwise, would ever think to have their ADAS system recalibrated to allow for the big tires and lift kit when the items are first installed. That responsibility will, by default

Jim Bemis, of Palm Harbor, FL, owns this 2018 Jeep Wrangler, outfitted with a lift kit and taller tires, creating a 3- to 4-in. lift. Credit: Jim Bemis

and for better or worse, rest on the shoulders of the collision shop that repairs that same vehicle after a collision. Chuck Olsen, master technician and now senior vice president of automotive technology for AirPro Diagnostics, said FCA is probably the most attuned to this sort of thing, because of their association with Jeep and the degree to which Jeep owners like to alter their vehicles. “Allowance for ride height, within reason, can be made for Jeep and Ram pickups,” Olsen said. “To do this, the calibration procedure is done with a scan tool and requires values, such as tire size and specific height measurements and even an inclinometer measurement of a camera mounting position, to be input by the technician via the scan tool during some ADAS calibration procedures. “These values also have limitations to a certain tire size or maximum height of the vehicle that the manufacture determines the ADAS system can account for and still operate as intended,” Olsen said. If you are an off-roader looking for a new ride and worried about your ADAS system working properly and concerned about your vehicle’s warranty, think Chevrolet. As stated on their website, Chevrolet offers a lift kit designed, engineered, tested and backed by Chevrolet specifically for the all-new 2019 Silverado 1500.

Chevrolet says the kit was developed by the same vehicle-level engineers that built the truck. The system was tested under the same grueling conditions, and will not void the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. The good news is, the kit includes “an exclusive front camera reconfiguration and an Electronic Power Steering calibration so that all driver-assist systems continue to function seamlessly.” The bad news is there is a whole litany of Chevy truck models that the kit will not cover, including the popular Z45 models and those with a snow plow package. And it’s only a 2-in. lift. Jeep also offers a dealer-installed lift kit. For GMC and Chevy trucks, Olsen said, information can be requested from GM to make the necessary allowances for ride height to ensure the ADAS functions within parameters. “To do this, you will need to perform reprogramming of modules with modified vehicle specifications

before re-calibrating any ADAS systems,” Olsen said. “You will need to use special module programming that may be available from a GM service programming system or request an updated programming file from GM technical support. However, you must use genuine GM wheels and approved tires and wheels when making such a request.” For Ford products, Olsen said, Ford can help make the necessary changes, but they will need a VIN number and access to “as-built data” to see exactly how the truck was originally built, and then get other specifications off the truck to know how to make the changes, and to what degree. “To do this, you will need to input any new tire size changes and new ride height measurements from lifts kits that have been installed,” Olsen said. “When this is done the AsBuilt file that is stored for that vehicle with that VIN will be updated. “In turn, these new readings can be changed and used to update calibration of ADAS functions cor-

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recting front camera angle, side object detection readings, park assist functions, active cruise control and TAD readings and other functionality such as steering assist, speedometer, ABS wheel speed and so forth,” Olsen said. These procedures of making vehicle modifications and incorporating them into programming or vehicle module build data requires a high level of vehicle control systems diagnostics, programming and calibrations by the manufacturer. This is not something for the faint of heart or average technician to perform. If a vehicle is modified outside of the ranges or limits that OEMs account for, the performance and expected operation of the vehicle is left in question or will be completely disabled. Regardless of the vehicle you are working on, a “rock-climber” or a “grocery-getter”, Olsen offered the following tips when working on an ADAS system. “First, don’t over-generalize,” Olsen said “Not all ADAS systems are designed and built the same. Steps that are necessary to recalibrate

one system may not be necessary to recalibrate another. “One may require a vehicle have a full tank of fuel. Another may not. One may require all extemporaneous items, like those golf clubs your customer likes to carry around in the trunk, be removed. For others, it may not make a difference,” he said. “Don’t memorize,” Olsen said. “If you know that, say, a 2019 Honda Accord requires steps X, Y and Z, don’t assume that the 2020 Accord will require the same steps. Take the time to look up the steps and requirements for the particular year and model you are working on, especially if it is early in the model year. The vehicle manufacturer may make several changes while the car is still in production. “Speaking of steps,” Olsen continued, “make sure you go through all of them to ensure your recalibration is correct. So many times, I see techs jump halfway through the procedure, ignoring most or all of the prerequisites. “If the vehicle must be on a level surface, make sure it is. If it requires that tire pressure be checked

FIRST HONDA

and adjusted to X lbs., make sure it gets done. Your customer’s life, and the financial wellbeing of yourself and your shop, could be at stake,” Olsen said. Given how far and how fast ADAS systems have evolved, Olsen pondered the future of collision repair and how the industry will deal with ADAS systems. “There will always be room for those shops to make general repairs to most cars,” Olsen said. “However, the time is fast approaching where some shops will specialize in scanning and recalibrating certain brands of cars. “Already we have new specialty shops popping up that only scan and recalibrate vehicles, and do no body work,” Olsen said. “In one case, we found a body shop that specializes in scanning and recalibrating Toyotas. Other local body shops and even Toyota dealers sublet recalibration work to this shop. The face of the industry is really changing.” As for your humble reporter, I’ll keep my Jeep at the stock height with stock tires and stock suspension, thank you very much!

FIRST KIA Collision Parts that Shine

Continued from Page 43

Techs of Tomorrow nology training courses. “My dream job in the auto body industry is working for a Porsche or Lamborghini dealership,” he said. Reyes also has a slew of hobbies outside of collision repair, including cycling, drawing, painting and hunting with his dad. “I’ve been a cyclist for a year now and commit to riding at least 125 miles per week, he said. “I started this hobby for fun and as a way to spend more one-on-one time with my dad.” However, when Reyes and his father began comparing his results to those of more experienced riders, the boost of confidence made him want to compete. “Riding in large groups is where I get most of my training, which will benefit me during race season this spring,” he explained. For more information on Kingwood Park High School, visit www.humble isd.net.

