July 2023 West Edition

NHTSA Tells Automakers Not To Comply With MA’s Right To Repair Law

The National Highway and Transportation Safety Authority (NHTSA) on June 13 sent a letter to 22 automakers, telling them not to comply with a Right to Repair law recently enacted in Massachusetts, citing “significant safety concerns.”

to dealership service centers.

It was first approved by Massachusetts voters in 2020, but delayed for years by a lawsuit brought by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing automakers.

College Grad Found Car Repair Passion After Overcoming Homelessness

By Natay Holmes ABC 10News

The auto industry is in need of more technicians, and Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, CA, is helping steer students in that direction through its auto technology program. The program works with partners, like GM and Ford, to get students into auto body shops and gain real-world experience outside of the classroom.

Of course, the college also has shops on campus where students can get hands-on experience.

ABC 10News spoke to a nontraditional college student who took advantage of this program; he’s older and a father of four, but he used the knowledge gained from the program

to open his own business.

“As a mechanic, I can go anywhere and I can have a job the next day,” Benjamin Hart said.

Unscrewing one lug nut at a time, Hart said fixing cars has become his passion.

“It’s very hard to find a shop that you’re comfortable with and where people are going to be really transparent with you,” he said.

Cuyamaca College’s auto technology program helped Hart find the tools he needed to open his own business in 2020. The program trains students to fix a variety of systems that exist in a car.

“We have students who have never opened the hood of a car, all

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Credit: Shutterstock

“While NHTSA has stressed that it is important for consumers to continue to have the ability to choose where to have their vehicles serviced and repaired, consumers must be afforded choice in a manner that does not pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety,” the NHTSA said in the letter.

The law requires automakers to allow access to their vehicles’ data, so owners can get them fixed by independent repairers if they choose, rather than be forced to go

Tesla Model 3 Just Became Cheaper Than Toyota Camry in California

Finally, in March, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced she would begin enforcing the law June 1, despite the lack of a decision in the federal lawsuit. A last-minute motion to block the enforcement by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation was denied.

The letter from the NHTSA claims the Massachusetts law is in conflict with and is therefore preempted by the Safety Act, which

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By Joey Klender Teslarati

The Tesla Model 3 just became less expensive than a Toyota Camry in California thanks to the company’s confirmation that each of the allelectric sedan’s trim levels qualifies for the full $7,500 federal tax credit.

In early June, Tesla changed the language on its Model 3 Design Studio to reflect updated tax credit qualifications, indicating all three

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

REGIONAL NEWS

Columnist Mike Anderson: How to Create a Winning Customer Experience

Columnist Abby Andrews: Mitchell Hosts High School Students to Show Career Opportunities in the Collision Repair Industry

Columnist Stacey Phillips: Solving the Tech Shortage: Providing Direction, Showing Vulnerability & Re-messaging the Collision Repair Job

Columnist John Yoswick: Auto Body Shop Owners Decide Where to Focus Attention, Resources in Near Future

Index of Advertisers

2023 Techs Rock Awards Announces Winners

TechForce Foundation® announced the category winners in the 2023 Techs Rock Awards, created to honor professional technicians who are full of passion and grit, exhibit true excellence in their work and inspire the next generation of techs.

Meet the category winners at TechForce.org/Vote. Voting for the grand prize winner is closed, but the results will be announced soon.

More than $18,500 in prizes will be awarded to this year’s honorees. Each of the five category winners received prizes valued at more than $1,900 from TechForce partners Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Cengage Learning, CRC Industries, Ford Motor Company, Nissan, Snap-on Industrial and WD-40 Company.

In addition to their category winner prizes, the grand prize winner, chosen by popular vote, will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to STX 2024 in Nashville, TN, valued at $3,000, courtesy of Advance Auto Parts; and additional prizes valued at $6,000 from AutoZone, CRC Industries, Ford Motor Company, Nissan, Snap-on Industrial and WD-40 Company.

Source: TechForce Foundation

Mercedes-Benz Level 3 Automated Driving Tech Certified in California

Mercedes-Benz announced June 8 its class-leading DRIVE PILOT system for SAE Level 3 conditionally automated driving received certification from California state authorities.

With this significant milestone, Mercedes-Benz is the first car manufacturer with authorization to introduce such a SAE Level 3 system in a standard-production vehicle for use on public freeways in the most populous state in the U.S.

DRIVE PILOT will be available in the U.S. market as an option for model year 2024 Mercedes-Benz S-Class and EQS Sedan models, with the first cars delivered to customers in late 2023.

The state of Nevada already confirmed the compliance of the system with state regulations in January, and Mercedes-Benz has the ambition to further expand availability of this groundbreaking system to additional markets in the future.

“Mercedes-Benz DRIVE PILOT is the world’s only SAE Level 3 system with internationally valid type approval,” said Markus

Schäfer, member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, chief technology officer, responsible for development and procurement. “It builds on a very robust foundation, setting new industry standards. DRIVE PILOT uses a highly sophisticated vehicle architecture based on redundancy with a multitude of sensors enabling comfortable and safe conditionally automated driving. The certification by the authorities in California and in Nevada once again confirms that redundancy is the safe and thus the right approach.”

During a conditionally automated journey, DRIVE PILOT allows the driver to take their mind off the traffic and focus on certain secondary activities. When DRIVE PILOT is active, applications can be enabled on the vehicle’s integrated central display that are otherwise blocked while driving.

On suitable freeway sections and where there is high traffic density, DRIVE PILOT can offer to take over the dynamic driving task, up to speeds of 40 mph. The control buttons required for this

are located on the steering wheel rim, on the left and right above the thumb recesses. Once conditions are suitable, the system indicates availability on the control buttons.

When the driver activates DRIVE PILOT, the system controls the speed and distance, and effortlessly guides the vehicle within its lane. The route profile, events occurring on the route and traffic signs are correspondingly taken into consideration. The system also reacts to unexpected traffic situations and handles them independently through evasive maneuvers within the lane or by braking maneuvers for example.

If the driver fails to take back control even after increasingly urgent prompting and expiration of the takeover time (e.g., due to a severe health problem), the system brakes the vehicle to a standstill in a controlled manner while engaging the hazard warning lights. Once the vehicle has come to a standstill, the MercedesBenz emergency call system is activated and the doors are unlocked to ensure the vehicle is accessible for first responders.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

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Everyone in Collision Repair Process Plays a Part in Solving Problems With Supplements

By John Yoswick Autobody News

Virginia shop owner Barry Dorn said he doesn’t see “who is winning” as the time involved with processing supplements grows.

“My concern is that we all lose that trust with that customer,” Dorn said, during a panel discussion on supplements during this spring’s Collision Industry Conference (CIC). “They see a $1,000 photo estimate turn into a $20,000 blueprint. The trust is lost. The customer knows somebody is lying to them. They just don’t know who.”

He said it’s also hard on frontline employees---both at shops and insurance companies—who have to “go through this frustrating, laborious process,” and might question if it’s something they really want to continue to do, at a time when there’s already a labor shortage.

supplement, the vast majority had two supplements, and some had three or more supplements,” Amberson said, noting about three-quarters of the 100 jobs were non-DRP. “The average response time, from the time we submitted the first supplement, to when we got the response from the insurer, was 4.2 days. When you looked at the DRP jobs, those were obviously much lower because we get almost immediate response. Those were less than one day.”

But one of the larger insurers had average response time of more than six days, and another more than eight days.

“And I’m not talking about resolution. I’m just talking about a response,” Amberson said. “This is detrimental to all of us, including the insurer. My question is: How long is it going to take the insurers to figure this out so they can get response times down? Those of us who have been around a while recall a time when non-DRP response times were far less than that.”

Andrew Batenhorst of Pacific BMW Collision Center in Glendale, CA, said his shop also measures insurer response time.

Wright said the pandemic may have sped up insurers’ move toward “no-touch” or “low-touch” claims processing, but that transition started at least a decade ago in an effort to reduce claims processing costs.

“That’s measurable to the guys in the ivory tower,” Wright said. “They can’t control severity. Severity is biproduct of the technology we have today and the complexity of the car. So what’s important to the insurance executives, is controlling [claims processing] costs. That means finding a way to handle claims faster—not necessarily better, but faster. Unfortunately it’s caused this [supplement] dilemma we have that’s gotten worse.”

“We’re caught in the middle most times on the supplement process,” he said. “We don’t get paid in general to write supplements. When we have to come back, that’s a cost. It’s factored into our cost of doing business, but when there’s not documentation, or if we can’t find the vehicle or there’s nobody there to walk through the vehicle with us, we almost have to start over.”

Documentation Should Help

Aaron Schulenburg of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists agreed shops that aren’t providing adequate photos, OEM procedures and other documentation to support the supplements they submit need to start doing that.

“It’s almost cruel and unusual punishment,” concurred Mike Giarrizzo, CEO of DCR Systems, which operates eight collision repair shops under partnerships with dealers. He said his company explains to customers what to expect.

“We tell them we’re going to provide their insurer with every bit of evidence and documentation necessary to fix the vehicle correctly,” he said. “We’re going to go out of our way to provide any information that their insurer needs, and convey what needs to be done and why. But we can’t control the way they respond to that.”

Cycle Time Impact

Darrell Amberson of LaMettry’s Collision in Minnesota pointed to the cycle time ramifications of getting supplements approved. He said his company looked at 25 insurance jobs from each of four of the company’s locations.

“Virtually all of them got one

“And I have a conversation with the local [claims] managers about how they’re doing,” Batenhorst said. “If we get measured all the time on [key performance indicators], I like to flip the table back on them, and a lot of them are really surprised by what we show them. Having that open conversation can make a difference. Not every carrier is going to be open to that. But one by one, if you start opening up a dialogue, and you realize there’s a way to talk about these things, you can make a difference. They have different metrics than we do, obviously, but we all need to figure this out together.”

The Insurer View

Two of the panelists representing the insurance industry during the CIC discussion shared their perspectives on what could improve the supplement process. Consultant Roger Wright, a former vice president of claims at AIG, sees a role for the automakers.

“We really need the OEs to help clarify some of the procedures they have,” Wright said. “They just don’t make sense to insurance companies, and that’s why they’re so resistant sometimes to paying for certain things.”

Wright said while many shops are doing better at blueprinting and documentation, much of the industry still isn’t, also contributing to supplement processing issues. Phil Langley, vice president of client services for SCA Claim Services, agreed.

“But a big part of the problem is that if the repair industry does a better job of meeting those expectations, there should be a change in outcome,” Schulenburg said. “I think where the frustration rises is there are so many shops who have prioritized doing exactly that, and are doing it very well, and instead face almost a more difficult challenge” in getting supplements approved.

Shop owner Dorn agreed shops should provide good documentation supporting the supplements they submit.

“But I think that needs to be a twoway street when there’s a denial,” Dorn suggested. “If we have to fully document why we are doing something, I think the other industry stakeholders need to document why they’re not [paying for] it.”

Dorn said he sees the industry at a turning point in terms of supplements.

“I can guarantee you that already today—it’s what, about 11 o’clock— we’ve probably already had 100 shop visits where someone from our company shows up and no one is there to even show us where the vehicle is,” Langley said. “If we could work on that, that would be a good first step.”

He said after working with hundreds of insurance companies and thousands of shops, each with their own processes, some standardization across the industry would help.

Credit: Shutterstock

“We can’t continue to go down this path,” he said. “Fundamental change has to happen. We have to get away from the archaic ways that we’ve been doing things for 30 years. Everyone is frustrated. No one is winning. No one is happy about this. So let’s agree we have to change the process.”

Mike Giarrizzo of DCR Systems said making shop employees negotiate through the supplement process has become “almost cruel and unusual punishment.”

Phil Langley of SCA Claim Services said more standardization in how shops and insurers handle supplements would be a positive step

“We have to get away from the archaic ways that we’ve been doing things for 30 years.”

— BARRY DORN

OWNER, DORN’S BODY & PAINT

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the way to students who already do it for a living. They just want updated training because of technology and automotive—I mean—it changes consistently,” one of the instructors told 10News.

“It’s been a ton of information. There’s so much to learn about cars,” Hart said.

The program draws a lot of students who are already working in the auto industry.

“I started my associate degree as a full-time employee at a shop at Smitty Service on Adams, working 12 hours

a day from 5:30 in the morning till 5:30 at night and taking classes from 6 to 10 in the evening,” Hart said.

Even before enrolling in classes, Hart’s road to getting his degree wasn’t easy: He had to combat homelessness and addiction years ago.

“I was street homeless for almost 10 years. It got to a point where my alcoholism had become a factor in my health... I was dying, and it was a time to make a decision,” he says.

On June 8, Hart was the commencement speaker for his class at the graduation. He said “proud” isn’t the word to describe his accomplishments. He said he just wants to keep striving for the best for his family and business, TBH Complete Auto Care.

“For TBH Complete Auto Care to be the gold standard of automotive service—to say ‘Hey, those guys are gonna steer me right. Those guys are gonna make sure I’m safe. Those guys are gonna keep me on the road,’” he said.

Once his business is fully off the ground, Hart wants to continue his education at UC San Diego and get a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.

configurations of the sedan qualified for the full tax credit amount.

Previously, only one variant, the Performance trim, qualified, while the other two builds were only set to receive half, of $3,750, of the total credit.

The updated credit amount, when combined with local incentive amounts in some regions, like California, are helping Tesla vehicles reach price parity with gas cars. In some instances, they’re even undercutting the cost of some of the most popular sedans on the market in California, like the Toyota Camry.

Reuters reported June 6 the FuelEconomy.gov website officially updated its website to reflect the new Model 3 tax credit qualifications, enabled by the use

of domestic battery packs in the vehicles. Previously, the lower two configurations of the Model 3 used batteries built in China.

When the Model 3’s Rear-WheelDrive trim level is purchased at its sticker price of $40,240, the $7,500 federal tax credit and the $7,500 California tax rebate brings down the price to $25,240, which undercuts the cost of the Camry, listed at $26,320 in its entry-level configuration.

While other automakers are saying price parity won’t come until the end of the decade, Tesla has seemingly already reached it with certain trim levels.

The Model 3 receiving the full tax credit across the board is not only a huge disadvantage to competing EV makers, but also to the big gas companies that have yet to source their vehicles completely from domestic regions that can’t offer comparable prices due to lack of scalability.

Today, Benjamin Hart is a proud father of four and owner of a car repair shop in El Cajon, CA. In a past life, however, he lived on the streets for a decade as alcoholism plagued him. Credit: Natay Holmes, ABC 10News

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Stacey Phillips — Solving the Tech Shortage

Providing Direction, Showing Vulnerability & Re-messaging the Collision Repair Job

With a passion for creating new products, Erin Suchara joined 3M as a research and development intern in 2019. After graduating from the University of Michigan the following year with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, she took on a full-time role at the company as an advanced application engineer in Maplewood, MN.

a key role in structuring Caliber’s Technician Apprentice Program (TAP), created for aspiring auto body technicians to acquire the skills necessary to begin a career in the industry. Sorensen also encourages others to get passionate about taking steps to solve this challenge.

“We all need to have a driving force,” he said. “If we don’t have that

part of a local collision repair program to help influence the curriculum for producing skilled technicians and getting involved in the community to raise awareness about the industry. He also encouraged participation in programs such as SkillsUSA.

“It’s one of my favorite activities and has been so rewarding,” he said. “I’ve seen so many incredible stories of young adults getting involved with SkillsUSA and building a career.”