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with Stacey Phillips

Tips for Busy Body Shops

with Stacey Phillips

SCRS Executive Director Shares Free Resources Available for Collision Repairers There are many key components to For information, visit degweb.org. running a successful collision repair facility. Body shop owners and man- 2. The Complete Guide to Repair with Stacey Phillips agers often aren’t aware of the free Planning resources available in the industry There are several informational reintended to help them operate their sources offered by SCRS. One of businesses effectively and efficiently. these is the “Complete Guide to Re Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), recently shared some of with the information Victoriathe Antonelli national organization provides the industry free of charge during a presentation he gave at the AkzoNobel North American Performance Group (NAPG) meeting, held in San Diego, CA. “There are with a lot of EdopportuniAttanasio ties for information exchange within the collision repair industry that we Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of SCRS don’t take enough advantage of,” pair Planning.” The PDF document said Schulenburg. Established in 1982, SCRS rep- includes more than 1,000 potentially resents more than 6,000 collision missed operations. repair businesseswith and 58,500 GaryspecialLedoux “It was initially compiled by a ized industry professionals. The mis- shop owner in Hawaii, March Taysion of the organization is to educate, lor, who passed away well before his inform and represent the collision re- time but gave us such great resourcpair professional in all aspects of the es,” said Schulenburg. “SCRS took industry. it to the next level and developed it Schulenburg discussed five free into a resource that the industry could SCRS resourceswith for collision repairuse.” Stacey Phillips ers: The checklist is intended to ensure estimators consider all repair op1. Database Enhancement Gateway erations performed at the facility and (DEG) formulate an accurate repair plan, The Database Enhancement Gateway minimizing the need or expense of a (DEG) aims to help improve the qual- supplement. It does not contain pricity and accuracy of collision repair ing, quantities or labor hours. with Mikefrom Anderson estimates, through feedback the With the length of estimates collision repair industry and other today, Schulenburg said it can often “end users,” to the Information Pro- be cumbersome to go through a PDF viders (IPs) that supply the databases checklist of 1,000 potentially missed for the various estimating products. operations. The next evolution of the It was developed in 2008 and document is SCRS’s Blueprint Optiis currently funded and managed by mization Tool (BOT), which is curSCRS and the Alliance of Automotive rently scheduled to be launched at the Service Providers (AASP), along with end of March. some additional support from spon- Schulenburg said it is essentialsors. ly a digitized checklist to help im “The DEG is a really valuable prove efficiency and provide access tool for businesses in identifying er- to information for estimators. rors, omissions and inaccuracies in While the “Guide to Complete the estimates that you might be writ- Repair Planning” is a free product, ing in the estimate systems,” said the BOT will be a paid subscription Schulenburg. with a discount for SCRS members.

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For information, visit scrs.com/ BOT, or watch a YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=JIuKDe5aZmQ&feature=youtu. be 3. Repairer Driven News In 2015, SCRS launched “Repairer Driven News,” a free online publication that provides insight into what is going on in the collision repair industry. “The news is focused on information that matters to collision repairers,” said Schulenburg. “Our goal is to provide news, information and trends that are going to help you make good decisions in your business and prepare for what’s coming.” To subscribe, visit www.repairer drivennews.com.

4. Technical Resources SCRS also offers a variety of technical resources to the industry, such as links to crash repair and OEM information, refinish manufacturer technical information and I-CAR’s repairability technical support. Schulenburg highlighted two resources available on the SCRS website. The first is a made-to-print one-page sheet containing information about destructive testing on spot welds. “This walks your technicians through how to perform destructive testing on spot welds to make sure they are going through the steps that are necessary to set the welder up, test the weld and see if it is producing a quality weld before they start ‘testing’ welds on consumers’ vehicles,” said Schulenburg. The SCRS executive direcSee SCRS Executive Director, Page 61

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autobodynews.com / APRIL 2020 AUTOBODY NEWS 53

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Midwest Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

National Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@gmail.com.

Driving the Future at WIN’s 2020 Educational Conference, Now Postponed

Northwest Associations

The Women’s Industry Network cycled Rides® vehicles to deserving (WIN®) was to host its 2020 Edu- individuals. with Chasidy Rae Sisk cational Conference, “Driving the The May 4 and 5 agendas are Future,” May 3 through May 5 at the filled with speaker presentations, netHyatt Regency in Newport Beach, working opportunities and breakout sessions. CA. The event has been postponed. This year’s event was to feature The main stage presenter May several changes to the normal format, 4 will be Neeta Bhushan, who will beginning with awith returnEd to WIN’s for- teach attendees to “Step Into Your Attanasio mer tradition of starting the confer- Greatness.” Next, attendees will participate ence on a Sunday. “We are excited to return to a in an Hour of Giving during WIN’s Sunday evening start to the confer- charity networking event. ence, when we will kick off with an After lunch, Mina Starsiak engaging networking welcome recep- Hawk, star of HGTV’s Good Bones with Ed Attanasio tion,” said conference organizer Wen- and co-founder of Two Chicks and a dy Rogers. “Look for more changes in Hammer, will share her experiences this year’s agenda, including the 2020 living “Life in the Fast Lane.” WIN celebration dinner on Tuesday Each afternoon, attendees will choose a breakout session to attend. evening.” This year, there will be three options. with Ed Attanasio Tracy Darrington will explain how to “Make Sure Your Personal Brand is a WINner,” while Marcy Tieger and Jim Webber address planning for the unexpected in “When Disaster Strikes: Is Social Media Your Friend or Foe?” with Thomas Franklin Beth Rutter and Amber Ritter WIN’s conference provides two will discuss a different way of looking and a half days’ worth of education, at the industry’s tech shortage during networking and celebration for col- “What Tech Shortage?? A New Approach to an Old Problem.” lision repair industry professionals. Educational sessions focus on The morning of May 5, Kim with Ed Attanasio industry issues and professional de- Hazelbaker of the Highway Loss velopment, while networking oppor- Data Institute will present “Changtunities provide a chance for industry es in Auto Safety Technology: Are professionals to get to know one an- We There Yet?” other. The second guest speaker of the WIN also raises funds for schol- final day of the conference will be Rae Sisk arships at the with annualChasidy Scholarship Fred Gruner-Nvidia, who will disWalk Fundraiser, and the association cuss “The Seismic Shift—A.I. in the will honor WIN scholarship recipients 4th Industrial Revolution.” and the 2020 Most Influential Women After a question-and-answer ses(MIWs) during the WIN Celebration sion with Hazelbaker and Nvidia, atDinner. tendees will take their second breakout On May 3, two WIN member session. with Thomas Franklin orientation sessions will be available The 2020 Scholarship Walk will for first-time attendees, as well as re- be held the afternoon of May 4 before turning attendees, before the confer- the evening reception. ence welcome reception begins at 5 After the educational seminars p.m. end on Tuesday, attendees will take a During the reception, WIN will break to prepare for the WIN celebrawith Ed Attanasio introduce its 2020 scholarship win- tion dinner, formerly the MIW gala. ners and MIWs. WIN will also part- Each year, WIN uses this opner with NABC to donate two Re- portunity to recognize the winners

Shop Showcase

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Associations Assembling

of their annual scholarships as well as the recipients of the Most Influential Women awards. MIWs are women whose leadership, vision and commitment to excellence have enriched the collision repair industry. Attendees will celebrate with music and dancing after dinner and the awards ceremony. More details about the 2020 WIN conference will be available online as they are confirmed.

A week before the conference, instructions for downloading the conference app will be sent to attendees, which will include the full agenda as well as a list of other conference attendees. Kathy Mello, WIN board member and former MIW honoree, shared her thoughts on the conference. “As a founding member of WIN, I have had the opportunity to attend each of the conferences,” Mello said. “They have all been stellar in content

“Each year we unite by bringing our talents and insights for the good of the industry,” — Kathy Mello Registered attendees will receive “Countdown to Conference” emails every other week, providing more details about the speakers, seminars and other events during the conference.

and networking, and have provided growth and improvement to the collision industry. I have seen it evolve from the first conference with no budget and just a handful of volunteers to

Association Meetings

Old School Know How Old School Know How

Western Associations

SO. CALIFORNIA Galpin Volkswagen North Hills

Washington University Volkswagen Seattle

Fax: 818-778-2090

Fax: 206-547-1581

888 840-8416 www.galpin.com

NO. CALIFORNIA

206-634-8200

M-F 7am-6pm parts@uvwaudi.com www.universityvw.com

Dirito Bros. Walnut Creek Volkswagen Walnut Creek

925-934-8459

Fax: 925-934-0786 parts@dirito.com

Media Matters

54 APRIL 2020 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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a well-organized, multifaceted event, which is well worth the reasonable fee. “I knew that there were women through the nation and beyond in this industry, yet I never dreamed that there were so many phenomenal ladies!” Mello said. “The welcoming openness to engage has yielded many professional opportunities and lifelong friendships. “Each year we unite by bringing our talents and insights for the good of the industry,” Mello continued. “I encourage you not to miss the opportunity. I hope that you are able to join us for this 2020 event. You deserve it and are sure to prosper from it!” According to WIN’s website, The WIN Educational Conference is a unique opportunity to meet and network with women in the collision industry, and a place where relationships are built that will enrich lives on a business and a personal level. “I look forward to the [conference each year] and have met some of my most treasured mentors and friends here,” said Vice Chair Jenny Anderson. “There is truly a place for everyone at WIN. It’s about inclusivity, support, leadership and educa-

tion. I can’t say enough great things about my experience at conference! I hope to continue contributing to this same experience for other women in the future.” WIN reminds attendees to bring business cards for networking purposes, and prior year attendees should also pack their WIN commemorative pins. WIN also encourages members to get involved with the association by joining a committee. Early bird registration, before March 31, is available for just $300 for members. After March 31, members will pay $475. Non-members will pay $700 to attend the 2020 WIN Educational Conference, but member prices are available for those who join the association first; annual membership to WIN costs $95. For more information about WIN and the latest news about the 2020 WIN Educational Conference, visit womensindustrynetwork.com. www.autobodynews.com

Think Genuine Subaru Parts.

Continued from Page 38

Lobbyist Offers Perspectives also would likely ensure the Federal Insurance Office (FIO), created in 2010 within the Department of the Treasury, isn’t dismantled, Redding said. “Now, you might ask, what have they done lately,” Redding said of the FIO. “Well, they have no money and no staff and no authority, so it’s not a lot. But as I keep saying, FIO is the bones of federal regulation of insurance. The only groups that appreciate the potential of FIO are insurance companies, and they hate it.” Redding said the FIO hasn’t focused at all on issues related to property-casualty insurance, but that’s something ASA hopes to change. “The FIO is going to be with us at least another three years, because I don’t think any administration can kill it with either a Democratic House or Senate in place,” Redding said. “But if you have both a Democratic House and Senate, it’s going to get more aggressive,” he said. “If you get a trifecta, with a Democratic

SO. CALIFORNIA

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National City (619) 470-5625 (619) 336-1934 Fax Mon.-Sat. 7-6 www.franksubaru.com

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House, Senate and president, then it could really have some meat to it.” If President Donald Trump is reelected, Redding said, “then the tax and regulatory aspect for small business should be good to go.” But the Department of Justice (DOJ) under a Republican administration, Redding said, probably won’t address “most favored nation clauses,” such as those in some direct repair program agreements requiring a participating shop to give the insurer the same or better pricing than the shop offers any other insurer. “We have Democratic support (on that issue) from a House member from the Northwest who brought the head of antitrust at the Department of Justice over for a briefing when Obama was still in office,” Redding said. “So if a Democrat is elected president, the most favored nation clause issue could be back on the table because back in 2010, the DOJ went after Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan,” he said, alleging the insurer’s “most favored nation” clauses in its contract with hospitals were anti-competitive.

San Bernardino (909) 888-8686 (909) 571-5483 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-7; Sat 7:30-5 parts@subarusb.com www.sbsubaru.com

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Elk Grove Subaru Elk Grove (877) 475-0659 (916) 509-8559 Fax Mon.-Fri. 8-6 shawnh@elkgrovesubaru.com www.elkgrovesubaru.com

Santa Cruz Subaru Santa Cruz (888) 844-7131 (831) 420-1402 (831) 420-1923 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6; Sat. 8-5 parts@santacruzsubaru.com www.santacruzsubaru.com

The following dealerships are eager to serve your needs. Call your local Subaru collision parts specialist today! autobodynews.com / APRIL 2020 AUTOBODY NEWS 55

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Expect Towing To Kill Range Of Electric Pickup Trucks by Eric Loveday, Inside EVs

Will towing significantly reduce the range of the Tesla Cybertruck, Hummer electric pickup, Rivian R1T, Nikola Badger or any of the other upcoming electric pickup trucks from the likes of Ford, General Motors, Bollinger and others? The answer is a solid “yes” and the drop can be substantial, but gas/ diesel trucks suffer from this too. Though our focus here is on electric cars, trucks and SUVs, we often need to look beyond electric vehicles when examining certain topics such as towing. Up until recently, towing wasn’t a major concern for electric car owners and potential EV buyers. That’s mostly because the electric offerings available today aren’t exactly suited to towing, aside from a few vehicles like the Tesla Model X and Audi e-tron. However, there will soon be an influx of electric pickup trucks on the market and you can bet that buyers of these trucks will take interest in the towing capabilities. We’ve all seen the claims put

forth by the EV truck makers in regards to towing, but those are just weight figures. Most electric truck can tow a lot, some can tow millions of pounds under certain circumstances, but what’s the impact on the range? That’s the burning question and the answer might surprise you. In regards to range, we need look no further than conventional pickup trucks. Sure, EVs differ some, but the range hit on conventional trucks will rather directly correlate with what we see with standard gas/ diesel trucks. Reduced range from towing is the result of much higher drag, the added friction of more tires on the roadway and, to a lesser extent, the weight of what’s being hauled. If you’re interested in learning how much towing can impact the range of a Ram 3500 diesel pickup truck, then this article and the video within will help spell that all out. Basically, range drops dramatically when towing a trailer, and that mostly is a result of aerodynamics and lots of drag. Losing 50% of your total range or more is not uncommon

depending on what you’re towing, so you should pick your electric truck accordingly.