In addition to young people coming out of school and entering the industry, Sorensen has found adults are also interested in a collision repair career. As a result, he said shops need to work toward providing a career path to help them reach their potential.

“We need to be there to guide them through that,” he said. “I’m up here on stage because somebody at my company wanted me to reach my full potential.”

Show Vulnerability

USA. “I think it’s easier when you’re surrounded by people to take time to reflect.”

“Part of it is that we get back to our normal life—the day-to-day operations—and we have so many different things going on,” added Bartanen. “We need to plan better, think about these things, embrace them and feel like we are going to make a change.”

This includes listening to staff, being empathetic and having a sense of purpose.

He pointed out the industry might not be attractive to many based on comments industry professionals make on social media and some of the regular exchanges that take place in shops. “We need to be better behaved if we’re going to attract and retain talent,” he recommended.

Re-messaging the Job

“I’m from the Gen Z generation… We like to know what we’re doing and why it has a purpose,” explained Suchara. “My job is exactly that. I know what I’m making, who is using it and the difference it’s making.”

Hoping to encourage other Gen Zs to join the collision industry, Suchara participated in a panel discussion in April at IBIS USA focused on overcoming the talent shortage. The panel was moderated by IBIS Worldwide CEO Jason Moseley and included Jason Bartanen, Collision Hub’s director of industry relations, and Max Sorensen, senior vice president of operations for Caliber Collision.

Panelists provided the following insight on providing direction, showing vulnerability and remessaging the job.

Provide Direction

Sorensen oversees approximately 375 collision centers in the Midwest and Northeastern regions of the U.S., and is dedicated to educating young people about the collision repair industry and helping them reach their potential. He estimates the industry will require around 110,000 technicians over the next five years.

In response, Sorensen has played

force as an industry, in five years from now, we will be in a bad spot.”

He stressed the importance of providing new entrants structure, so they can continue their journey to become technicians.

Suchara agreed. Joining 3M during the pandemic, she said it was difficult to connect and learn with people in the lab. She soon realized the importance of creating structure to be successful.

“My job changes on a daily basis,” she said. “I talk to everyone from product developers to marketers, so having structure for what I do has helped me at the start of my career.”

Bartanen recommends having employees specialize and learn to excel in certain areas.

“By doing that, I think we’ll have safer and more efficient repairs,” he said.

Create a Culture & Career Path

According to panelists, creating a culture and career path is critical to a business’s success.

“Make sure that you have the culture set and there’s an expectation of it down the line,” said Bartanen, who leads Collision Hub’s in-shop virtual training and coaching program.

Bartanen suggested becoming

Since she didn’t grow up in a body shop environment, Suchara has learned everything from scratch. Being able to ask questions and learn from mentors has helped her advance in her career.

As a younger employee, Suchara has tried to be more vulnerable.

“Sometimes, I play the new card and say, ‘I don’t know,’ and ask questions,” she shared. “It’s not always easy to do and doesn’t always come naturally.”

“I couldn’t agree more with that, whether you call it vulnerability or humility,” said Bartanen. “That’s not inherently what we have done in the collision industry.”

Rather than saying they know everything, Bartanen encourages employees to have the humility to admit they don’t always know, put trust in their research and leverage the expertise of other staff and peers for assistance.

“I think a lot of self reflection needs to happen,” he recommended. “Taking the humble route is a great way to go.”

Be a Disciple

After talking about talent shortage solutions, many find it is challenging to implement new ideas.

Suchara said it’s often more natural to reflect on these issues while attending conferences like IBIS

When Suchara entered the industry, she was surprised her role wasn’t advertised as a job that required a lot of skill and had the potential to earn a good wage. “I think the messaging could use a little refresh,” she acknowledged.

“We definitely have to change the narrative because it’s not just working with your hands anymore,” said Sorensen. “Technicians need to know the ins and outs of that vehicle because it’s a supercomputer on wheels.”

“Who better to do that than the digital natives… who were born with a tablet in their hands,” added Bartanen.

When people share information about a collision repair career, Bartanen often hears them start by saying not everybody will be a doctor or a lawyer.

“That immediately sets the tone that technical education is a secondary option,” he said. “Why can’t we go after the valedictorians? Many of them surely like to work with their hands, are creative and like technology.”

He encourages the industry to look at everybody as a potential job candidate. “Let’s not just isolate it based on our preconceived beliefs of what happened when we were younger, when kids were shuffled to ‘that end of the school’ because they weren’t the best at math or English,” he said. “You need all those skills now.”

Pictured, left to right, are IBIS Worldwide CEO Jason Moseley; Max Sorensen, senior vice president of operations for Caliber Collision; Erin Suchara, advanced application engineer at 3M; and Jason Bartanen, Collision Hub’s director of industry relations.

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Ford, Uber Launch Mustang Mach-E Flexible Lease Pilot in CA Cities

Ford Next is collaborating with Uber to deliver a new lease option for rideshare drivers going electric.

Called Ford Drive, the pilot program offers flexible access to Ford Mustang Mach-E models and has launched in San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA. Ford Drive’s Los Angeles vehicle deliveries began June 1.

A flexible lease allows rideshare drivers to select their Mustang Mach-E for between one- and fourmonth increments, depending on the location. The vehicle is delivered to the driver within two weeks, and they use the Ford Drive app to manage payments and service.

In each city, the Ford Drive team works with local dealers to purchase a fleet of Mustang Mach-Es. Service and maintenance of those vehicles are conducted through dealers as well.

Ford Next and Uber initially launched the flexible lease pilot in 2022, allowing San Diego drivers on the Uber platform to lease more than 150 Mustang Mach-Es. Now, drivers in three California cities are able to test drive this new leasing approach. California is Uber’s

leading North American market for EV uptake, with close to 10% of all on-trip miles completed in fully electric vehicles as of late 2022.

“We understand uptime and ease of use are critical to every rideshare driver. As more of them make the switch to electric vehicles, we’re building the Ford Drive program around their unique needs,” said

complementing Ford products and creating new business models and customer experiences.

Christopher Hook, Uber’s global head of sustainability, said: “Climate change is the most urgent challenge of our time, and we must work together in order to tackle it.

“As we continue marching toward our zero-emissions goal, Uber is thrilled to partner with Ford to provide an attractive and affordable option for leasing a leading EV and help drivers lower running costs and emissions. It’s a win for drivers, their riders and the communities where they live.”

One reason Uber is incentivizing drivers to go green: When highmileage drivers make the switch to electric, communities see up to four times the emissions reduction benefit compared to the average car owner, according to Uber’s SPARK! report.

With the Mustang Mach-E, drivers on the Uber platform have ample trunk space and seating for riders who are taking trips within the city or to the airport. Drivers also have access to more than 85,000 charging plugs and growing through the BlueOval Charge™ Network.

Bill Knapp, who leads Ford Drive. “We’re glad that the initial feedback on this venture has been so strong, and it’s exciting to learn from these driver experiences to explore solutions supporting Uber and Ford’s shared electrification goals.”

Ford Drive is an initiative of Ford Next, a division that incubates and launches new businesses that create value for Ford by

Uber aims to be a zero-emissions platform in North America and Europe by 2030 and has pledged $800 million in incentives and resources to help drivers make the switch to electric vehicles.

Drivers of fully electric vehicles on the Uber platform in North America are eligible for the Zero Emissions incentive, which currently lets them earn an extra $1 on every Uber Rides trip (up to $4,000 per calendar year).

In addition, the Mustang Mach-E is eligible for Comfort Electric, Uber’s premium zero exhaust ride offering.

Ford is investing more than $50 billion in electric vehicles through 2026. As part of its Ford + plan, Ford is working to deliver a 600,000 EV production run rate globally by the end of this year and 2 million globally by the end of 2026.

Source: Ford

Not To Comply

requires automakers to initiate a recall of vehicles that contain a safety defect—which, according to the NHTSA, includes the open remote access to vehicle telematics required by the state law.

“Open access to vehicle manufacturers’ telematics offerings with the ability to remotely send commands allows for manipulation of systems on a vehicle, including safety-critical functions such as steering, acceleration or braking, as well as equipment required by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards such as air bags and electronic stability control,” the NHTSA said. “A malicious actor here or abroad could utilize such open access to remotely command vehicles to operate dangerously, including attacking multiple vehicles concurrently.

“Vehicle crashes, injuries or deaths are foreseeable outcomes of such a situation,” the NHTSA said.

The Massachusetts Right to Repair Coalition released a statement condemning the NHTSA’s letter, calling it the “latest auto manufacturers’ stall tactic.”

“On behalf of 2 million voters and thousands of independent auto repair shops across Massachusetts, we are outraged by the unsolicited, unwarranted and counterproductive letter from NHTSA that conflicts with the Department of Justice’s statement submitted two years ago in federal court stating that there was no federal preemption,” said Tommy Hickey, executive director of the Right to Repair Coalition.

“NHTSA’s letter is irresponsible, having been transmitted without any new evidence and after the conclusion of the federal trial, despite having been asked by the judge to participate in the court proceeding and declining.

“NHTSA’s letter fails to acknowledge the evidence and testimony presented at the trial that demonstrated the viability and security of an open access platform,” Hickey continued. “This is yet another delay tactic the manufacturers are using to thwart the will of their customers, Massachusetts voters who voted 7525 in favor of their right to get their car repaired where they choose. The FTC, the Biden Administration and many members of Congress have all come out in support of Right To Repair.”

Federal Right To Repair Legislation Receives Landslide of Support

Auto Care Association, MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, CAR Coalition and SEMA are applauding a new group of bipartisan cosponsors of the REPAIR Act (H.R. 906), which will ensure choice, fairness and safety in the vehicle repair market.

Originally introduced by the bipartisan team of U.S. Reps. Neal Dunn, R-FL, Brendan Boyle, D-PA, Warren Davidson, R-OH, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-WA, eight additional members signed on quickly in support of the REPAIR Act in April.

In May, an additional 16 members of Congress have now signed on to the REPAIR Act, bringing the total to 28 supporters of drivers’ right to choose where they get their vehicle maintained and repaired. The new representatives include:

• U.S. Rep. Donald G. Davis, D-NC

• U.S. Rep. John H. Rutherford, R-FL

• U.S. Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-CA

• U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-ME

• U.S. Rep. Mark E. Amodei, R-NV

• VU.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-FL

• U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-NH

• U.S. Rep. Salud O. Carbajal, D-CA

• Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón, R-PR

• U.S. Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-IA

• U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-IN

• U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-WI

• U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-NM

• U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-NJ

• U.S. Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-NJ

• U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-NV             Bipartisan support of the bill continues to grow. The REPAIR Act is the only bill that addresses vehicle maintenance and repair restrictions, including heavy duty vehicles the U.S. economy depends on for freight transport. Automotive aftermarket companies can urge legislators in their district to also co-sponsor the bill by visiting repairact.com.

Source: Auto Care Association

As a family owned and operated dealership since 1909, Glenn E. Thomas Dodge has proudly been serving Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram customers for 105 years.

We have a long history of providing great service with honesty and integrity.

How to Create a Winning Customer Experience

A lot of people think Collision Advice is just Mike Anderson, but I think it’s important people understand it’s so much more. We have 12 people on our team right now, amazing teammates who all have certain expertise. We have Maria Quintero and Mark Head, who both specialize in accounting assistance, for example, and we have Jeff Oldenettal and Danny Gredinberg, who specialize in estimating and parts. So we’re really a complete team.

Every year, we have a theme that shapes the work we do as we train and coach the shops we work with. This year’s theme is: Be extraordinary. Kevin Brown, author of “The Hero Effect,” spoke at our recent conference, and said he believes nobody notices normal. That’s why we need to be extraordinary in everything we do.

Sheryl: Sure. Customer service and customer experience are definitely two different things. When you think of customer service, those are individual moments or aspects of the customer experience. The customer experience is the entire customer journey: How are we making the customer feel, what are the emotions they feel when they interact with our brand?

system in place where I can schedule an appointment, or request a photobased estimate? Again, is it easy to do business with you?

Mike: Right, and you’re not talking about a photo-based estimate as a claims settlement strategy, but more as a marketing strategy. Because we’ve found that when customers have had an accident, they’re feeling a high level of anxiety. If they can submit photos to you or request information from you outside of normal business hours, it kind of lowers their anxiety because they feel like at least they’ve got the ball rolling. We’re not trying to write a repair plan based on photos. We’re trying to provide convenience for our customers to get the process started.

acknowledging the emotions you’re hearing from them. It can be as simple as, “I understand how frustrating this is, and I am here to help you every step of the way.”

And then that leads us to guiding them through the process. They need our direction. Unless they just got their car repaired by you just a couple weeks ago, they need you to guide them every step of the way on what the repair process looks like. All this has to be authentic, so it should never be scripted. You can use scripts to practice with, but if that wording doesn’t feel natural, do not say it that way. You don’t want to come across as inauthentic. Think about what you would say if a friend called you and told you they had been in an accident.

So for my column this month, I wanted to have one of my awesome teammates, Sheryl Driggers, share some of her insights on something she’s very passionate about: creating the extraordinary customer experience. Sheryl is a former shop owner in Florida, and she and I recently presented together on this topic at the Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show in Kansas. Here’s what we talked about.

Mike: Sheryl, let’s start out with what you see as the difference between “customer service” and the “customer experience.”

The customer experience actually starts with your employees’ experience. In order to create an extraordinary customer experience, we first have to create an extraordinary experience for our employees. How we talk to our employees, how we treat our employees, their ongoing experience with your company directly influences the experience of your customers. So that is No. 1.

Mike: And the customer’s experience is shaped even before they start to interact with those employees, doesn’t it?

Sheryl: Yes, even before they pick up the telephone and call us. It starts the moment they have any kind of interaction with our brand. We have to make it radically easy for customers to do business with us. And I don’t mean just easy, I mean radically easy.

We live in a world where you can order almost anything and get it the next day, if not the same day. Customers want that instant gratification, that instant response. So if I were to do a Google search, would your shop come up on the top of the list? Is there a chat feature on your website? And can I do business with you at 2 a.m. when I’m actually finally getting to my todo list? Is there an auto-reply set up, so when I reach out at 2 a.m., I’m not wondering whether I actually submitted something and you’ll get back to me in the morning, or if it went into a black hole. Do you have a

Sheryl: Exactly. Next, when they pick up the telephone and call your shop, what kind of information are they going to get from your customer service team? We of course have to have the conversation about insurance and the claim information, but that is not what we should lead with. We should first and foremost be building relationships from the first moment that we interact with a customer.

We can do that through the three things that you’ve taught for years, Mike, and that’s trust, empathy and direction. Start to build trust with the customer by pointing them to your online reviews, to your social media pages, to what other people are saying about your shop. If you have certifications, are you mentioning that to the customer, and then explaining what that means to them? Demonstrate empathy with at least one statement

Mike: So how about when they arrive at your shop?

Sheryl: When a customer walks through our doors, studies show that we have seven seconds to make a first impression. Even if we’re on the telephone with another customer, we can absolutely acknowledge the customer who walks through our doors through non-verbal cues. We should never communicate that we’re thinking about all the other tasks we need to complete. We should be completely focused on who is in front of us, actively listening to that customer, providing a personalized customer experience.

One of the best questions to ask during a repair consultation is: What is concerning you the most about this process? Whether it’s the claims process, or the repairs process, every single customer is different. And so that really helps us not just regurgitate information, or just check things off a task list.

We don’t want to just “process” a customer. We want to build relationships. So even in that first interaction, our focus needs to be on listening in order to understand what is most important to them so we can provide an individualized, extraordinary customer experience

I’ll share more about what Sheryl and I talked about in my next column.