The author tows this 1,900-lb. camper. Credit: Inside EVs

Case in point. I’m an avid camper. I own a 2019 Ram 1500 V8 Hemi (hopefully someday this will be replaced by an electric truck) and tow the camper seen above. It’s lightweight at only 1,900 lbs. It stands about 8.5 feet in height and is about a foot wider than the truck that’s towing it (not counting the mirrors.) My Ram truck can easily cover 520 miles or so on a full (29 gallon) tank of gasoline. That’s without the camper attached. With the camper attached, my total range varies considerably depending on speed and wind condi-

tions. The worst result to date was achieved on a mostly highway trip to a state park, in which my total calculated range was only 217 miles. That’s a massive drop from the 520 I can achieve without the camper in tow. On other trips, my range was better at up to around 315 to 320 miles on a full tank of gas. Though far from scientific, my results match up with other anecdotal stories you can find on various websites. Aerodynamics and the impact of drag on range are largely the same for gas/diesel and electric vehicles, so expect similar results in an electric pickup truck. The main difference is that gas/ diesel trucks are easily and quickly refueled on the road en route to your destination. The same isn’t always true for electric vehicles. Disclaimer As always, your mileage may vary, but do expect to see a significant reduction in range when towing with your electric truck or SUV. We thank Inside EVs for reprint permission.

Continued from Page 37

$25M in Funding

Subaru Windshield Class Action Lawsuit Continues by Emmariah Holcomb

ber 2019. “These partnerships are an exciting step forward for Tractable as we aid accident and disaster recovery with A.I.,” Dalyac said. “Auto appraisal is a key decision-making point throughout the auto claim and fulfilment process.” Dalyac said a visual A.I. assessment means many necessary decisions can now occur sooner—for example, as soon as the driver submits photos of their car. “With A.I. and these partnerships, every American consumer can now have an unbiased auto appraiser on their phone, in their pocket,” Dalyac said. Dalyac sees Tractable’s collaboration with salvage yards as having “A.I. training potential,” since seeing what happened under the vehicle’s surface will ultimately train the software to predict total losses sooner. “Our vision is for all players in the collision ecosystem to have their

15 new plaintiffs have been added to a class action lawsuit that was originally filed by Christine Powell against Subaru. The suit alleges Subaru of America Inc. (Subaru) was “manufacturing, marketing and selling new vehicles with defective and dangerous windshields that were spontaneously and/or unreasonably cracking, chipping and otherwise breaking.” The plaintiffs are seeking a trial by jury, according to court documents. “Plaintiffs bring this consumer class action lawsuit because the defendants manufactured, marketed, distributed, and sold 2017-2020 Subaru Forester, 2017-2020 Subaru Outback, 2017-2020 Subaru Crosstrek, 2017-2020 Subaru Legacy and 2017-2020 Subaru Impreza vehicles (collectively known as class vehicles) without disclosing that the class vehicles’ windshields are defective and dangerous due to the fact that the windshields are spontaneously and/or unreasonably cracking, chipping and otherwise breaking,” a portion of the consoli-

dated complaint reads. According to a consolidated complaint, filed earlier this month by all of the suit’s plaintiffs, Subaru “failed to disclose material facts and a safety concern to purchasers and lessees of the class vehicles.” The consolidated complaint combines Powell’s original suit with two additional class action cases over the auto manufacturer’s windshields that were filed in California and New Jersey. In its advertising, Subaru emphasizes the safety, quality and reliability of its vehicles knowing consumers rely upon such representations when purchasing or leasing vehicles, according to the consolidated complaint. Several class members allege the auto manufacturer knowingly sold vehicles that did not fit its safety standard. “Selling vehicles with dangerously defective windshields and refusing to take responsibility for the defects is directly contrary to the safety conscious, trustworthy, and reliable image Subaru advertises,” a portion of the consolidated complaint reads. “Nevertheless, Subaru refuses to honor its commitment to

its loyal customers, is jeopardizing the safety of the public, and is forcing its customers to bear the expense of Subaru’s mistakes and malfeasance.” According to court documents, Subaru issued a technical bulletin to its dealers describing the alleged defect in its windshields. The National Highway Transportation Safety Authority also received complaints from Subaru owners who experienced issues with their windshields, according to the consolidated complaint. “Defendants’ failure to disclose the defect at the time of purchase is material because no reasonable consumer expects to spend hundreds of dollars to repair or replace windshields that crack either spontaneously or due to a mild impact that should not result in cracking,” the complaint said. Due to the allegations mentioned in the consolidated complaint, all plaintiffs are seeking a trial by jury. As of press time Subaru has yet to respond, look to a future edition of glassBYTEs for more information on this suit. We thank glassBYTEs.com for reprint permission.

See $25M in Funding, Page 61 56 APRIL 2020 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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Genuine Nissan & INFINITI OEM Wholesale Parts are Superbly Crafted to Strict Quality Standards.

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autobodynews.com / APRIL 2020 AUTOBODY NEWS 57

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CARSTAR Network is Giving Away Free Repairs North America’s largest premier network of independently owned and operated collision repair facilities, CARSTAR, gave away free repairs in February. CARSTAR locations across the U.S. and Canada were surprising customers at the time of their vehicle return by footing the bill, to celebrate #FREERepairFebruary. These customers, who are paying for their repairs out of pocket, will be receiving a premier vehicle repair at no cost to them. “We take pride in supporting our community and give back to several non-profit organizations,” says Fred Haberl, general manager, CARSTAR Autobody Resurrection.

Credit: CARSTAR

“Gifting a customer with a free repair is just as rewarding as those larger gestures, because we get to see the surprise on our customers’ faces,” Haberl said. “Sometimes, it

“We met our Free Repair February winners a few years ago when their daughter was sideswiped by a drunk driver, causing her to sustain some injuries,” said Luigi Scola, owner, CARSTAR Scola’s Collision Center. “This is the circumstance we met the family and ever since then we have always wanted to go above and

is just that little help that goes a long way and we were happy to give that gift to Mr. Paholski.”