Sheryl Driggers, one of the teammates at Collision Advice and a former shop owner, shares some of her insights on creating the extraordinary customer experience.

“One of the best questions to ask during a repair consultation is: What is concerning you the most about this process?” SHERYL DRIGGERS COLLISION ADVICE

CONTROLVEHICLEEMISSIONINFORMATION

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VEHICLE MFD .BY: TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, GVWR 4233LB GAWR FR 2668LB RR 2668LB THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY , BUMPER , AND THEFT PREVENTION STANDARDS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE . PASS. CAR C⁄ TR : 4Q2 ⁄ LA43 ACV30L--CEPGKA A ⁄TM: --01A ⁄ U241E MADE IN U.S.A. 08270 00000000000000000 KENTUCKY, INC. 02⁄ 04 STK A AA5 To Visit Our Website SCAN HERE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT AUTO DATA LABELS: visit our website at www.AutoDataLabels.com email us at labels@AutoDataLabels.com or call us at (631) 667-2382 4 EASY WAYS TO ORDER LABELS! DON’T RISK LOSING YOUR VEHICLES IDENTITY! ORDER REPLACEMENT VIN LABELS TODAY! Federal Safety Certification (VIN) Label C /TR : 218 ⁄ FA2 0 AXAA54L– ANZMBA A/TM : -01A ⁄U B 80F MADE IN U.S.A. 512 THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFE TY AND THEF T PREVENTION STANDARDS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE. 11 /18 VEHICLE MFD. BY: TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION GVWR: 2090KG ( 4610LB ) GAWR: FRT. 1150KG ( 2535LB ) WITH 225/65R17 TIRES, 17X7J RIMS RR. 1150KG ( 2535LB ) WITH 225/65R17 TIRES, 17X7J RIMS E Replacement label: Not from Toyota JTMP1RFV1KD000000 MPV Contact Us : Contact your LKQ/Keystone Local Sales Rep Upload your photos to the Website: www.AutoDataLabels.com Email your photos: Labels@AutoDataLabels.com Use the App: Download the ADL App And Upload your Photos VIN labels contain vehicle-specific safety information. This information is critical for safe operation and proper repair procedures. • Tire Pressure • Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) • Paint and Trim Codes • Spare Tire Size

Ford Expands Mobile Service Program

With increased demand for remote services, Ford announced it’s expanding its Mobile Service program to now include Escape SUVs, allowing customers at its smaller-volume dealers more convenient options for vehicle service. Ford is targeting to have nearly 1,000 Escape SUVs to be used as Mobile Service vehicles by year’s end, giving smaller-volume dealers a more affordable way to deliver Mobile Service and larger dealers a way to supplement their existing fleets. The Escape also frees up service bays at dealerships and gives customers more convenient choices on how and where they want vehicle service. Customer use of Ford remote services has increased 45% since Q4 of 2022.

“Adding the Escape to the mobile maintenance fleet now gives our smaller-volume dealers the ability to provide this convenient service to more customers,” said Todd Rabourn, North America regional CX director, experience implementation.

“These Escape vehicles are hitting the road to provide everything from software updates to light repairs, plus offering the ability to accelerate

how we resolve current recalls.”

Participation in Ford’s Mobile Service program is voluntary, and once enrolled, dealers can use a 22/23MY Escape they have in stock or order a unit. Exterior colors of Oxford White, Star White and Iconic Silver, along with a specialized wrap, will indicate the vehicle is a Mobile Service unit. All vehicles in the program must have embedded WiFi or have means for internet access.

Each Escape operating as a Mobile Service vehicle will be upfitted with a jumper cable charger, inverter and harness, and tools provided by the dealer. “We already have one mobile service van in operation, and it’s on the road constantly, doing light repairs and recall work,” said Carm Scarpace, dealer partner, Westfield Ford. “Adding an Escape to our fleet is really helping us serve customers faster and more efficiently on their terms.” Scarpace said providing mobile service has created a new culture within the dealership in how they approach customer experience. Their Escape mobile service unit is currently helping to resolve up to 10 recalls a day for customers.

Source: Ford

Hyundai Donates 4 Santa Cruz Vehicles To City of Santa Cruz Marine Safety Division

Hyundai celebrated both National Public Works Week and National Beach Safety Week on May 25, where four Hyundai vehicles were donated to support the Marine Safety Division’s work of keeping beachgoers safe in the City of Santa Cruz, CA.

With an approximate value of $164,000, the four-vehicle donation is the largest vehicle donation to a city by Hyundai Motor America to date.

“Santa Cruz comes with powerful and efficient engines and superb maneuverability to ensure it is a pleasure to drive in urban or off-road environments,” said Trevor Lai, senior manager, product planning, Hyundai Motor North America. “We are honored to help keep beachgoers safe in the City of Santa Cruz by supporting the City of Santa Cruz Marine Safety Division.”

The ribbon-cutting included remarks from Fred Keeley, mayor of Santa Cruz, Rob Oatey, Santa Cruz fire chief, Nathan Nguyen, Santa

Cruz public works director, and Lai.

“These vehicles are going to be game-changing in terms of bolstering our current fleet of vehicles that are available not only for patrol, but for the emergency response for the water rescues we have all year round,” said Oatey. “Especially the way they are designed in terms of being lightweight and more compact. It provides better visibility. Our dense beaches can be extremely hazardous to navigate in vehicles, and the better visibility all around is going to enhance safety.”

National Beach Safety Week is sponsored annually by the U.S. Lifesaving Association to remind beachgoers to use caution in the aquatic environment.

This year’s National Public Works Week theme was “Connecting the World Through Public Works,” underscoring how public works connects us all through infrastructure and service, enhancing quality of life for the community.

Source: Hyundai

Inaugural Episode of Webinar Series Looks At IIHS’ Study of Issues Reported With ADAS Repairs

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

AirPro Diagnostics’ new webinar series, TechTalk 360, hosted its firstever episode May 17, “Consumer Experiences with Crash Avoidance Feature Repairs,” presented by David Zuby, executive vice president and chief research officer for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS.)

A full replay of the presentation is available on AirPro Diagnostics’ YouTube channel, at youtube.com/@ airprodiagnostics1282.

The webinars, co-hosted by Jordan Hendler and George Avery, will be presented every other month.

During the roughly one-hour webinar, Zuby discussed IIHS’ recent report on its survey of owners

repaired ADAS feature; 85% were the vehicle’s original owner. Most sought a repair of the feature due to a recall or service bulletin from the automaker, but one in five owners did so because the vehicle had collision damage. The least common reason to seek a repair was because the car displayed an error code.

Of the respondents, about two-thirds took their vehicle to a dealership service center. The rest either went to an independent repair shop or didn’t know.

Zuby said a majority of the respondents said the features were recalibrated as part of the repair, which he said is good news.

“We have heard a lot of windshield repairs and others aren’t getting the recalibrations required,” Zuby said. “So at least from this sample of owners’ perspectives, [recalibration] is by and

Since most of the vehicles owned by survey respondents were newer, they were covered by insurance or a warranty, and respondents were largely satisfied with how much they had to pay out of pocket for the repair.

“It just takes time for these new issues to be fully addressed.”

Zuby said there is a concern that if consumers continue to experience problems, there will be less interest in the technology, and car buyers as a whole will be less likely to purchase vehicles with those features.

“As a safety organization, we’d like to see more cars equipped with them,” Zuby said.

The IIHS will continue to study the reasons behind the high rate of postrepair issues.

of vehicles with repaired crash avoidance features, also known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS.)

Zuby said U.S. roadway deaths hit a low of about 32,000 in 2011, but since then, they have been steadily rising—increasing 32% over the next decade to about 43,000 deaths in 2021, the most recent year of data available.

The popularity of ADAS features is also increasing, Zuby said. Nearly half of the entire car parc on U.S. roads has a rearview camera at this point, while other features, like active lane centering, are still only available on a few new models.

“These features are important because [data] shows they are helping drivers avoid crashes,” Zuby said. “They work, so we want to make sure when they’re involved in a crash, they go back on the road working properly.”

However, the features also drive up the cost of repairs, requiring more labor for recalibrating and more expensive replacement parts.

“Mistakes in repairs are leading to a decrease in effectiveness,” Zuby said.

IIHS surveyed 500 people who owned vehicles, mostly from model years 2015-2021, with at least one

“As the number of features on cars on the road is growing, it may lead to more repair issues initially, but over time, I think the problems people experience will decrease,”

“We suspect part of it is growing pains, but we also suspect we need to make repair info more readily available, to not just OE shops but also independent shops,” Zuby said.

“Self-diagnostics were the least common reason to seek repair; we also think the auto industry could do more to make systems capable of

“It’s a cause for concern that the industry needs to pay more attention to making sure information about calibrations is not only clear, but also followed.”

DAVID ZUBY IIHS

Central Oregon Community College To Get Federal Funding For EV Tech Training Program

Central Oregon Community College (COCC) was awarded nearly $3 million to help expand the electric vehicle (EV) technician workforce, Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced May 16. The funding comes from the National Science Foundation and will support COCC’s Northwest Engineering and Vehicle Technology Exchange (NEVTEX).

“The transportation sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. So it is imperative that we transition away from gasoline-powered vehicles, which are fanning the flames of the crisis,” said Merkley. “Ensuring we have trained technicians is a critical part of the infrastructure we need to support the growing number of drivers choosing to go electric. This funding will put COCC in the driver’s seat for expanding and supporting this vital and growing sector.”

“This major federal investment in Central Oregon Community College will generate big gains for students eager to be trained in the goodpaying jobs that are growing as part of the green energy economy,” said Wyden, who as chair of the Senate

Finance Committee worked to include new credits and incentives for EVs in the Inflation Reduction Act. “I’m gratified that COCC has earned these resources to build out EV technician training for Central Oregon. And I’ll keep battling to ensure every part of Oregon secures similar job training gains from our country’s clean energy future.”

“Central Oregon Community College is grateful to receive this transformative award from the National Science Foundation and proud that it recognizes the leadership and expertise of our automotive faculty,” said COCC President Dr. Laurie Chesley. “Sens. Wyden and Merkley have always supported our college’s efforts to invest in a future-oriented workforce, and this award will expand upon this support by growing the impact of the NEVTEX Next consortium’s skilled EV technician training. The consortium, of which COCC’s faculty are essential founding members, will help 15 geographically and demographically diverse twoyear colleges to broaden the EV workforce and meet the growing

national need.”

COCC is one of 15 two-year colleges who will develop EV technician programs under the NEVTEX Next consortium. The consortium will create and test a model for addressing the need to educate the EV skilled technician workforce through four objectives:

15 new two-year college EV technician programs will be started and certified by providing professional development for instructors and supplying necessary testing equipment.

An advisory group will promote and sustain a national, industryrecognized EV certification for educators and technicians to advance standards-based EV certifications at two-year colleges

and in the EV workforce.

Five college automotive instructors will gain the EV technology knowledge and skills required to be certified in the national EVPro+ training and testing standards, and equipment will be provided at their colleges to establish five authorized EVPro+ certification testing sites.

Consortium-wide training based on proven and successful strategies will enable automotive faculty to develop effective student recruitment and retention strategies to increase diversity in their programs by attracting and retaining women and underserved minorities.

Source: U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley

Carbeat Ignites Digital Transformation

AkzoNobel’s automotive refinishing customers are experiencing a digital transformation using Carbeat, a datadriven digital project management process simplifying the shopfloor workflow, while tracking critical data using a seamless blend of technology and services.

Historically, collision repair shops used manual processes to monitor a vehicle’s repair process. Carbeat transformed this process with a powerful and intuitive digital production workflow dashboard that collects all datapoints while a vehicle cycles through the repair shop.

AkzoNobel’s customers are experiencing a 10% to 15% reduction in vehicle cycle time by applying the Carbeat visual communication and data management processes, which depending on a shop’s volume of vehicle repairs, may result in reducing the total time required to repair a vehicle by one to three days.

For more information and additional customer transformation success stories using Carbeat, access the Carbeat website at www. carbeat.com.

MA Senators Want Explanation from NHTSA on Right To Repair Position

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey , who both represent Massachusetts, on June 15 sent a letter to federal officials asking for an explanation of the letter sent earlier the same week to automakers, telling them not to comply with the state’s recently enacted Right to Repair law.

The letter was addressed to U.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg and National Highway Traffic Association (NHTSA) Deputy Administrator

Sophie Schulman

Warren and Markey said “NHTSA’s decision to give auto manufacturers a green light to ignore state law appears to favor Big Auto, undermine the will of Massachusetts voters and the Biden Administration’s competition policy, and raise questions about both the decision process and the substance of the decision by NHTSA’s leadership.

“We are asking NHTSA to explain its rationale for its

harmful actions and respect Massachusetts state law by reversing course,” the senators continued.

The letter pointed out that NHTSA had “ample opportunity” before the law took effect June 1 to raise preemption arguments through the judicial process, and even declined multiple requests from the judge to participate.

“Instead, NHTSA sent the June 13 letter with no warning, circumventing the legal process, contradicting a judicial order, undermining Massachusetts voters, harming competition and hurting consumers, and causing unnecessary confusion by raising this novel view two weeks after enforcement of the law began,” the senators wrote.

The senators said NHTSA’s position goes against the Biden administration’s policy to combat monopolies in repair markets.

NHTSA’s letter to automakers relies on the same argument used by the automakers themselves, the senators said: “an irresolvable conflict between maintaining data security and providing independent repair shops with the data they need to conduct repairs. Auto manufacturers have routinely raised safety concerns as a way to ‘change the subject’ and distract consumers from the fact that vehicle repair and maintenance services from independent repair shops keeps the cost of service and repair down.”

The senators said those safety concerns had already been addressed in a U.S. district court, which concluded they did not override Massachusetts’s right to enforce the law.

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Source: AkzoNobel

The New Fusor 800HD Plus Series

Cole Strandberg

The Benefits of Bringing More Services In-House for Auto Body Shops

Body shops have always focused on repairing vehicles after an accident, but there are many other services they could provide to increase revenue and profits and improve customer satisfaction. One way to expand their offerings is by bringing in-house some services they currently outsource, such as ADAS calibration,

ADAS calibration tools, software and training for technicians. Body shops will also need to ensure that they have the necessary processes in place to manage these services, including developing new workflows for ADAS calibration, training staff on new processes, and developing pricing strategies for these services.

include a wide range of options, such as aftermarket wheels, vinyl wraps, ceramic and protective coatings, performance upgrades and more. These services can provide customers with the ability to personalize their vehicles and make them stand out from the crowd.

There are several benefits to adding a customization component to a collision business. Firstly, it can provide an additional source of revenue and profitability for the body shop. This can help to diversify the business and reduce its dependence on collision repairs.

Secondly, offering customization can improve customer satisfaction, build loyalty, generate repeat business and meet the needs of a wider range of customers. Additionally, offering customization can provide a competitive advantage over other repair-only body shops.

alignment and customization services. As an added benefit, most of these services have high margins and tend to be “easier” than the bulk of collision repair work. Plenty of shops are doing these things inhouse. Should you?

ADAS Calibration

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have become increasingly common in modern vehicles. These systems use cameras, radar and other sensors to assist drivers with tasks such as lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. However, if these systems are not calibrated correctly after a collision repair, they may not function properly. This can compromise the safety of the vehicle and its occupants.