Cadillac To Unveil First Electric Car In April by Mark Kane

It will be a midsize electric crossover. According to the latest news, Cadillac’s president Steve Carlisle told dealers on Monday that the brand’s first electric model will be presented in April. The only thing that we know right now is the type, “a midsize crossover”. Almost for sure it will be a long-range battery-electric model, since the plug-in hybrid Cadillac ELR and Cadillac CT6 PHV failed on the market (very low volumes).

As we know, since January 2019, Cadillac is positioned to lead GM’s electrification. The company showed an image of a midsize electric crossover, which seems like it will now materialize within weeks.

Today, the luxury Cadillac brand sells only internal-combustion vehicles, having quite a young lineup (the oldest model is the XT4, launched just over a year ago). Hopefully, now new BEV models will start to pop out. “Cadillac is living in two worlds—an internal combustion present and an electric future,” Carlisle told Automotive News. “The big-picture message [to dealers] is let’s embrace the opportunity with the current portfolio,” Carlisle said. “We enter this decade as an internal combustion engine brand. We want to position ourselves to exit as a battery-electric brand, so we have to manage both at the same time.” It was said previously that the first dedicated all-electric model (on a BEV platform) will arrive on the market in the 2022 calendar year. An all-electric version of the upcoming next-generation Cadillac Escalade is expected too, but not on a dedicated platform.

beyond for them,” he said. “Thankfully, this out-of-pocket repair was not the product of an accident, but we were still thrilled to surprise them by paying for it.” One of the founding pillars of CARSTAR has always been to give back to the communities the organization works and lives in. With independently owned and operated collision repair facilities spanning across North America, CARSTAR franchise partners have helped many people beyond their collision repair needs. “From raising funds and awareness for cystic fibrosis organizations to refurbishing cars and donating to those in need, our CARSTAR family is eager to help their community,” said Dean Fisher, president of CARSTAR. “It is moving to see the network come together, from British Columbia to Florida, for the mutual cause of spreading some good in their communities and thanking our customers.”

Participating CARSTAR locations who awarded a free repair in their facility this February included: • CARSTAR Alan Conner Collision Center • CARSTAR Autobody Resurrection • CARSTAR Barrhaven • CARSTAR Champion • CARSTAR Collingwood • CARSTAR Concord • CARSTAR Don & Ron’s Auto Body Repair • CARSTAR Gapsch • CARSTAR High River • CARSTAR La Habra Collision & Glass Center • CARSTAR Mansfield • CARSTAR Maryville • CARSTAR Mount Forest • CARSTAR Quality Assured Norgate • CARSTAR Scola • CARSTAR Sydney

www.autobodynews.com

UPDATED DAILY

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We thank Inside Evs for reprint permission.

58 APRIL 2020 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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Audi Part Professionals are experts on collision parts, replacement components and mechanical items.

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autobodynews.com / APRIL 2020 AUTOBODY NEWS 59

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CIECA Hiring Technical Project Coordinator The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA), a non-proﬁt organization that develops and promotes electronic communication standards for the automobile collision industry, is looking to ﬁll the position of technical project coordinator. “With CIECA’s current project coordinator retiring, we are seeking an individual to bring CIECA into the future and to be an advocate for greater standards use and development,” said CIECA board member Phil Martinez, chairman of the Nominating Committee. “The successful candidate will work as an independent contractor and be responsible for managing projects across all business aspects of CIECA’s membership,” Martinez said. “This encompasses all aspects of the collision industry and related technical and non-technical companies for the development of CIECA standards and accomplishment of the organization’s goals.”

executive committees. • Consult on CIECA processes and provide input to the executive committee and other non-SAB committees and task forces. • Assist the executive director and marketing and communications director in their roles. • Coordinate all communication to the board and executive committee with the executive director. • With the executive director, assist in communicating to the executive committee and board the activities and accomplishments of the project teams. • Coordinate standards-based activities with related non-CIECA organizations. Martinez said the successful candidate will work remotely, primarily participating in online meetings. In addition, travel is required to attend quarterly board meetings, to participate in requested industry conferences and for face-to-face SAB-related committee meetings. No medical coverage or other beneﬁts are provided.

Job Responsibilities: • Responsible for the planning, organization, direction and coordination of the overall organization’s committee activities and CIECA’s standards. • Manage CIECA’s committee meetings and activities for long-term objectives. • Responsible for all aspects of planning and facilitating Standards Advisory Board (SAB)-related committee weekly meetings. • Responsible for all aspects of planning and facilitating monthly SAB meetings. • Manage multiple volunteer committee meetings and coordinate all activities across both business and technical committees. • Manage and motivate committee members. • Oversee and report on the organization’s results of committee goals. • Supervise administrative work relating to CIECA standards and tools, and determine areas for development, revision and improvement. • Responsible for awareness of new technology and tools that can impact CIECA standards and operations. • Provide committee and standards-related information and recommendations to CIECA Board of Trustees and

Qualifications / Skills:

• Demonstrated leadership and management skills for managing committees. • Ability to speak professionally in front of small and large groups. • A strong understanding of the collision industry. • Ability to work independently. • Ability to manage and motivate volunteer committee members to complete committee goals. • Ability to work with and manage both business-focused and technical-focused volunteers. • Ability and willingness to work with CIECA staﬀ and individual CIECA members. • Strong organizational skills and the ability to multitask. • Goal-oriented. • Creative problem-solving skills. • Working knowledge of Oﬃce applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Word, etc.). • Working knowledge of XML and JSON syntax preferred. • Working knowledge of XML and JSON Schemas. • Working knowledge of Web Ser-

vices and REST. • Working knowledge of Git source code control. • Working knowledge of scripting languages such as JavaScript, Python or PowerShell. • Cooperation with related non-CIECA organizations Education, Experience and Licensing Requirements • Minimum of ﬁve years of project management experience. • Experience in managing committee work preferred. • An understanding of XML, JSON, and other standards implementation plans, as well as other aspects of data communication. • Bachelor’s degree in computer science preferred. • Collision repair industry experience. To apply, visit https://cieca.wufoo .com/forms/mxqkq0q05vipex/ For more information, email info@ cieca.com. Source: CIECA

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SCRS Executive Director tor also shared information about a flowchart created with CCC to help estimators and adjusters navigate the CCC bumper prompt and correctly answer the refinishing question. All of these resources are available on the SCRS website under the Resources tab: https://scrs.com/ technical-resources/ 5. Videos The SCRS YouTube Channel contains a variety of informational videos for the industry and can be found by visiting youtube.com/scrscollision. In addition, the SCRS website includes years of videos produced to address topics such as welding and refinishing information. Schulenburg recommended collision repairers watch three videos from 2019, all of which are under 10 minutes long. The first is “Electric Vehicle (EV) and High-Voltage System Safety in Collision Repair.” “We’re seeing more of these vehicles on the roadways and if you

don’t plan to work on them and be certified in EVs, you need to have a plan, so your employees know what to do if one comes on your lot,” said Schulenburg. “If you don’t have a plan in place, there are safety ramifications, so I highly encourage shops to watch this video and consider developing an EV plan.” There is also a video on “Test Drive, Road Test and Dynamic Calibrations,” explaining the differences of each and providing detailed information. The brief video “Performing Diagnostic Scans” reviews the steps and considerations involved when performing in-house diagnostic scans. “These are things we hope you are using in your businesses to justify the work that is being done,” said Schulenburg. In addition to the free resources offered by SCRS, Schulenburg mentioned some of the member benefits, such as the new 401(k) plan, discounts to Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Relearn Charts and discounts for SCRS members and employees who need rental vehicles for personal use. Special rates

are provided at locations in more than 100 countries around the world. In addition, merchant card services and financial technology solutions are offered that allow SCRS members to accept all major credit and debit cards nationwide with custom-tailored plans and additional features like automated digital invoices, tracking and reporting, and e-commerce management. “We have a great group of individuals who bring a lot of informational resources to the table,” said Schulenburg. “What we as an association and board of directors do is take this information and the knowledge we have…and turn it into usable resources that can help shops perform quality repairs and capture what they need to build a sustainable business.” For more information about SCRS, visit scrs.com, and to join, visit scrs.com/join-scrs.

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$25M in Funding own A.I. from Tractable and be able to calibrate it as needed,” Dalyac said. “We want Tractable to bring value to insurers as well as collision repairers, parts centers, salvage yards and every other segment of the industry.” Dalyac said different kinds of lighting and other conditions can impact the A.I.’s accuracy, and Tractable wants its software to work accurately in all those conditions. “Tractable’s A.I. can pretty much predict all the necessary operations—R&I, repair times, paint—but we want to continue developing its robustness, so we’ll continue to invest in improving the software,” Dalyac said. “We’re also increasing the auxiliary parts it can read so it will be very precise and shops will love it.” One of the biggest challenges Tractable faces is related to the industry’s perception of A.I. “Many people see A.I. technology as futuristic and deeply technical,” Dalyac said. “Shops insist they are in the business of repairing cars and that

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this advanced technology isn’t really part of their daily operations; however, you don’t need to be an A.I. person to test and evaluate A.I. software. You actually need to be able to repair a car to evaluate the software effectively.” Noting that many companies releasing A.I. technology are only offering “smoke and mirrors and a lot of canned visuals,” Dalyac encouraged collision repairers to test Tractable and other A.I. solutions. “You’re in the best position to be able to determine which A.I.s work and which don’t,” Dalyac said. “You can tell if the A.I. is struggling to identify a dent in a photo or if it gets confused by a shadow on the hood. Repairers should test the A.I. and use their expertise to determine if the software yields the correct results.” Tractable invites feedback from shops on the accuracy of its A.I. “Shops’ feedback will help us determine the best way to develop Tractable’s A.I. to the level we want—to a level that benefits every segment of the collision repair industry,” Dalyac said. For more information about Tractable and its A.I. software, visit tractable.ai.

General Motors’ $20 Billion EV Plan Starts by Abandoning Trump’s Emissions Rollback by Joey Klender, Teslarati

General Motors has announced its plans to begin manufacturing electric vehicles at scale. To make its $20 billion plan a reality, it has to do one thing: Acknowledge that its alignment with President Donald Trump’s emissions rollback efforts is a lost cause. This is because creating electric vehicles and abiding by an environmentally-harming plan go together like oil and water. When GM decided it would follow along with Trump’s auto emissions rollback efforts and not with California’s Clean Air Act, the state made the decision to halt the purchase of vehicles from the automaker. But on March 4, GM held its first “EV Day,” where it outlined an ambitious plan to dive into and saturate the EV sector, making it evident the company is ready to make a serious push towards the adoption of sustainable vehicles. GM has said to customers for years it will pursue a future that promotes environmental longevity. However, the company’s decision to not abide by California’s environ-

mental plan seems to show it has not been completely dedicated to ideas that could help the Earth. To make its push toward electric vehicles and sustainability a reality, GM has to begin by abandoning Trump’s emissions rollback efforts that would lower the average fuel efficiency requirements of vehicles. If successful, the government’s initiative could result in automakers rolling out gas-guzzling vehicles once more, similar to the rise of SUVs following the death of the EV1, GM’s electric car. The Trump administration’s plan is expected to hike oil consumption in the U.S. by half a billion barrels a day, but it could also reduce automakers regulatory costs by more than $300 billion annually, according to Reuters. This would put more money in the carmaker’s pockets, but more carbon dioxide into the air. While GM is not the only automaker to side with the Trump rollback efforts, it is the only one that is making a big push toward an electric lineup. When asked to comment, the company said, “Regardless of the standards, we are committed to a fu-

ture of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. The pathway to that future includes continually improving fuel economy year-over-year and our commitment to an all-electric future.” This year, GM resurrected the Hummer, but this time around, the vehicle will be all-electric and won’t boast the same devil-may-care fuel consumption that its gas-powered predecessors did. While GM has notable EVs like the Chevy Bolt, the automaker’s plans for the release of an electric lineup of vehicles must still coincide with the company’s larger goals. Volkswagen, Ford, BMW and Honda have all committed to increases in fuel economy year-over-year. GM can become the next automaker to adopt this pledge, but it must first take a strong stance against the administration’s emissions rollback efforts. If GM cannot do this, then its $20 billion electric vehicle plan may end up being just that—a plan, and very little else. We thank Teslarati for reprint permission.

Record Attendance at Collaborative Certified Collision Conference 2020 On behalf of their collaborative partners Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Nissan North America, Assured Performance shared a recap from the Certified Collision Conference “Driving into the Future,” held Feb. 17-20 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL. With more than 700 FCA and Nissan certified collision repair centers represented, this exclusive twoand-a-half-day event provided expert insight into how collision repair businesses can understand and master critical business methods and practices essential to dominate in today’s rapidly evolving market. Key focus areas included collaboration, leadership, transparency, customer service, employee engagement and driving success. During the conference, keynote speakers Chris Voss of The Black Swan Group, Jeff Peevy of AMi, Marie Artim of Enterprise Holdings, Mike Anderson of Collision Advice and Ross Shafer, leadership speaker and change expert, presented compelling strategies and information that could be implemented into every attendee’s shop.