By bringing ADAS calibration inhouse, body shops can ensure they are providing a complete and safe repair service to their customers. This can also help to reduce the time and cost associated with outsourcing these services. Additionally, having inhouse ADAS calibration capabilities can provide a competitive advantage over other body shops that do not offer these services.

To bring ADAS calibration inhouse, body shops will need to invest in the necessary equipment and training. This may include

This, for the time being, is optional for many OEM certifications. As evolution in vehicle safety systems continues to advance, it won’t be. Get ahead of the curve with this one.

Alignment

Proper wheel alignment is critical for vehicle handling, fuel economy and tire wear. After a collision repair, it is essential to check the wheel alignment and make any necessary adjustments. However, if the body shop outsources this service, it can add time and cost to the repair process.

By bringing alignment in-house, body shops can provide a complete and efficient repair service while reducing turnaround time and cost. It can also provide a competitive advantage over other shops.

To bring alignment in-house, body shops will need to invest in the necessary equipment, such as alignment machines and lifts, as well as training for technicians.

Oh, and did I mention alignments are among the most profitable services body shops can offer?

Customization

In addition to collision repairs, there are many other services body shops can provide to customers. One area often overlooked is customization and accessories.

Customization services can

Thirdly, offering customization can help to attract new customers. By promoting these services, the body shop can attract people who are

looking for things beyond repair and give clients more excuses to walk into your building. As an added benefit, customers for these services tend to be in a bit of a better mood and more willing to spend on non-insurance, more profitable work. Bringing things like ADAS calibration, alignment and customization services in-house can provide numerous benefits for body shops. By investing in the necessary equipment, training and processes, body shops can offer a more complete and efficient repair service to their customers while also increasing profitable revenue and improving customer satisfaction. It is important for body shops to evaluate their current offerings and consider the potential benefits of expanding their services to include these in-house options. With the right investment and approach, body shops can differentiate themselves from the competition and position themselves for long-term growth and success.

Credit: Shutterstock

Tesla Owner Wants Answers After Model Y Catches Fire, Gets Totaled

By Steven Loveday InsideEVs

On May 6, a Tesla Model Y reportedly caught fire in California. While driving on the freeway onramp, the driver thought he had a flat tire. However, when he got out to check, there was smoke around the car, and then flames underneath.

Tesla’s customer service has reportedly been difficult to deal with related to the situation.

The Model Y driver,  Bishal Malla, said he was out running some errands and the Tesla started to shake, which is why he assumed there was something wrong with the tire. It wasn’t long before the entire Model Y was up in flames. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the incident, but the electric crossover was considered a total loss.

Malla’s next move was to contact Tesla’s customer service department to let them know what happened and try to get more details about the incident.

Fortunately, his insurance company is going to cover a new car, but Tesla’s customer service was reportedly far from helpful.

According to Teslarati, Malla shared some details about the story on Reddit, which were picked up by Business Insider. Malla said Tesla customer service would only

Autel Debuts Remote XLink Programmer

Service Center.

He shared via Teslarati: “I’ve tried them more than 10 times, but those folks at roadside assistance customer service can’t do anything. One agent I talked to had the audacity to tell me to take my fully burned Tesla to the Tesla recommended servicing center. My car was fully salvaged and a total loss. How in the world am I going to do that?”

Tesla hasn’t come forward with a statement. All we have to go on is the story as relayed by the owner, which we have no way of fully substantiating. While it seems pretty clear the Tesla caught fire, the rest of the details are just the owner’s words with no counterpoint from any other parties.

Autel released the MaxiFLASH XLink, a 3-in-1 programming, communication and Remote Expert-ready touchscreen device.

With the 6.5-inch standalone XLink, technicians can use Autel’s widely-used Remote Expert platform to contract experienced programmers and diagnosticians with OE software subscriptions and tools to complete needed tasks.

The XLink enables technicians via the Remote Expert platform to obtain expert help and access to OE data remotely, a J2534 passthru programming capability allows techs to flash modules with a Windows PC and OE subscriptions onsite, and an enhanced VCI that supports the latest communication protocols and is compatible with all Autel MaxiSYS tablets.

help him if it involved a roadside assistance situation. Obviously, roadside assistance couldn’t help him with a completely burned EV. Malla said one agent told him on the phone to take the car to a Tesla

Malla is hoping to get some answers from Tesla to “protect others to not go through the same issue.”

Tesla doesn’t have a PR department and this wouldn’t be the first time an owner shared a story about a lack of communication and confusing interactions.

The XLink’s standalone Remote Expert capabilities enable technicians to use the Remote Expert platform without tying down their MaxiSYS Ultra, MS919 or MS909 tablets.

Visit Autel.com to learn more about the MaxiFlash XLink.

Source: Autel

A screenshot of a video posted to Twitter by Tesla Model Y owner Bishal Malla shows the crossover fully engulfed in flames

New ProColor Collision Body Shop Opens in Escondido, CA

ProColor Collision strengthened its presence and service to the greater San Diego area with a new location in Escondido, CA.

The newest ProColor Collision is owned and operated by Benjamin Sanchez, who has worked in the collision industry for more than 20 years.

ProColor Collision Escondido is I-CAR Gold certified and outfitted with top-of-the-line equipment and an experienced team of customer service representatives and technicians. Located at 375 State Place, this new ProColor Collision location delivers technical acumen and an unwavering commitment to provide quality repairs to customers throughout the area.

“The team at ProColor Collision has been instrumental in helping me make my decision to join the network,” said Sanchez. “Their dedicated team provides a wealth of information and training to help us further strengthen our team, our services and our business.

We look forward to leveraging the available resources as we serve private and commercial customers with our technical skills and dedication to excellence.”

“The entire team at ProColor Collision Escondido understands the importance of customer service, quality repairs and teamwork in every customer interaction,” said Javier Vargas, ProColor Collision’s director of operations. “They have a proven track record for delivering consistent results. Ben Sanchez and his team are a strong addition to our growing family of collision repair facilities in southern California and throughout the United States.”

For more information about ProColor Collision Escondido, visit www.procolor.com/en-us/ shop/escondido/

Source: ProColor Collision

Kia Recalls 100K Sportage SUVs For Possible Power Brake Failure

By David A. Wood CarComplaints.com

Nearly 100,000 Kia Sportage SUVs are recalled because they could lose their power brakes.

The recall involves 2023 Kia Sportage vehicles equipped with brake booster diaphragms that become misaligned which can cause internal vacuum leaks.

The SUV could lose its power brake assist which can cause extended stopping distances.

As a result of losing power brakes, the brake pedal will feel hard to press as a driver attempts to stop the Sportage.

In January, Kia determined a brake booster vacuum leak caused lean combustion diagnostic trouble codes.

Kia worked with the supplier to investigate the brake booster vacuum leak and discovered a gap in the brake booster shell which could allow the booster diaphragm to slip out of position.

Kia found 65 complaints from Sportage drivers who said their

brake pedals felt too hard, but there were no crash or injury reports.

Engineers studied the problem and determined the vehicle assembly process didn’t cause the problem, but misaligned brake booster diaphragms caused the hard brake pedals.

Kia went on to find 73 complaints of hard brake pedals due to brake booster failures between March 24, 2022, and May 5, 2023.

Kia Sportage brake booster recall letters will be mailed July 21. Kia dealerships will possibly replace the Sportage brake boosters.

Kia Sportage owners may call 800-333-4542 and ask about brake booster recall number SC272.

Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs.

Barber Honda Bakersfield

661-396-4235

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5:30 bestchoice@barberhonda com

Capitol Honda San Jose

408-445-4412

Dept Hours: Mon-Sat 7:30-6; Sun 8-5 sbettencourt@penskeautomotive com

Concord Honda Concord

925-825-8016

Dept Hours: M-F 8-6 kevin valenzuela@concordhonda com

Galpin Honda Mission Hills

800-GO GALPIN

818-778-2005

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 mteeman@galpin com

Honda of El Cajon

El Cajon

619-440-5851

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 parts@hondaofelcajon com

Honda of Hollywood Hollywood

800-371-3719

323-466-3205

Dept Hours: M-F 8-6 parts@hondaofhollywood com

ACURA

CALIFORNIA

Acura of Concord Concord

925-680-4233

Dept Hours: Mon-Sat 7-6 keith�whisten@cacargroup�com

Acura of Fremont Fremont

888-435-0504

510-431-2560

Dept Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 mike ohare@acuraoffremont com

Acura of Pleasanton

Pleasanton

888-985-6342

925-251-7126

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-6 mitch cash@hendrickauto com

Honda of Pasadena Pasadena

800-433-0676

626-683-5880

Dept Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-4

Honda of the Desert Cathedral City

760-770-0828

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 mpartridge@honda111 com

Keyes Honda Van Nuys

818-756-6549

Dept Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 malvarez@keyeshonda com

Larry Hopkins Honda

Sunnyvale

408-720-0221

408-736-2608

Dept� Hours: M-Sat 8-5 parts1@hopkinsdirect com

Metro Honda Montclair

800-446-5697

909-625-8960

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 7:30-4 wholesaleparts@metrohonda�com

Pacific Honda San Diego

858-565-9402

jgardiner@pacifichonda com

San Francisco Honda San Francisco

415-913-5125

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5 partsws@sfhonda com

Scott Robinson Honda Torrance

310-371-8320

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6:30; Sat 7-5 mluna@scottrobinson com

Selma Honda Selma

800-717-3562

559-891-5111

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-4:30 hondapartsmgr@selmaautomall com

Larry H. Miller Honda Boise

888-941-2218

208-947-6060

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5

Hinshaw’s Honda Auburn

253-288-1069

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-4:30 rickb@hinshaws com

McCurley Integrity Honda Richland

800-456-6257

509-547-7924

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5:30; Sat 8-4 hondaparts@mccurley net

South Tacoma Honda Tacoma

888-497-2410

253-474-7541

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 bgregory@southtacomahonda com

AutoNation Acura Torrance

310-784-8664

310-539-3636

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 alvaradow1@autonation com

Bakersfield Acura

Bakersfield

661-381-2600

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 bakersfieldacuraservice@yahoo com

Marin Acura

Corte Madera

800-77-Acura

415-927-5350

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5:30; Sat 8-4 parts@marinacura com

Metro Acura Montclair

800-446-5697

909-625-8960

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 wholesaleparts@metrohonda com

Acura of Honolulu Honolulu

866-931-9086

808-942-4557

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4

Johara@lithia com

Tokuda@lithia com

RayleenGarcia@lithia�com

Hinshaw’s Acura

Fife

253-926-3331

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 johnny@hinshaws�com

Auto Body Shop Owners Decide Where to Focus Attention, Resources in Near Future

By John Yoswick Autobody News

An article published in the June 2023 issue of Autobody News asked a half dozen shop owners to reflect on a recent change they had made in their business and how it worked out.

Now, some of those same shop owners—and others—look ahead rather than back, sharing what challenges they see and where they will be focusing added resources in the next year or two.

Melanie Allan of Craftsman Collision in Long Beach, CA, said she’s a little concerned about the impact of a recession, if one occurs.

“The number of $1,000 deductibles that I’m seeing is just off the charts,” she said. “It used to be $250 and $500. Now everybody seems to have $1,000 deductibles, and that’s a big chunk of money. We just fix regular cars, Corollas and Accords. There’s not a lot of affluence around here. So I’m concerned that people will not keep going on a claim when they realize they have a $1,000 deductible.”

Walker’s Auto Body in Concord, CA, said her shop is also gearing up to repair Rivian’s electric vans.

“We’ve been working on electric transit buses for a long time, and haven’t had any issues, but we are getting a little bit nervous about bringing in the Rivian vans,” Walker said. “I really have to brush up on the safety part of it: Where are we going to store these vans when sitting idle? There’s lots of stories out there.”

Another potential focal point Walker mentioned: “I’m probably going to be working toward selling my shop in the next three years,” she said. “I’ve been doing this for 35 years. But I also don’t want to just walk away from the industry, because I feel I have so much information I can share.”

purchased,” Hamm said. “The guy and and his father worked there, and they were just done. I bought it from him, and he actually became an estimator for me. We’ll be able to grab more work from a neighboring town.”

Hamm said he’ll also be focused on getting more OEM certifications and streamlining processes.

“I’ve also been thinking about shifting to a four-day work week,” he said. “That way people have more of a balance between work and home, and I think it will help us keep our guys and get more people to jump on board. I’m kicking that around to

see how I can implement it.”

Repair Quality

Second-generation shop owner Tiffany Silva of Accurate Auto Body in Richmond, CA, said her company is staying focused on proper, safe repairs.

“We just brought on AirPro Diagnostics,” she said. “We have multiple scanners here and we preand post-repair scan every car, but I just pre-scanned a car and the [aftermarket] scanner didn’t catch there was a blown airbag. How frustrating is that?”

She said the shop holds some OEM certifications.

“But I’m letting go a lot of the OE ‘recognition’ and sticking with just the ‘certifications,’ the ones that have brought value to me,” she said.

She’s investing in ongoing technician training, noting she’d just flown two techs for training by Equip Automotive Systems.

“It was $7,500 for two days, but I’m reassured they are doing a safe, proper repair when it comes to replacing a quarter-panel as the OEMs want, with the OEM procedures,” she said.

She said Yelp and Google reviews now have a “massive” impact.

“So we do whatever we can for customers. We’re bending over backwards for customers right now, more than ever,” she said. “We have to keep that up.”

In Slidell, LA, Frank Rinaudo of Frank’s Accurate Body Shop also said Google reviews are a main focus.

“I think there was a time when customers trusted that if their insurance company said, ‘Go here,’ they did that,” Rinaudo said. “Now they do their own research. We monitor why they came to us, and Google reviews are the No. 1 thing.”

He said his shop is non-DRP but has nine OEM certifications.

“We’re heavily pursuing that, particularly in the electric vehicle arena,” he said. “We’re onboarding with Rivian, Lucid and Mercedes currently. So marketing, certifications and training are the three big focuses.”

EVs, Customer Co-Pays

Like Rinaudo, Gigi Walker of

Tom Ricci, owner of Body & Paint Center in Hudson, MA, said with most insurers in his market paying labor rates of $43 or less, he’s considering whether to start collecting more from customers.

“There seems to be a wave going on of people getting off all the programs and starting to do a copay just like with medical and dental insurance,” Ricci said. “We’re faced with that. How many customers will we lose? And can we afford not to? I think the numbers are going to drive me there. We just can’t do it for this rate any more. That to me is the next big hurdle. I’ve heard a lot of people say you don’t lose that many customers, but I’m not sure how warmly it will be received.”

A New Location

Keith Hamm, owner of AutoCraft Collision, a 10-employee, 11,000-square-foot shop in Paso Robles, CA, said he’s currently focused on the opening of a second location.

“It was an existing shop in a great location, about 20 miles away in a neighboring town, that we

Shop owners are looking at how to tackle the biggest issues facing the collision repair industry today.

“We monitor why [customers] came to us, and Google reviews are the No. 1 thing.”

— FRANK RINAUDO OWNER, FRANK’S ACCURATE BODY SHOP

Purchasing Nissan OEM parts has never been easier and more cost effective Our new factor y-backed program allows us to compete with aftermarket pricing on thousands of collision parts. It’s a huge benefit to your customers to offer OEM parts at aftermarket prices!

Most new cars come with built-in technology that can automatically call for help in an emergency and give the precise location of your vehicle, even if you are unable to call. This technology—known as automatic crash notification—has been in use in the U.S. since OnStar debuted in 1996.

This life-saving feature is now mandatory in all new cars sold in most of Europe. But in the U.S., it’s only optional, and it can cost a lot of money. In a recent investigation, Consumer Reports (CR) found most automakers still require a subscription fee that can be more than $100 a year to keep automatic crash notification active, and they’ll disable it if the fee’s not paid.

CR found 14 car brands do offer free automatic crash notification on at least some vehicles, while seven offer free trial periods of five years or longer. Two automakers—Tesla and Fiat—don’t offer this service at all in the U.S.

More than 700 lives could be saved each year if all new vehicles had this safety feature, according to a 2019 study from the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration. Fifty-one percent of Americans say it’s either extremely or very important that their next vehicle has a system that will call emergency services when the airbags deploy, according to a new nationally representative survey conducted by CR in March.

To help save lives, CR is ramping up a new campaign to pressure automakers to make automatic crash notification come standard in all new vehicles, and keep it active for free.

More than 20,000 consumers signed a new CR petition in its first three days. It’s aimed at the automakers General Motors, Stellantis, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Tesla, which do not offer free automatic crash notification in all their models.

CR has raised this issue with the auto industry in the past, and one automaker says it made a difference. Hyundai recently announced it will include automatic crash notification free on new vehicles sold after 2024 as part of its BlueLink connected suite, and it noted CR’s advocacy played a role

in its decision.

“We believe providing these customer benefits at no cost is the right thing to do and is in alignment with our brand DNA over the years,” a spokesperson for the automaker said in a statement. “Consumer Reports’ information was one piece in our decision-making process.”

CR said it’s time for more automakers to make the same move.

“Automatic crash notification can save lives. It should come standard on all new cars, and remain active—and free—regardless of what happens with subscriptions for other connected services,” said William Wallace, CR’s associate director of safety policy.

Wallace noted automatic crash notification is often bundled with convenience features such as remote start, WiFi hotspots and concierge services. But CR’s engineers have found it would be easy for automakers to separate automatic crash notification and offer it free while still charging for other connectivity services.

“People injured in a crash shouldn’t have critical medical care

delayed because they choose not to pay for features like remote start or a mobile hot spot,” Wallace said. “It’s one thing for automakers to charge extra for conveniences, but this is about safety, and safety isn’t optional.”

It’s not just safety advocates who are calling for change.

“All cars should be required to have this feature, and nobody should pay for it,” said Dr. Eileen Bulger, a professor of surgery with University of Washington Medicine in Seattle who has researched the benefits of this feature on crash survival rates and presented those findings to the federal government. “It’s a safety feature.”

Today’s new cars and trucks come with standard safety features that used to be optional for an extra charge, including seat belts and rearview cameras. Automatic crash notification is a proven safety feature that makes a real difference in saving lives. It’s time for automakers to make it available for all consumers in the U.S., just as many of them are already doing for consumers in most parts of Europe.

Source: Consumer Reports

Autel added significant Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicle diagnostic coverage with a new software release and Teslacompatible cable.

Tesla update 2.0 for the Ultra series of tablets includes Read and Erase Code capabilities for Tesla Models 3 and Y on the following systems: Compressor (CMP), Steering Column Control Module (SCCM), Electric Power Assisted Steering 1 (EPAS1 ) and 2 (EPAS2 ), Center Radar (RADC), Restraints Controller Module (RCM), Electric Stability Program (ESP), iBooster (IBST), Park Assist System (PARK). ECU Reset and Connection Test are two Special Functions also included in Tesla version 2 software version.

Additional coverage for both Model Y and 3 includes Vehicle Controller-Front, Left and Right, Electronic Parking Brake-Left and Right, Pedal Monitor, Potentiometer System, and Electric Power Assist Steering- 1 and -2, and Center Radar.

Visit Autel.com for information.

Source: Autel

Caliber Signs Enterprise Agreement To License Mitchell

Cloud Estimating At All Locations

Mitchell, an Enlyte company, and Caliber Collision on May 31 announced they have signed a multi-year, enterprise licensing agreement.

The agreement gives all current and future Caliber locations access to Mitchell Cloud Estimating, Integrated Repair Procedures, a Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) Calculator and miScore. It also includes enhancements to the company’s software solutions and data analytics designed to better assist Caliber in monitoring center performance and meeting the needs of both insurers and policyholders.

“Mitchell’s focus on innovation and support of proper and safe repairs are the perfect complement to Caliber’s purpose of Restoring the Rhythm of Your Life® for customers nationwide,” said Caliber Chief Client Officer Shawn Hezar . “This agreement ensures that we will continue to exceed customer expectations

by delivering safe, efficient and accurate repairs, while also assisting a growing network of carriers with their direct repair programs.”

“Transitioning from singlelocation contracts to an enterprise agreement represents a significant milestone in our longstanding relationship with Caliber,” said Debbie Day, executive vice president and general manager of Mitchell’s Auto Physical Damage division. “We look forward to working alongside our largest collision repair client as Caliber expands its choice of insurance partners, gains new market coverage and reaches new customers.”

To quickly deploy its cloudbased solutions to the first wave of Caliber shops, Mitchell held a series of remote training sessions—onboarding 200+ Caliber centers and 1,000+ teammates in a matter of weeks. The remaining centers will be added throughout 2023.

With Mitchell Cloud Estimating,

collision repair organizations can write damage appraisals from any internet-enabled smartphone, tablet or laptop computer. The solution features Integrated Repair Procedures, making it possible to improve estimate accuracy and decrease research time by surfacing more than 30 years of vehicle data and OEM information as the appraisal is written. Using the PDR calculator, shops can determine repair costs for minor dents, dings and body creases as well as easily add those expenses to the estimate. Caliber’s corporate support center will also leverage miScore to monitor key performance indicators for centers and teammates.

Combined, these Mitchell solutions are intended to assist the automotive services provider with streamlining workflows, reducing cycle time and improving customer and business partner satisfaction.

Source: Mitchell

Mitchell Hosts High School Students to Show Career Opportunities in the Collision Repair Industry

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

San Diego, CA-based Mitchell recently teamed up with the owner of a regional MSO and a local high school to show students in both the automotive repair and robotics programs career possibilities they might not have considered before.

He said he got the idea to also invite students in robotics programs when his daughter took a robotics class and he noticed similarities in the components of robots and new cars.

Luke Burger, senior solutions specialist for Mitchell, told the students the goal was to show them all the different facets of the automotive industry, especially collision repair.

“We want you to see the software, tools, different components to get data from vehicles,” he said. “Hopefully you’ll find something interesting.”

Ben Sikora is the auto body instructor at Santana High School. He said when he took the job at the beginning of the previous school year, it was clear the program had “gotten passed by the industry over a decade ago.”

be interested in re-opening it. A week later, Sikora had the keys to the school’s shop.

Leger had another reason to support the re-establishment of the auto body program—he owns three Fix Auto body shops in the San Diego area that all need to be staffed.

one at a high school in Ramona, CA, where he co-owns a fourth Fix Auto shop, until that program was closed.

Over two consecutive days, about 50 students from Santana High School in Santee, CA, first stopped by Mitchell’s Technical Research Center in San Diego, and then visited Fix Auto Poway.

At Mitchell, students saw a static calibration of a 2018 Honda Accord equipped with ADAS features along with 3D imaging software, used to determine vehicle dimensions that appear in the company’s estimating solution and database of repair and reference information. They also got a chance to look at a pair of Rivian R1T electric trucks. After lunch, they went to Fix Auto Poway to see every step of the repair process, from intake to delivery.

The demonstration was part of Mitchell’s efforts to address the growing technician shortage problem in the collision repair industry; the company also donates software subscriptions to schools around the country through the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), and is a supporter of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation and Ranken Technical College collision engineering program.

Scott Baierl, senior vice president of engineering and content for Mitchell, said the hope is to show young potential technicians all the cool new technology on today’s vehicles to get them interested, while helping schools get the tools needed to train them.

“It was important to modernize it so students are ready to get a job working on cars that actually exist,” Sikora said.

Sikora got to work immediately applying for grants with CREF and other organizations. He has won enough funds to purchase new welders and a waterborne paintmixing system, and will soon have estimating software, thanks to Mitchell. He said he hopes to also get a calibrating system like the one demonstrated.

“Cars are changing, but they’re not going away,” Sikora said. “People are still banging them into each other.”

Sikora said he started working in a collision repair shop when he was 17. He later owned a custom restoration shop, which was how he met Gary Leger, the owner of a 1967 Bronco and the father of a student at Santana High School. Leger knew the auto body program at the school had just been shuttered after the last instructor retired, and asked Sikora if he would

“The older generation is aging out,” Leger said. “We have to show [younger people] it’s not just banging on fenders anymore. There are more computers in a Honda than in a 737.”

Leger said he has been involved with the auto body program at Santana High School for about four years, and was also working with

He said a graduating senior from Santana’s program will start working at one of his shops full time in June.

“I’m lucky to have a bit of a younger crew,” he said.

Later that afternoon, Leger and one of his employees led the students in smaller groups around the shop floor at Fix Auto Poway, which has 27,000 square feet of production space and repairs about 200 vehicles per month—including Rivians, which has certified the shop as a repair center.

“Cars are changing, but they’re not going away. People are still banging them into each other.”

BEN SIKORA AUTO BODY INSTRUCTOR, SANTANA HIGH SCHOOL

Neal Hoffman, far right, solutions specialist, and Luke Burger, senior solutions specialist, second from right, both with Mitchell, demonstrate using a device to scan a 2018 Honda Accord equipped with ADAS features.

High school students watch a demonstration at Mitchell’s Technical Research Center in San Diego, CA.

Gary Leger, owner of Fix Auto Poway, leads students on a tour of his 27,000-square-foot shop.

19-State Coalition Challenging EPA on California Truck Regulations

By Mary Stroka The Center Square

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced June 6 she’s leading a coalition of 19 states challenging an EPA decision regarding trucks, emissions and California.

The coalition filed a petition for review June 5 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit regarding the EPA’s April 6 decision to grant the California Air Resource Board waivers on regulations for heavyduty on road vehicles and engines.

EPA found the California board’s Advanced Clean Trucks, Zero Emission Airport Shuttle Bus and Zero Emission Powertrain Certification regulations meet criteria for a waiver under the Clean Air Act.

In the Clean Air Act, Congress decided there would be two programs for control of emissions from new motor vehicles: EPA emission standards under the Clean Air Act and California emission standards under state law. Other states can adopt California’s standards, as

Congress determined California could be a pioneer for new emission standards and control technologies.

Amendments; the Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation, the Zero Emission Airport Shuttle Bus Regulation and the Zero Emission Powertrain Certification Regulation, EPA announced March 31. The ACT Regulation requires manufacturers produce and sell more medium- and heavyduty zero-emission vehicles and near zero emission vehicles in California.

thousands of dollars, according to a news release from Bird’s office. Eight other states have adopted California’s ban, and more are considering it.

“California’s truck ban will not only increase costs, but it will devastate the demand for liquid fuels, such as biodiesel, and cut trucking jobs across the nation,” the release said.

EPA can deny a California waiver request in three cases: if California’s determination that its standards are at least as protective as applicable federal standards is arbitrary and capricious; if California has no need for such standards to meet compelling and extraordinary conditions; or if California’s standards and accompanying enforcement procedures are inconsistent with section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act.

EPA granted a waiver for the 2018 Heavy-duty 2018 Warranty

The Advanced Clean Truck regulation requires truck manufacturers who certify vehicles with combustion engines to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission trucks for California sales from 2024 to 2035,the board said. By 2035, zero-emission truck/chassis sales would need to be 55% of Class 2b–3 truck sales, 75% of Class 4–8 straight truck sales and 40% of truck tractor sales. Owners of at least 50 trucks must report on their existing fleet operations so the board can help ensure fleets purchase and use available zero-emission trucks.

Currently, 2% of heavy trucks sold in the U.S. are electric, and electric trucks cost hundreds of

Iowa’s trucking industry currently provides almost 100,000 jobs, or nearly one in 13 jobs in the state, the release said.

According to Bird’s office, California’s Advanced Clean Trucks regulation violates the Clean Air Act and other federal laws.

“Iowa isn’t going to take a backseat as the EPA and California try to regulate truckers out of business,” Bird said. “We’re pushing back.”

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia have joined the petition.

Credit: Shutterstock.

Rivian Joins SCRS As Corporate Member

Rivian Automotive is the newest automobile manufacturer to join the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) as a corporate member.

The collaboration is the foundation of the relationship between SCRS and automakers, building channels for connectivity and communication between the companies designing and building complex vehicles, and the collision repair community who is committed to repairing them correctly.

Rivian and SCRS have shared a mutually strong working relationship since the automaker’s entrance into the market, with collaborative work stemming from educational opportunities during SCRS’ Repairer Driven Education at SEMA, interactions between the many certified network members involved in SCRS, and mutual activity through the OEM Collision Repair Roundtable.

For more information about SCRS or to join as a member, visit www.scrs.com, call 1-877-8410660 or email info@scrs.com.

Source: SCRS

Dark Side of Tesla Autopilot: NHTSA Data Reveals 736 Crashes, 17 Deaths

By Suvrat Kothari InsideEVs

Tesla’s Autopilot, which lets the vehicle drive under supervised autonomy under certain conditions, may have been responsible for way more road accidents than previous estimates. New data reveals disturbing numbers—Autopilot was involved in 736 crashes in the U.S. since 2019, 17 of which were fatal. Eleven of those deaths have occurred since May2022. The shocking results were revealed in the Washington Post’s analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data. While the data doesn’t indicate the number of accidents Tesla’s driver assistance features may have averted, the new crash figures reveal possible pitfalls of autonomous driving, at least at the current development stage.

The report also reveals the uptick in accidents could be due to the removal of radar—radio detection and ranging—from Teslas. In 2021, the brand announced it will rely solely on camera-based vision processing. Every Tesla has eight external cameras to map the surroundings.

Due to the recent spike in

crashes, there are multiple ongoing investigations involving the technology, according to NHTSA. Meanwhile, CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly emphasized the benefits of Autopilot The NHTSA data doesn’t capture the exact crash details. In some incidents, it is unknown whether users had the Autopilot or FSD on. There are reportedly 800,000 Teslas on U.S. roads that have Autopilot, and Tesla is pushing ahead with further development and wider implementation.

Every Tesla gets standard Autopilot features such as adaptive cruise control, which allows the vehicle to match the speed of the traffic in front of it, and accelerate or brake depending on the conditions. Standard equipment also includes auto steer, wherein the vehicle assists in steering on clearly marked lanes. On top of that, Teslas can be equipped with Enhanced Autopilot capability, which allows the vehicle to navigate roads autonomously,

traffic sign recognition.

Tesla clearly mentions on its website the aforementioned features do not make its vehicles completely autonomous: “The currently enabled Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous. Full autonomy will be dependent on achieving reliability far in excess of human drivers as demonstrated by billions of miles of experience,” the website says. In February, NHTSA announced Tesla would recall 360,000 vehicles equipped with FSD beta due to the increased risk of crashes. However, there are conflicting reports of the Autopilot’s effectiveness. Tesla’s Vehicle Safety report for Q4 2022 said 35% of all Autopilot crashes occur when the vehicle is rear-ended by another vehicle. Moreover, there’s one autopilot accident every 4.8 million miles driven, per Tesla.

However, until Tesla releases the data it possesses, it would

253-813-5050

Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show Hosts Successful Second Annual Event

By Cole Strandberg Autobody News

The Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show was held May 19-20 in Kansas City, MO. Despite being only in its second year, the event expanded its trade show floor and attracted top industry speakers and regional shop operators.