Common themes included employee engagement, retention and culture; advanced training; a fully documented repair process; and an exceptional and seamless customer experience. FCA and Nissan both shared the latest information and visions for their certified collision programs and companies. Assured Performance CEO Scott Biggs spoke on driving the industry towards a new paradigm based on a “certified repair” and following the new certified repair provider model. “We collectively recognize that all of our success is based upon the shop owner’s success,” Biggs said. “The goal of our collective networks is to ensure that every shop is not only OEM certified, but attains and maintains ‘best-in-class’ status as exceptional business operations. The collaborative effort exceeded our goals to ensure the attendees gained new insight and tools to accelerate their success.” Attendees also heard keynotes from Ryan Taylor of Bodyshop Booster and Sheryl Driggers of

Universal Collision Centers, and pre-selected breakout session presentations from 3M, Collision Advice, AMi, CCC, and BETAG, covering topics covered such as advanced training, employee engagement and shop culture, customer service skills, best practices for increasing business performance, the latest industry data trends and simple financial success strategies. As the centerpiece of the conference, attendees learned about the benefits of delivering a unique customer-focused experience for guests by focusing on controllable business functions most companies may dismiss as unimportant or not adding value. Shops embracing employee empowerment, advanced training, local own-your-backyard marketing and transparency will deliver customer-focused results for all stakeholders, including the shops, OEMs, insurance carriers and consumers. A highlight of the conference was an awards ceremony where Nissan and FCA recognized their certified collision legacy Shops—shops that have been with their respective

certification programs since their inceptions. Kathy Mello, owner of TGIF Body Shop in Fremont, CA, said it was refreshing to attend the conference. “I say that because not only were attendees flooded with pertinent industry information and immersed in the Disney culture, but it was awesome to be embraced as repairers who are earnestly invested in the effort to provide proper repairs,” Mello said. “Since the root of a proper repair lies in the hands of manufacturers who build the vehicles, it is ever important to be guided and supported by them. “The information given and tools presented for stakeholder accountability and validation contribute to the next and most important phase of the value of certification,” Mello said. “Kudos to these companies, who understand how important a connection, cooperation and collaboration is to further the cause of safety for the consumer.” Source: Assured Performance

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Automating Claims for Drivers & Insurers by Bill Brower, Property Casualty 360

At this point in time, it has become accepted that automation is either on its way to your industry or has already arrived. For many auto insurers, automation has not only arrived but has transformed the overall claims process for the better. It’s a win-win situation for both insurers and customers, with automation helping insurers do their jobs more efficiently and providing more convenience for their customers. Insurers who have effectively implemented automation into the claims process can possibly have huge benefits across the board, especially when it comes to reducing operating costs and increasing customer satisfaction. So, accepting that automation is here to stay, it’s important to examine the most effective ways for insurers to implement it if they aren’t doing so already. Balancing Automation & Empathy However, automation is not something everyone embraces. The key for insurers is to understand this fear and balance it with empathy. Insurers that understand how to do that effectively will be the most successful in implementing automation into their claims. While consumers, especially millennials and Gen Z, increasingly demand self-service and digital access, there are times their biggest desire is actually human touch. Our Future of Claims study has shown that throughout the claims process, customers want one-on-one human interaction easily accessible when they need it. In particular, to help consumers overcome these fear-based barriers, insurers should look to provide access to a live representative during important preclaim phases. More than half of consumers (52%) say they believe interaction with a live person is critical during the process of submitting the first notice of loss (FNOL) because they complain that self-service FNOL processes ask too many questions, whereas only 21% think a live person is helpful during the estimate submission phase. Talking to an

actual person on the phone enables the representative to express empathy, which creates a closer customer touch and has proven to positively impact customer satisfaction. Automation can help insurers deliver this human interaction identifying when that appropriate time is in the claims process.

and productive human touch where appropriate. This is possible today if an insurer integrates a data prefill solution early into the claims process. As insurers continue to effectively integrate more data prefill solutions into the claims process, it makes the self-service option as easy and painless as possible for customers and enables the insurer to further expedite the claims through automation. Customers want to provide their insurer with all of the necessary details about their car accident in order to help ensure that their claim is accurate. And as a result of data prefill solutions, this Despite the benefits of automating claims, not everyone entire process is able to be embraces this change. Insurers must learn to balance expedited from the FNOL empathy against the fear of using new technology. because the carriers are able Credit: Shutterstock to electronically confirm Let me give you an example of each claimant’s information and fowhen customers prefer automation cus any necessary conversations on as it can conveniently simplify their additional details needed to accelerclaims. Beyond just efficiency in the ate the claim. As a result, automating claims-handling process, thanks to claims both simplifies and speeds automation, insurers today have an up the entire process and makes it opportunity to pay claims faster than ever before. Setting the pace in 2016, Allstate formed a partnership with Mastercard to create an instant payment method called QuickCard Pay. In order to participate in QuickCard Pay, all claimants needed was a debit card and an email address. According to Allstate Chief Claims Officer Ken Rosen, “QuickCard Pay gave claimants an immediate and secure Order Genuine Mazda Parts from payment method that helped deliver these Parts Specialists in your area on Allstate’s promise of a fast, fair and compassionate claims experience.” As a result, Allstate’s solution is currently one of the fastest claims payment methods in the property SO. CALIFORNIA and casualty industry that eclipsed their previous industry-leading serGalpin Mazda vice, Fast Mobile e-Payment, which Van Nuys produced same-day payment with 818-778-2005 just an email address or mobile Fax 818-778-2090 phone number.

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a smoother experience for both the insurer and the customer. When it comes to auto insurance claims automation, we are still relatively early in the process in terms of what’s possible given how cars and even traffic signals are becoming increasingly connected. However, early indicators show that automation can be increasingly beneficial to both insurers and consumers. Automation is not something the consumer should be afraid of, and if insurers can ease their concerns by coupling it with empathy and guidance at the right time during the claims process, it can lead to enormous benefits. Claims automation is no longer the future, the journey has already begun, and it is having an immensely positive impact on the industry. The question then becomes, how can insurers continue to evolve their claims automation capabilities alongside connected cars and cars of the future. We thank Property Casualty 360 for reprint permission.