Hosted by several auto body associations, including the Missouri Auto Body Association,

with a trade show featuring vendors from around the country.

Gina Cotton , executive director of the Nebraska and Missouri auto body associations and show coordinator, expressed her appreciation for the warm welcome from Kansas City and the sponsors.

“It has been amazing,” Cotton said. “We are so appreciative of Kansas City for welcoming us and I’m so appreciative of all the sponsors.”

Kansas Auto Body Association, Nebraska Auto Body Association (NABA), South Dakota Auto Body Association and the Iowa Collision Repair Association (ICRA), the show offered valuable insights and information over the course of two days.

The energetic weekend started May 19 with Mike Anderson’s “Be Extraordinary” presentation, setting a positive tone. Panels covering various topics such as EVs, estimating technology, marketing and culture received favorable feedback from both attendees and vendors. Renowned speakers and panelists included Dirk Fuchs from I-CAR, Jake Rodenroth from Lucid Motors, Rod Cahoy from PPG, Dan Risley from CCC, Danny Gredinberg from DEG, Casey Lund from Collision Leaders (formerly Warrensburg Collision), Mark Claypool from Optima Automotive and more. The first day concluded

Day Two continued May 20 with breakout sessions and an open trade show floor throughout the day. During lunchtime, attendees enjoyed a keynote speech by Dan Meers , also known as “KC Wolf,” the beloved mascot of the local Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Attendees also savored local BBQ from the renowned Kansas City Jack Stack BBQ.

The show wrapped up with a panel, “There is Nothing Without the Right Culture,” moderated by Frank Terlep from Opus IV. Panelists included Lirel Holt from Powered By U, Lund, Anderson, Ron Reichen from Precision Collision Centers, and Dillon Lapp

“Hopefully, we’ll see you at our 2024 Midwest Trade Show!” said Cotton.

from Twin River Body Shops.

Static Solutions: Eric Renken at the Static Solutions booth.

Mike Anderson of Collision Advice presented “Be Extraordinary.”

A panel discussion, “There is Nothing Without the Right Culture,” featured, left to right: moderator Frank Terlep of Opus IV, panelists Mike Anderson of Collision Advice, Lirel Holt of Powered by U, Ron Reichen of Precision Collision Centers, Casey Lund of Collision Leaders, and Dillon Lapp of Twin Rivers Body Shop.

David Gomez at the Start2Finish booth.

Keynote speaker Dan Meers, aka the Kansas City Chiefs’ mascot, “K.C. Wolf,” on the main stage.

Jeremy Baines, left, and Lori Handke, right, at the Car-Part.com booth.

Terry Ticell, left, and Tom McFinch, right, both of I-CAR, in front of the FOCUS Investment Banking Booth.

Mike Anderson, left, and Mark Claypool, right, at the Optima Worldwide booth.

NO. CALIFORNIA

Concord Kia

Concord

(888) 811-3058

(925) 685-2952 Fax

M-F 8am - 5:30pm

Sat 9am - 1pm

Rosesville Kia

Roseville

(916) 783-8129

(916) 783-1005 Fax

M- F 7am-6pm Sat 8am-4pm

parts@rosevillekia.com

www.rosevillekia.com

SO. CALIFORNIA

AllStar Kia

San Bernardino

(909) 763-4755

(909) 763-4744 Fax

M-F 8am - 6pm Sat 8am - 2pm

parts@allstarkia.net www.allstarkia.net

Car Pros Kia Glendale

Glendale

(818) 745-1103

(818) 244-0017 Fax

M-F 7am - 6pm

duncan@carpros.com

Car Pros Kia Huntington Beach Huntington Beach

(714) 274-6178

(714) 847-4410 Fax

M-F 7am - 6pm Sat 8am - 4pm

jasonr@carpros.com

Citrus Kia Ontario

(800) 583-7042

(909) 390-0948

(909) 390-0982 Fax

scunningham@citrusmotors.com www.citrusmotors.com

M-Sat 7am - 6pm

Free Local Delivery

Ask for Ike, Jimbo, Chris, Juan, Sean, Jeff Se Habla Español

Kearny Mesa Kia

San Diego

(800) 635-6669

(858) 560-5033

(858) 560-9648 Fax

Largest wholesaler in San Diego with 17 delivery trucks

Kia of Alhambra

Alhambra

(626) 289-7803

(626) 289-8807 Fax

kip@kiaofalhambra.com

Kia of Carson Carson

(310) 221-9101

(310) 507-8595 Fax

M-Sat 7am - 7pm Sun 8am - 5pm

www.KiaofCarson.com

Kia of Downtown LA Los Angeles

(213) 342-0923

(213) 342-0980 Fax

M-F 7am - 7pm

www.kiaofdtla.com

Kia of Irvine Irvine

(855) 847-3592

(949) 777-2342 Fax

North County Kia Escondido

(760) 945-9939

(866) 888-3074 Fax

parts@autogrp.com www.northcountykia.com

M-F 7am - 6pm

In San Diego Over 10 Years

NEVADA

Jim Marsh Kia

Las Vegas (877) 274-3820

(702) 946-6084 Fax

M-F 8am - 6pm Sat 8am - 2pm

johnd@jimmarshauto.com

Towbin Kia

Henderson

(702) 868-1234

(702) 567-0037 Fax

M-F 7am - 6pm Sat 7am - 4pm

jmoore@towbinkia.com

www.tkwholesale.com

WASHINGTON

Car Pros Kia Renton Renton

(425) 204-6635

(425) 793-3889 Fax

M-F 7am - 6pm

Sat 8am - 5pm jgaeir@carpros.com

Lee Johnson Kia Kirkland

(425) 823-0188

(425) 284-1790 Fax

M-F 7am - 5:30pm

Sat 7am - 5pm

tthompson@leejohnson.com

*Kia Genuine replacement parts sold but not installed by an Authorized Kia Dealer are covered for 12 months from purchase date, regardless of mileage, for the part only, and any labor charge is the consumer’s responsibility.

Genuine Kia Parts* are specifically manufactured from original engineering specs to ensure the same exceptional quality, performance and safety as when you first drove your Kia off the lot. Plus, they’re covered by our 12-month Replacement Parts Limited Warranty.

GM Discusses Collision Repair Network Program, Easing Parts Challenges

By John Yoswick Autobody News

Representatives of General Motors, speaking at the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) Educational Conference in May, talked about recent and upcoming changes to the automaker’s Collision Repair Network (CRN), which currently includes just over 700 auto body shops.

Megan Sullivan, collision program manager, said nearly all of the required tools and equipment to

C8 and Cadillac CT6—can now participate in a “sharing program” for the specific fixtures and tools that level of the network requires.

“We realize they may only see a Cadillac CT6 a couple of times a year in their shop, and we were getting feedback that some of the tools were really expensive for the low amount of repairs,” Sullivan said.

CRN shops with technical questions about repair procedures— or the lack of a procedure—can email the automaker’s collision repair technical support team.

CRN shops also can use a free dashboard through AutoHouse technologies that allows them to see how they compare to other shops in terms of cycle time and other metrics.

the day after a crash is detected, but only if the driver contacted OnStar after the accident and if no injuries were involved.

Given the automaker’s access to that telematics data, the GM representatives were asked if GM has future plans to partner with insurance companies.

Doherty said. “Is it getting better? It is. We’ve seen a back-order decrease of about 30% since the beginning of the year. So we’re getting some relief, but it is difficult.”

She said the current increase in new car sales “helps our case for the need for service parts.”

qualify for the program are now specbased, rather than requiring specific brands or models. Shops seeking to qualify for the second level of the program—which is required in order for a shop to purchase restricted structural parts for the Corvette

Kelli Doherty, independent aftermarket collision manager at GM, said that dashboard will in the future be used as part of a ranking program of CRN shops.

In terms of more proactively driving work to CRN shops—beyond GM’s shop locator site and the marketing assets available for shop use—Sullivan said OnStar subscribers are emailed a link to the shop locator

“Yeah, we absolutely do,” Doherty said, noting OnStar Insurance has launched to help GM “understand that market better.” “OnStar has a great read on what happens to a vehicle the instant there’s an accident. So we have some great data. We have to figure out how that translates to what’s in the best interest of the consumer, and how we can get that vehicle repaired safely and properly.”

Sullivan and Doherty were asked about the continued challenge with back-ordered parts.

“It’s painful. I’m not going to lie,”

The owner of an independent shop at the conference told Doherty she’s experienced dealers not performing needed calibrations she has sublet to them, despite providing the service department with exactly what collision repair work had been done to the vehicles. Doherty said dealers are held to the same standards as independent shops in terms of GM’s shop certification, and “if we find out [needed calibration] is not happening, there’s clearly some communication that will happen.” Doherty was also asked about when the automaker describes a procedure as “required” versus “recommended.”

“You need stronger language, is that what you’re asking? We’ve heard that feedback,” Doherty said, saying she is working with the GM engineering team about such language, and that GM “understands the position it puts you in.”

“We’ve seen a back-order decrease of about 30% since the beginning of the year.”

KELLI DOHERTY INDEPENDENT AFTERMARKET COLLISION MANAGER, GM

Lordstown Planning To Bring Litigation Against Foxconn

By Joey Klender Teslarati

Lordstown Motors has never had a smooth road, battling money issues, production bottlenecks and other issues, until it was saved by Foxconn in 2021. However, the EV startup is now planning to move forward with litigation against its lifeline in relation to Foxconn’s allegations of a potential breach of contract.

In May, Lordstown filed an 8-K with the SEC stating it received a letter from Foxconn in late April, accusing the automaker of breaching its investment agreement “due to its previously disclosed receipt of a notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC indicating that the company was no longer in compliance with the $1 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Global Select Market.”

Lordstown responded by stating the allegations were “without merit,” and the terms of the investment agreement

would not permit Foxconn to terminate the agreement at the time.

The two companies were in discussions to seek a resolution, but Lordstown said “no assurances can be given that the parties will reach a resolution of these matters.”

Lordstown shares fell more than 30% on the news that day.

However, it appears an agreement or negotiations moving toward one have broken down, as Lordstown said in a new 8-K filed in early June it “intends to enforce its rights through litigation” because Foxconn has breached the two companies’ investment agreement through “a pattern of bad faith.”

These moves have “caused material and irreparable harm” to Lordstown, the company said.

“In light of Foxconn’s conduct, the company believes that it is unlikely that Foxconn will complete the Subsequent Common Closing,” Lordstown said in the filing.

There also appears to be a disagreement on terms of the

investment agreement.

“On June 5, [Lordstown] received the letter...in which Foxconn did not acknowledge its obligation to complete the Subsequent Common Closing and instead asserted that Foxconn’s reading of the investment agreement would not allow for the adjustment of the number of shares to be purchased on account of [Lordstown’s] recent reverse stock split,” the filing said. “Foxconn’s interpretation would give Foxconn the right to purchase a windfall of over 60% of [Lordstown’s] Class A common stock for $47.3 million. [Lordstown] rejects Foxconn’s interpretation of the investment agreement and has so advised Foxconn in a letter dated June 7.”

Lordstown has since stated it is seeking a financial and strategic partner for the production of the Endurance pickup.

“We anticipate that production of the Endurance will cease in the near future,” it said in a 10-Q.

CALIFORNIA

Audi Burlingame Burlingame

888.737.5738

650.348.0883

650.348.0837 Fax

M-F 7:30am-4:30pm parts@rectormotors.com

Audi Rocklin Rocklin

866.948.0048

916.836.1286

916.836.1293 Fax

M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 8am-5pm parts@audirocklin.com

Audi Long Beach Long Beach

562.610.4170

562.343.5088 Fax

M-F 7:30am-5pm wholesale@audilb.com parts@audilb.com www.audilb.com

Repairify Announces

AsTech® All-In-One

Repairify™, a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC, on June 8 announced the upcoming release of the new asTech® AllIn-One solution for local and remote automotive diagnostics, calibrations and programming to simplify the repair process.

The asTech® All-In-One is a comprehensive tablet-based solution with local and remote capabilities that’s enabled for both asTech® remote OEM tool solutions and OEM Compatible diagnostics, as well as ADAS calibrations and programming.

The asTech® All-In-One is the most powerful solution of its kind available in the automotive repair market. It features the broadest capabilities of any asTech® device and the most comprehensive OEM vehicle coverage, including those using the DOIP, CANFD, K-Line and secure gateway protocols.

The asTech® All-In-One was officially available June 12. For more information, visit astech. com/all-in-one.

Source: Repairify

Niello Audi Sacramento

916-480-2851

916.483.1963 Fax

M-S 8am-5pm audi.parts@niello.com www.audi.niello.com

Santa Monica Audi Santa Monica

310.481.8216

310.393.6982 Fax

M-F 7:30am-5pm

wholesale@santamonicaaudi.com www.santamonicaaudi.com

WASHINGTON

Audi Seattle Seattle

206.634.8200

206.547.1581 Fax

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

Regardless of the age of your customer’s Audi, Audi dealers have access to over 200,000 part numbers and are supported by a nationwide network of distribution centers to help ensure non-stocked parts are delivered the next day.

Order Audi Genuine Parts from these select dealers.

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

Volkswagen ID.Buzz Headed To North America, Marking Return of an Icon

By Maria Merano Teslarati

Volkswagen officially launched the long wheelbase version of its all-electric ID.Buzz van coming to the U.S. and Canada, June 2 in Huntington Beach, CA, a wellknown surfing spot. The electric van is inspired by the company’s minibus transporter—the Bulli or T1 Transporter—from the 1950s. Volkswagen vans were popular with surfers back in the day. Some might say the Volkswagen microbus is the precursor vehicle that inspired van life. “The original T1 was introduced in late 1949/early 1950, and with the help of some memorable Volkswagen advertising was becoming popular all over the world. The T1 was produced for around 17 years, so there were plenty of used, more affordable models around for surfers to travel in, live in and, more importantly, transport their surfboards, either inside or on top,” explained Andrew Burgess from Revolution Campers.

For the North American market, Volkswagen increased the wheelbase of the ID.Buzz to 127.5 inches—9.9 inches longer than the European version— providing room for a spacious third row for up to seven

new heat pump for increased efficiency in the winter. It also is available with a new 282 hp electric drive motor. The ID.Buzz coming to North America will have an 85 kWh battery pack.

seats. The German automaker believes the long wheelbase ID.Buzz is primed for the North American market. Meanwhile, in Europe, Volkswagen aims to keep customers on their toes by expanding the ID. Buzz’s “range of applications.” The long wheelbase ID.Buzz has a

As for features, Volkswagen equipped the ID.Buzz with a heads-up display, a nextgen infotainment system and remote parking with a smartphone. It also has a high-tech panoramic sunroof with smart glass, which can change from transparent to opaque via voice assistant or touch slider.

Volkswagen ID.Buzz vehicles bound for North America get a little extra love since they feature air-conditioned seats and an illuminated VW logo at the front. The German automaker plans to start delivering the first ID.Buzz units in the U.S. by 2024.

Repair OnDemand, a division of Repairify, a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC, is pleased to announce Randy Kobat has joined the company as president. Kobat brings a wealth of executive leadership expertise to the company, including sales management, product innovation, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, operations and strategy development.

Before joining Repair OnDemand, Kobat spent nine years at Cox Automotive, leading a portfolio of businesses, including vAuto, Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer, HomeNet and Dealertrack DMS. Kobat’s automotive expertise extends beyond Cox Automotive, having held various top-level leadership positions for other industry players. His professional accomplishments have been recognized through various industry awards and recognition, including President’s Club Awards at Cox and CDK and being selected for workshop speaking roles at NADA in 2021 and 2022.

Source: Repair OnDemand

INSIST ON GM GENUINE PARTS

No. California

American Chevrolet MODESTO

209-491-7810

209-575-2564 Fax

M-F 7:30 am - 5:30 pm Sat 9 am - 2 pm gmparts@americanchevrolet.com www.americanchevrolet.com

Blackstone Chevrolet Wholesale Parts FRESNO

559-438-5875

559-438-4345 Fax

M-F 7:30am – 5:30pm Sat 8am – 4:30pm bharman@blackstonegm.com

Chase Chevrolet STOCKTON

209-475-6620

209-475-6708 Fax

M-F 7am - 5pm Sat 7:30am-4:30pm cesar@chasechevrolet.com

Dublin Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC DUBLIN

925-828-8251

925-829-2941 Fax

M-F 7am - 6pm dublinchevyparts@cacargroup.com www.dublinchevrolet.com

No. California

FH Dailey GM Parts Center SAN LEANDRO

800-4A-GMPART

510-351-0534

M-F 8 am - 5 pm Sat 8 am - 4 pm parts@fhdailey.com www.fhdailey.com

Michael Stead Cadillac WALNUT CREEK

925-934-5022

925-934-0336 Fax

M-F 8 am - 5 pm Sat 8 am - 3 pm steadparts@gmail.com

Courtesy Chevrolet SAN DIEGO

800-336-1404

619-297-4023 Fax

M-F 7am - 6pm Sat 8am - 5pm www.courtesysandiego.com

Paradise Chevrolet VENTURA

888-5-CHEVY-5

(888-524-3895)

805-642-0134

805-644-7214 Fax

M-F 7:30am - 6pm Sat 8am - 3pm

So. California

Rydell Automotive Group SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

818-832-1660

818-832-1692 Fax

M-F 6am - 7pm Sat 8am - 5pm nrparts@rydells.com

Thorson Motor Center PASADENA

626-793-0454

626-795-6872 Fax

M-F 7:30am - 6pm Sat 8:30am - 2pm parts@thorsonmotorcenter.com

Denny Menholt Chevrolet BILLINGS

406-896-3111

406-896-3924 Fax

M-F 7 am - 6 pm tsoltis@dennymenholt.com

Nevada

Corwin Buick GMC RENO

775-333-8777

775-322-1837 Fax

M-F 8am - 5:30pm ahardie@corwinauto.com www.corwinbuickgmc.com

Michael Hohl Motor Company CARSON CITY 775-884-8619

775-884-8645 Fax

M-F 7 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - 5 pm gmparts@michaelhohl.com

Topical Industry Issues Addressed During AkzoNobel Collision Industry Experts Event

OEM technologies, building a highperformance team and maximizing estimating skills and profit were some of the educational sessions held during the AkzoNobel Acoat Selected Collision Industry Experts Event in April. About 300 collision repair professionals from 23 states and Mexico gathered in Orange County, CA, to address industry challenges, facilitate skills development and promote networking. Attendees included repairers from 188 shops, as well as employees, presenters, vendors and partners.

“The purpose of the event was to bring current, relevant industry training and educational sessions to Southern California,” said Daniel Carranza, AkzoNobel’s U.S. sales director of vehicle refinishes west and vehicle refinishes Mexico, who planned the regional event with the assistance of Jeff Baker, senior services consultant, and Rick Fifer, services development manager.

“Holding the event came about from a need to address some of the issues in our rapidly changing industry,” added Nada Jokic, the company’s business consulting services manager for the west region. “Ultimately, this educational event contributed to the growth,

efficiency and sustainability of the collision industry in the region.”

Even though challenges exist, Jokic said the dynamic nature of the collision industry also brings opportunities for growth and success.

networking. The agenda was created based on the results of a market survey conducted a few months before the event. Body shops were asked to rank eight “hot topics” they were interested in learning about.

“As an industry leader in valueadded educational training for those who use AkzoNobel’s premium Sikkens paint brand, our business consultants had the opportunity to provide information on topical issues impacting the industry based on the feedback received,” said Carranza.

Following the presentations, a general session was held. Mike Anderson, owner of Collision Advice, talked about thriving as an independent in a consolidating collision market, and Bart Mazurek, VP of consulting & services at CCC Intelligent Solutions, discussed how today’s collision trends can help increase a shop’s potential.

Baker said many attendees shared the value they gained from attending the educational sessions and learning new perspectives on leadership, estimating, improving processes and production tips.

“By collaborating with their AkzoNobel business consultants, collision shops were able to work on improving operations, implementing effective strategies, and navigating the evolving landscape,” she said.

Carranza said the goal was to drive energy, engagement, learning and

Attendees were able to customize their agenda based on the three educational sessions of most interest. Sessions were led by AkzoNobel team members Tony Adams, Thorsten Alstede, Jeff Baker, Ryan Brown, Andy Hysenaj, Scott Kirkwood and Tim Ronak Baker said the company’s distributors had the chance to attend specific sessions designed to improve their knowledge and skills. They were also able to share best practices and strategies with attendees.

Carranza plans to offer continuing education in the future. “The industry needs more of these types of events,” he said.

“Gatherings like this make our industry special,” said Michael Giarrizzo, CEO of DCR Systems, who shared information about his company’s patented lean production process during the event. “It was amazing to see the turnout, the camaraderie in discussing our common challenges, and the thirst for knowledge and forward-thinking solutions. Thank you to AkzoNobel for putting on a great event and bringing together such a great group of operators and notable speakers.”

AkzoNobel team members, pictured left to right, included John Griffin, regional director, automotive & specialty coatings-Americas; Kathy Coffey, national key account manager; Don Shearer, North American technical manager; Tony Mahon, North American business services manager; and Dan Carranza, U.S. sales director vehicle refinishes west and Mexico

logo are registered trademarks.

Automakers Report May Sales Results

Automakers on June 1 released new-vehicle sales results for the month of May.

Kia

Fast-growing Kia America continued its hot streak as the brand posted total May sales of 71,497 units, marking the second-highest monthly sales total in company history and the 10th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases.

May sales were up 23% over the same period last year, with several models posting double- and even triple-digit sales increases, including: Seltos (+171%); Stinger (+102%); Carnival (+80%); Soul (+45%); Telluride (+35%); Sportage (+24%) and Sorento (+13%).

May sales were driven by Kia’s lineup of SUVs, which increased 35% year-over-year and accounted for 74% of the brand’s total volume. The Sportage, Telluride and Seltos models also set best-ever May sales records, up 17%, 29% and 39%, respectively, over each model’s previous record-setting May

In addition, Seltos set an all-time monthly sales record with sales up 15% over the previous best-ever monthly sales performance set by the model in March 2021.

Sales of Kia’s electrified models set a new May record---posting a 33% increase over May 2022---and a new any-month record up by 4% over the previous record which was set in April. Sales of the all-electric Kia EV6 also set a new May sales record, increasing 7% over May 2022. In addition, overall sales of the model increased 80% over last month thanks in part to a marketing campaign and competitive lease program.

Mazda Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) reported total May sales of 33,262 vehicles, an increase of 117.2% compared to May 2022. Year-to-date sales totaled 153,997 vehicles, an increase of 20.6% compared to the same time last year. With 25 selling days in May, compared to 24 the year prior, the company posted an increase

(DSR) basis.

CPO sales totaled 5,262 vehicles in May, an increase of 4% compared to May 2022.

Hyundai

Hyundai Motor America reported total May sales of 70,001 units, an 18% increase compared with May 2022. Hyundai set best-ever total sales in May for Elantra HEV (+152%), Elantra N (+70%), IONIQ 5 (+28%), Santa Fe HEV (+266%), Tucson PHEV (+206%), Tucson HEV (+95%) and Santa Cruz (+12%). Hyundai fleet sales were 5,931 and represented 8.5% of total volume for the month.

Hyundai sold 64,070 retail units in May, an 8%year-over-year increase from May 2022. Hyundai set bestever retail sales in May for Elantra HEV, Elantra N, IONIQ 5, Santa Fe HEV, Tucson PHEV, Tucson HEV and Santa Cruz. Hyundai eco-friendly vehicle sales of 12,097 represented 19% of retail and a 93% year-overyear increase.

Subaru

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) reported sales of 54,531 vehicles for May 2023, a 28.2% increase compared with May 2022 (42,526). SOA also reported year-to-date sales of 248,924, a 12.8% increase compared with the same period in 2022.

In May, Outback was the top performer by volume with 17,146 vehicle sales. BRZ sales for May 2023 increased 217.4% over the same month in 2022, while Impreza posted a 126% increase in May. Forester sales for May 2023 increased 92.5%, and Ascent sales increased 20.4% compared to May 2022.

Source: Kia, Mazda, Hyundai, Subaru

Subaru of San Bernardino San Bernardino (909) 888-8686

(909) 571-5483 Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-7; Sat 7:30-5 parts@subarusb.com www.sbsubaru.com

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

Eastside Subaru Kirkland (425) 820-1676

Mon.-Fri. 7-4 ldarwin@eastsidesubaru.com

Kendall Subaru of Marysville Marysville

Parts Hotline (866) 662-2819 (360) 716-2553 24 Hr Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 8-4:30 wholesaleparts@kendallauto.com scotteney@kendallauto.com

www.kendallsubarumarysville.com

’re

(831) 420-1923 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6; Sat. 8-5 parts@santacruzsubaru.com www.santacruzsubaru.com

Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Plummets As Rates Continue To Surge

Nearly one-third (31%) of U.S. auto insurance customers say they experienced a rate increase during the past year, as the industry raises rates an average of 15.5% and insurers continue to fight the forces of record high loss ratios.

Auto insurers lost an average of 12 cents on every dollar of premium they collected in 2022—the worst performance in more than 20 years— leaving them few alternatives but to raise rates at the expense of customer satisfaction.

increases are three times higher than other categories tracked by the Consumer Price Index (15.5% vs. an average of 4.9%). Overall customer satisfaction with auto insurance providers is 822, down from 834 a year ago. The decline is driven by a 25-point decrease in customer satisfaction with the price of their policies.

Price increases were likely more prevalent: More customers likely experienced increases but awareness is affected by the method and frequency of billing and payments.

that the information collected is “always accurate.”

Softening the blow of a price increase: While price increases are never good for customer satisfaction, notifying customers in advance through their preferred channel (e.g., phone call from their agent) and making the reason for the increase clear as well as discussing any options that may be available, such as UBI, can make a big difference in how they are perceived by customers. The amount of the price increase also affects customer satisfaction, with a 137-point difference in price satisfaction between those experiencing an increase of more than $300 vs. those experiencing an increase of $50 or less.

Highest-Ranking Insurers

The study measures customer satisfaction with auto insurance in 11 geographic regions. Highest-ranking auto insurers and scores, by region, are as follows:

California: Wawanesa (843) (for a fourth consecutive year)

Central: Shelter (851) (for a third consecutive year)

a second consecutive year)

New England: GEICO (836)

New York: New York Central Mutual (842) (for a second consecutive year)

North Central: Erie Insurance (844) (for a third consecutive year)

Northwest: The Hartford (836) (for a second consecutive year)

Southeast: Farm Bureau Insurance -Tennessee (866) (for a 12th consecutive year)

Southwest: State Farm (835) (for a second consecutive year)

Texas: Auto Club of Southern California (AAA) (839)

Usage Based Insurance (UBI): GEICO (824), Progressive (824) and State Farm (824) in a tie

According to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study, released June 13, satisfaction with auto insurance has dropped 12 points (on a 1,000-point scale) year over year, the largest decline in the past 20 years. The decline is largely driven by lower satisfaction with the price customers pay for insurance, a factor that has declined 25 points this year.

This phenomenon is driving an increase in adoption of usage-based insurance (UBI) programs, which base the cost of a policy on a driver’s behaviors using telematics data. Customers new to an insurer have a high UBI participation rate of 26%.

“Overall customer satisfaction with auto insurers has plummeted this year, as insurers and drivers come face to face with the realities of the economy,” said Mark Garrett, director of insurance intelligence at J.D. Power. “While insurers are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to balancing profitability with customer experience, there are several ways they can blunt the negative effects of rising costs, such as proactively offering customers UBI alternatives, clearly signaling and explaining necessary rate increases and consistently delivering on brand promises to instill trust.”

Key Findings of the 2023 Study

Surging rates topple customer satisfaction: Auto insurance price

Among those customers who received a bill in the mail and paid in full via credit card, nearly half (45%) said they had a price increase, compared with more than one-fourth (28%) of those who received a digital bill and made automatic recurring installment payments.

Not all customers react the same: Some groups of customers had a more negative reaction to price increases, including those who either rent their residence or do not bundle their home and auto insurance; are single car/single driver households; are open to switching insurers; or those who have a lower perception of their insurer being trustworthy.

UBI sees record adoption: Participation in usage-based insurance programs has more than doubled since 2016, with 17% of auto insurance customers now participating in such programs. Price satisfaction among customers participating in these programs is 59 points higher on average than among non-participants.

As UBI adoption gains, growing pains emerge: While more customers than ever have adopted UBI, the programs are still relatively new. Onethird (33%) of customers currently using UBI have been on the program for less than one year. Concerns over accuracy of data collected by UBI technologies has become a pain point, with just 38% of customers indicating

Florida: State Farm (833)

Mid-Atlantic: Erie Insurance (863) (for

The 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study, now in its 24th year, examines customer satisfaction in five factors (in alphabetical order): billing process and policy information; claims; interaction; policy offerings; and price. The study is based on responses from 41,437 auto insurance customers and was fielded from January through April 2023. New this year, the study has introduced a national award category for UBI, along with diagnostics that influence UBI participants’ experience with insurers’ usage-based auto products.

Source: J.D. Power

Credit: Shutterstock

DOWNEY NISSAN

Downey

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The average price Americans paid for a new vehicle in May remained below the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the fifth consecutive month, according to data released June 12 by Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive company.

The average transaction price (ATP) of a new vehicle in the U.S. increased in May to $48,528, a month-over-month increase of 0.5% ($251) from an upwardly revised April reading of $48,277.

New-vehicle transaction prices in May were up 3% ($1,393) compared to year-ago levels. The year-overyear increase in May of 3% was the smallest in 2023; in May 2022, newvehicle prices were up 13.5% year over year.

Meanwhile, auto manufacturers’ incentive spend in May rose to the highest level in the past year at 3.9% of the ATP, averaging $1,914. One year ago, average incentive spending was 2.5% of ATP.

In May, the average price consumers paid for a new vehicle fell to $410 below MSRP, or sticker price. For comparison, a year ago, the average ATP was $637 above MSRP. As lower prices and higher inventory levels likely drew in buyers, sales volumes in May were up month over month by 0.7% and up 22.1% year over year, higher than most forecasts and fed in part by a healthy dose of fleet deliveries.

“The modest new-vehicle price increase in May was offset by increased incentives, so many buyers were able to find deals below sticker,” said Rebecca Rydzewski, research manager of economic and industry insights for Cox Automotive. “This is good news for consumers as manufacturers are seeing higher inventory and increased competition and need to push sales to keep inventory moving.”

Average Prices for Non-Luxury Vehicles Rise Slightly in May

The average price paid for a new non-luxury vehicle in May was $44,960, an increase of $158 compared to April. Year over year, non-luxury prices increased by 3.7%.