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Insurers Win Again—Mostly—in Antitrust Lawsuits Filed by Body Shops by Jim Sams, Claims Journal

A federal appellate court threw out most of the claims by automotive body shops in Indiana, Utah and Mississippi alleging major insurers violated anti-trust laws and engaged in anticompetitive practices by steering policyholders to “approved” shops. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals found March 6 claims filed by body shops in Indiana and Utah must be dismissed for procedural reasons. The appellate panel also upheld the dismissal of most of the claims filed by the Mississippi body shops, but it revived specific tortious interference claims by two of the Mississippi body shops against Progressive Insurance. The case is Automotive Alignment & Body Service and Alexander Body Shop LLC v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. The panel decision, which was made by three appellate judges, follows last year’s en banc ruling by all seven 11th Circuit judges dismissing separate lawsuits alleging antitrust violations by insurance carriers. That

case was Quality Auto Painting Center of Roselle v. State Farm. Defense attorneys worried a ruling in favor of the body shops in Quality Auto would have allowed plaintiffs to merely cite parallel conduct by competitors as sufficient basis for pleading an antitrust violation.

The decision released March 6 stems from multi-district litigation referred to the federal court for the Middle District of Florida. The body shops claimed State Farm group was the leader of a conspiracy involving several insurance carriers to conduct “market rate surveys” that actually were shams intended to reduce the cost of autobody work. The body shops alleged the carriers refused to pay for necessary repairs and procedures, and required

body shops to use subpar “aftermarket” parts instead of new parts. The carriers also steer their insureds away from noncompliant body shops and toward body shops that comply with their pricing demands and other requirements, the lawsuits alleged. The 11th Circuit said the complaint was very similar to the price-fixing allegations made in the Quality Auto case and must be dismissed for the same reasons. The court found the body shops in Quality Auto did not prove the carriers had colluded on price simply because they used similar practices and each had set the same top rates. The 11th Circuit didn’t address the merit of the complaints filed by the Utah and Indiana body shop’s arguments in the Automotive Alignment case decided March 6. The panel found instead the plaintiffs had not met the deadline to file amended complaints after those suits were dismissed by the district court. The Mississippi plaintiffs did amend their complaints on time, but the 11th Circuit dismissed most of the complaints for the same reasoning stated in Quality Auto.

Chevrolet Ends Impala Production

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“We have already held that this allegation of ‘price leadership’—‘following the example set by a competitor, without agreeing to do so in advance’—is insufficient to establish the existence of an agreement,” the court said. On the other hand, the panel said Autoworks Collision Specialist and Walkers Collision Center had adequately played their claims against Progressive Insurance. Each body shop claimed it had lost one customer because Progressive misled customers by telling them Progressive would guarantee the repair work if they used Progressive’s preferred shops, leading those customers to presume their shops would not guarantee their work. The court said the body shops stated a plausible allegation that Progressive had conspired to harm them with malicious intent and without justifiable cause. The 11th Circuit vacated the district court’s decision to vacate those specific complaints and remanded the case for further proceedings. We thank Claims Journal for reprint permission.

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This is the end of an automotive icon and sadly most people will probably never notice it’s gone. After all, the Chevy Impala has been largely forgotten by today’s car shoppers and that’s why it’s now history. The final Chevrolet Impala to be made was a Premier in Cajun Red Tintcoat. It rolled off the production line Feb. 27. Its death was announced in 2018 along with several other GM cars, but now it has finally come to pass. For more than six decades the Impala has been part of the Chevrolet lineup. That’s a long run, so at

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least the nameplate was well used and hopefully will be well remembered. Honestly, some will want to forget many of the later iterations of the car since they were embarrassingly bad, although others will remember each generation with fondness.

Taking the Impala’s place at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant will be the new Hummer electric pickup truck. That means as electrification takes over and people keep craving big vehicles, we could see more car casualties. We thank Insider Car News for reprint permission.

UPDATED DAILY

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Toyota Fuel Pump Recall Expanded to Nearly 2 Million Vehicles by David A. Wood, Car Complaints

A Toyota fuel pump recall is expanded to include nearly 2 million vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, an expansion of a fuel pump recall issued in January.

About 1.8 million of these vehicles are recalled in the U.S. and more than 158,000 are recalled in Canada. The fuel pumps can fail and cause the engines to run rough, stall and fail to restart. Affected vehicles include: - 2013-2015 Lexus LS 460 - 2013-2014 Lexus GS 350 - 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser - 2014 Lexus IS-F - 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner - 2014-2015 Toyota Land Cruiser - 2014-2015 Lexus GX 460 - 2014-2015 Lexus IS 350 - 2014-2015 Lexus LX 570 - 2015 Lexus NX 200t

- 2015 Lexus RC 350 - 2017 Lexus IS 200t - 2015 Lexus RC 200t - 2017-2019 Toyota Sienna - 2017-2019 Lexus RX 350 - 2018 Lexus GS 300 - 2018-2019 Toyota Avalon - 2018-2019 Toyota Camry - 2018-2019 Toyota Corolla - 2018-2019 Toyota Highlander - 2018-2019 Toyota Sequoia - 2018-2019 Toyota Tacoma - 2018-2019 Toyota Tundra - 2018-2019 Lexus ES 350 - 2018-2019 Lexus GS 350 - 2018-2019 Lexus IS 300 - 2018-2019 Lexus IS 350 - 2018-2019 Lexus LC 500 - 2018-2019 Lexus LC 500h - 2018-2019 Lexus LS 500 - 2018-2019 Lexus LS 500h - 2018-2019 Lexus RC 300 - 2018-2019 Lexus RC 350 - 2018-2019 Lexus RX 350L The Toyota fuel pump recall involves low-pressure pumps manufactured by Denso and located inside the fuel tanks. The Denso fuel pump has an impeller that absorbs too much fuel and deforms, causing the impeller

to make contact with the fuel pump body. A driver will notice warning lights and messages, and the engine will run rough, stall and won’t restart. Toyota said in January most of the reports indicated vehicles typically stalled at speeds of less than 20 mph.

According to the automaker, 63 field reports said the fuel pumps failed while driving less than 20 mph and three reports said the vehicles were moving above 20 mph. In addition, Toyota told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the fuel pumps failed primarily in hotter climates. When the automaker announced the January recall, hybrid vehicle

owners were told a separate fuel pump customer service program would eventually be offered. Toyota says the hybrid vehicles are equipped with the defective Denso fuel pumps, but those vehicles enter a failsafe mode if the pumps fail. Toyota said this allegedly removes a safety risk associated with pump failures in non-hybrid vehicles. Following the January Toyota fuel pump recall, the automaker was served a class action lawsuit that alleges the vehicles have lost value. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges the Toyota fuel pump recall failed to include all 2018-2019 vehicles equipped with defective Denso fuel pumps that begin with part numbers 23220 or 23221. Toyota and Lexus owners will be contacted by May and dealers will replace the Denso fuel pumps with allegedly improved pumps. Customers affected by the Toyota fuel pump recall may call 800331-4331 and Lexus owners may call 800-255-3987. We thank Car Complaints for reprint permission.

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