The average non-luxury sticker price rose to $45,362 in May, so buyers paid below MSRP by $402.

Several non-luxury brands--including Mazda, Alfa Romeo, Acura, Infiniti and Cadillac—saw ATP increases between 1% to 2.2% month over month in May. Ford and Kia showed the most price strength in the non-luxury market, transacting at more than 3% over sticker price in May.

Average Prices for Luxury Vehicles Rise in May but Remain Below $65,000

The average luxury buyer paid $64,396 for a new vehicle in May 2023, up $239 from April, and the second month in a row that

from last month and aligned with the industry change. The ATP for EVs in May is down a noteworthy $9,370 (down 14%) compared to one year ago. New EV pricing peaked in June 2022 and has fallen more than $5,800 so far in 2023. EV incentives are trending higher.

“When it comes to EVs, automakers are trying to find a balance between pricing and profitability,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Cox Automotive. “EV sales in May are estimated to have increased by 4.7% compared to April and are up

44% year over year. This may be due to a combination of tax credits and manufacturer incentives that are encouraging sales.”

Auto Incentives Offered by Manufacturers Continue Trending Upward as Supply Increases

Incentives averaged $1,914 in May to reach the highest point in a year, increasing to 3.9% of the average transaction price compared to 3.5% in April. While May incentives increased by $229 month over month, they remain historically low. For comparison, Kelley Blue Book estimates incentives averaged 7.3% of ATP in May 2021 and 9.9% in May 2019. The luxury car segment had the highest incentives in May 2023 at 7.7% of ATP. Meanwhile, vans had the lowest incentives at only 0.3% of ATP.

“Incentives are up to nearly 4% in May, a sign that automakers are trying to move vehicles,” said Rydzewski. “The majority of luxury brands have higher inventory levels than the current industry average, along with all the domestic nonluxury brands. As supply continues to increase, industry average incentives will keep increasing.”

Source: Kelley Blue Book

transaction prices for luxury were below $65,000. Across key segments, luxury vehicle ATPs were a mixed bag in May, with high-end luxury cars and luxury full-size SUVs showing price declines between 0.5% and 1.6%. Entry-level luxury cars ATP remained stable. Luxury cars and luxury full-size SUVs saw price increases between 0.1% and 3.3%.

Strong luxury vehicle sales have been a primary reason for overall elevated new-vehicle prices. This trend continued in May, with the luxury vehicle share at 18.4% of total sales. However, luxury share is trending down after hitting a high of 19.5% in February 2023.

New Electric Vehicle Prices Down More Than $9,000 from One Year Ago

The initial estimate for the average price paid for a new electric vehicle (EV) in May is $55,488, mostly stable

BendPak, Inc., a leading manufacturer of vehicle service equipment and specialty consumer products, purchased a new global headquarters in Agoura Hills, CA.

The 22,256-square-foot administrative building, built in 2012 for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, is situated on 12 acres in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, just west of Los Angeles. BendPak expects to move from its current Santa Paula, CA, offices by the end of the summer.

The award-winning building is modern, environmentally sensitive, and energy-efficient. It earned LEED Platinum® certification, the highest level available for sustainable buildings from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The new headquarters will be home to client and customer service, engineering, product development, marketing, information technology, human resources, accounting and management.

Toyota Changes Tune on EVs, Announces New Battery Tech

By Simon Alvarez Teslarati

While Toyota has been lagging in the battery-electric vehicle segment, a recent announcement suggested things may be changing.

uninspiring, few were sold. It didn’t help that it faced a major safety recall and a production halt.

But now the company says it will produce high-performance, solid-state batteries to improve vehicles’ driving range. Such innovations are also expected to cut the costs for the company’s EVs.

The plan was shared by Toyota on June 13, the day before the company’s annual shareholders meeting, as noted in a Reuters report.

2027 or 2028.

Solid-state batteries are superior to current battery technology, though they are expensive and scaling their production is a challenge. Toyota said it will produce an EV with a lithium-ion battery that features a range of 621 miles for the high end of the market. The company also said an EV powered with a solid-state battery should have a range of about 745 miles, and it should be capable of charging in just 10 minutes.

Over the past several years, the Japanese auto giant has reiterated its support for hybrid solutions and shunned the idea of a shift to all-electric vehicles. And when it released the bZ4X, an allelectric car to rival best-sellers like the Tesla Model Y, it was so

Toyota said it is looking to launch its next-generation lithium-ion battery technology in 2026, which should offer longer range and rapid charging capabilities. The company also mentioned a “technological breakthrough” that addresses issues in solidstate batteries, and said it is developing a means to produce

If Toyota were to pull off its ambitious battery plans, it would effectively leapfrog a lot of its competitors in the electric vehicle market. But while the company’s expected specs for its solid-state batteries far exceed the capabilities of commercially produced batteries available today, one would have to wonder how they will stack up against the batteries produced by the world’s most prominent EV makers in the coming years.

2023 Toyota bZ4X.

Source: BendPak

Auto Aftermarket Industry Outperforms Expectations, Growing 9.7% in 2022

The Auto Care Association and MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, in partnership with S&P Global, have released the 2023 Joint Channel Forecast Model report, providing valuable insights and strategic guidance for the automotive aftermarket industry.

The annual report gives an indepth industry outlook with the latest and most reliable market projections, channel performance analysis and emerging trends.

This year’s report finds that despite the recent increase in economic strain for many Americans due to rising costs, the industry continues to show its reliability and ability to adapt across the service and retail sectors, continually adjusting to meet demand in an ever-dynamic market.

The 2023 Joint Channel Forecast Model finds that the automotive aftermarket grew 9.7% in 2022, outperforming expectations (previously forecast at 8.5%). With high inflation persisting, the industry is expected to grow an additional 8.1% in 2023 before settling to more modest—but still substantial—growth rates that will

continue to make the industry an attractive one for investors.

Key topics in the new report include:

Market size projections in billions of dollars through 2026, along with year-over-year percent change

Sales dollars and market share for the retail, service, and dealer channels

Key economic projections through 2026 such as GDP, consumer price index, and the CPI for Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair

Forecasts for motor vehicle sales through 2026

Detailed factors influencing the growth in the aftermarket

“Consistency, reliability and adaptability—that’s what the motoring public have come to expect from the auto care industry over the years, but especially in more recent times with many Americans facing the very real rise in their cost of living,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association.

“The latest Joint Channel Forecast Model demonstrates this reality with the latest market figures surpassing

Seat Belt Problems Cause Recall of 175,000 Ford Broncos

By David A. Wood CarComplaints.com

Ford Bronco front seat belt problems have caused a recall of more than 175,000 Broncos with five-door body styles.

The 2021-2023 Broncos have front seat belt latch plates which may be difficult to access from their stowed positions.

block unhindered access to the latch plate,” Ford said.

The government contacted Ford in May about a 2023 Bronco five-door vehicle that had problems with the front seat belt latch.

Ford said a Bronco occupant could “experience some dissatisfaction or be discouraged if they are unable to easily access the seat belt latch in its stowed position.

In addition to causing problems for drivers and their passengers, the seat belt problem also violates federal safety standards.

As of May 10, Ford is not aware of any warranty or field reports, or crashes or injuries related to the seat belt latch plates.

expectations yet again.”

“The automotive aftermarket continues to prove that it can succeed on two fronts—the longstanding production and manufacturing that gives the aftermarket its strong foundation and the innovation and entrepreneurship that are required with the bourgeoning technology changes and opportunities in transportation,” said Paul McCarthy, president and CEO, MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers. “This year’s Joint Channel Forecast provides an impressive outlook for the aftermarket and underscores the value of investment in this industry.”

The auto care industry continues to show its reliability and ability to adapt across the service and retail sectors, continually adjusting to meet demand in an everdynamic market. While new vehicle inventory is being replenished as the supply chain pressures have eased somewhat across the industry, the vehicle parc continues to age and increasing costs of both new and used vehicles continue to encourage owners to keep their

vehicles longer. These factors have provided tailwinds to the automotive aftermarket as vehicle miles traveled have returned to prepandemic levels.

The full Joint Channel Forecast Model is intended to help provide further details about the factors influencing the growth of the auto care industry to help businesses make informed decisions, identify growth opportunities and optimize their market strategies.

The Joint Channel Forecast Model report is available to Auto Care Association and MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers members as a membership benefit.

Auto Care members can access the Joint Channel Forecast report in the 2024 Auto Care Factbook at digital.autocare. org/2024factbook. MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers can access the report at mema.org.

Source: Auto Care Association

“The stowed position of the latch plate, as determined by the seat belt webbing sewn loop, is in a position that does not have enough space between the seat back and the interior trim to allow the test

Ford Bronco recall letters will be mailed June 30. Ford dealers will add a sliding clip latch stop to the driver and front passenger seat belts.

Ford Bronco owners may call 866-436-7332 and ask about recall number 23C16.

CREF Names New Executive Director

Congratulations to Brandon Eckenrode, newly named executive director of the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF).

While Eckenrode’s collision industry career began in 2002 in I-CAR’s marketing department, he joined the foundation’s team as associate director of development in 2009. As director of development from 2012 through 2021, Eckenrode was heavily involved with CREF’s successful growth through his management of various projects and events that helped the organization gain visibility within the industry and beyond.

For the past two years, he served as the foundation’s managing director, a role that has required him to “work closely with CREF’s Board of Trustees, staff and our partners to execute the organizational goals and strategic mission.”

His skill and passion have earned him the well-deserved promotion to executive director of the foundation.

Eckenrode is honored by the opportunity to “lead the amazing CREF team.”

Tesla Reportedly Tells Cybertruck Parts Suppliers To Expect 375K Annual Production

By Joey Klender Teslarati

Tesla has told suppliers to prepare for Cybertruck production by stating it plans to build 375,000 units of the all-electric pickup every year, according to a new report.

call earlier this year.

The truck has amassed a significant number of pre-orders: nearly 1.5 million, according to a reservation tracker. With production nearing, Tesla has

terms of engineering and design

The Tesla Cybertruck was unveiled in November 2019 and has been delayed several times since, but the automaker has finally started making significant strides toward initial production. The first lines have already been built at Tesla Gigafactory Texas, which the company showed during its first quarter earnings

finally started communicating to suppliers regarding its plans for annual output, according to a report from Electrek.

Tesla has evidently called the Cybertruck program “Project Everest” and is already asking suppliers to meet a base production volume of 375,000 Cybertruck units per year, according to the report.

This is a significant figure for initial production, especially considering CEO Elon Musk has stated in the past on several occasions that the Cybertruck has been one of the most difficult vehicles to figure out in

Tesla is set to have initial release candidates for the Cybertruck ready by August, the report also said. Tesla has not officially released any details regarding the pickup’s first deliveries, only saying the pricing and other important details would be given at a delivery event sometime in the third quarter.

Tesla has brought forth new designs for the Cybertruck from its initial production prototypes unveiled in 2019 or later. The most recent Cybertrucks, seen at Investor Day earlier this year, were equipped with a variety of new features, including a new yoke steering wheel design.

Tesla has also finalized the design for the Cybertruck, which gives even more indication production is likely going to start soon. This has been confirmed by both Musk and Tesla’s Chief Vehicle Designer Franz von Holzhausen

Galpin Volkswagen North Hills 888 840-8416

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866-654-8591

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Mon-Sat 8am-5pm vw.parts@niello.com

WASHINGTON

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Fax: 206-547-1581

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

Source: CREF

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Gas Prices Creep Higher As Drivers Fuel Up Ahead

of Memorial Day

By Andrew Gross AAA

Serving Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher.

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The seasonal surge in gasoline demand leading into the long holiday weekend resulted in the national average for a gallon of gas rising four cents since May 18 to $3.57 as of May 25.

AAA forecasts that Memorial Day road trips will be up 6% over last year, with more than 37 million Americans driving to their destinations.

“The rise in demand for gasoline is helping to push pump prices higher for now,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “But the increase is mitigated by the low cost of oil, which is wobbling around in the low $70s per barrel. Pump prices could stabilize or fall once this long weekend is in the rearview mirror.”

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand increased from 8.91 to 9.43 million b/d over the same week. Rising demand has helped to

boost pump prices. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by 2 million bbl to 216.3 million bbl. If gas demand grows amid tighter supplies, drivers will likely see pump prices rise.

The May 25 national average of $3.55 is eight cents less than a month ago and $1.02 less than a year ago.

Since May 18, these 10 states have seen the largest increases in their averages: Wisconsin (+15 cents), Colorado (+12 cents), Indiana (+9 cents), New Jersey (+9 cents), Idaho (+9 cents), Montana (+8 cents), Connecticut (+8 cents), Maine (+7 cents), New Hampshire (+7 cents) and Michigan (+7 cents).

The nation’s top 10 most expensive markets: California ($4.81), Hawaii ($4.75), Washington ($4.63), Arizona ($4.58), Nevada ($4.24), Oregon ($4.20), Utah ($4.08), Illinois ($3.97), Alaska ($3.94) and Idaho ($3.83).

Source: AAA

Driven Brands Kicks Off Summer Fundraising

Driven Brands collision companies

CARSTAR U.S., CARSTAR Canada, Fix Auto USA and Abra kicked off the summer fundraising initiative, Shine Season, on June 1.

The June through August initiative encourages franchise partners and members of the collision corporate staff to get involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Cystic Fibrosis Canada to raise funds for cystic fibrosis research, advocacy and care.

More than 25 years ago, CARSTAR Canada began supporting cystic fibrosis when a franchisee’s granddaughter was born with the incurable disease The entire network rallied around the family, providing support and raising money to help find a cure. Now, the collision group has united to name the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Cystic Fibrosis Canada as their charities of choice, raising more than $4 million for the organizations.

Across the Driven Brands collision group, various facilities have already committed to partaking in one or more of the Shine Season initiatives.

Source: Driven Brands

State Farm Facing Class Action Lawsuit Over Luxury Vehicle Repairs

By Mika Pangilinan Insurance Business Magazine

State Farm has been hit with a class action lawsuit over allegations that it refused to cover the cost of repairs for luxury vehicles.

Filed in Broward County in Florida on May 18, the lawsuit stems from an incident involving Assaf and Ada Sasson, who owned an all-electric 2022 Porsche Taycan insured with State Farm for more than $100,000.

The Sassons’ vehicle was damaged in a May 2022 collision, which prompted them to seek repair services.

The vehicle was taken to a Porsche dealership and was then referred to a local Porschecertified collision shop. This referral was made to ensure the repairs were conducted according to the manufacturer’s specifications and to preserve the vehicle’s warranty, according to the lawsuit.

The recommended shop provided an estimate of

$8,360.87 for the necessary repairs that was allegedly rejected by State Farm.

Instead, the insurance giant created its own estimate of $6,267.03 for the damages, the lawsuit claimed, based on

and the actual costs of the repairs.

An initial breach of contract complaint was filed against State Farm in August 2022 with regards to this incident. However, lawyers said they discovered evidence suggesting State Farm has consistently failed to honor the policy requirements for determining collision benefits on high-value vehicles.

alternative labor hourly rates not representative of the prices charged by certified repair facilities.

According to the suit, State Farm offered to pay only its estimated amount, minus a $500 deductible. The Sassons were consequently forced to cover the difference between the estimate

Working on this new information, the Sassons sought to amend their initial complaint and pursue a class action lawsuit, encompassing claims that date back to September 2018.

State Farm spokesperson Roszell Gadson declined to comment specifically on the case when approached by Law.com, stating “the filing of a lawsuit does not substantiate the allegations within the complaint.”

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