Western Western Edition E Edi d i ti o n California Idaho Montana Nevada
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35
YEARS
VOL. 35 ISSUE 8 AUGUST 2017
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Takata Airbag Recall Expands by 2.7M More Vehicles, Ca2SO4 Desiccant is Now Suspect in Certain Inflators
Hawaii Body Shops and Their Customers Handicapped by Insurance Issues
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are in no way explosive in their own The vehicle was taken to a tow by Stacey Phillips yard in Hilo where a GEICO auto damright. age appraiser told Judith the car was reIn a dramatic expansion of what is alHowever the desiccant’s role in the On the north side of the Big Island of ready the largest automotive recall in Takata airbag inflation mechanism is Hawaii, in a quiet little town named pairable for less than $8,000. “I went history, Takata Corp.—which recently to prevent the propellant, largely amKamuela, Judith was at home watchinto a tirade,” said Judith, who is 76 filed for bankruptcy protection—has monium nitrate, from becoming hying a football game. She noticed her years old. “I felt that there was no way just added 2.7 million vehicles to the drated and therefore unstable. In back door was open and soon realized that the vehicle could be repaired for chemical terms instability can affect total. her 2014 BMW X3 had been stolen the amount they suggested so I called the main office of GEICO and asked Vehicles made by Ford, Nissan the burn rate of the compounds and from her garage. Two weeks later, poand Mazda are using a type of airbag behave unpredicably, leading to mallice located and recovered the vehicle for another adjuster.” function. The vehicle was then towed to inflator including a desiccant, or dryabout 100 miles away on the opposite Environmental moisture, high ing agent, that previously was thought side of the island, in an area called GEICO’s DRP shop and a second appraiser was assigned to re-inspect the to be safe. Commonly encountered temperatures, and age contribute to the Puna. Not only had it been driven apdesiccants are solids that absorb water. process that can disastrously fragment proximately 2,000 miles, but the entire car. Judith said she was informed once They are frequently used in packaged the airbags’ inflator mechavehicle had been vandalized, again that the car was repairable. “The car is worth over $50,000,” foods to retain crispness and the exterior had large See Takata Adds to Recall, Page 18 o m c l e e s w ws g this iss reade she said. “I said, ‘there is no way I’m dents and scratches, e ue N in in rs y ead accepting that.’” the seats and seat r a She called the local BMW dealbelts were cut, the CAA Members Tour UTI Long Beach, tires were flat ership and they suggested contacting Learn to Negotiate Pre & Post Scans and there was Auto Body Hawaii in Kona. Judith had by Victoria Antonelli with students at graffiti throughher car towed to the shop, which is Universal TechSee Hawaii Body Shops, Page 22 out the interior. On Thursday, June 22, members from nical Instituteseveral California Autobody AssociaLong Beach for tions in Southern California gathered the chapters’ Mahalo Nui Loa Mahal CAA Legislative Chairman Responds to monthly Insurers’ AB 1679 Letter meeting. The In our June issue we Analysis evening started published the first of sevBlaming hardworking body shops for off with a campus eral articles about AB 1679: CA “the rising cost of car repairs” is like tour at 5 p.m. Body Shop Owners Call AB 1679 a blaming doctors for the rising cost of “The tour was great,” said Potential Disaster for the Industry, prescription drugs. Why? A pair of CAA Glendale/Foothill Chapwhich gained widespread attention. In headlamps for mid-range cars such as ter President, Hillel Shamam. July, we printed a follow-up story, the Accord, Focus, Camry and Camaro “UTI Long Beach has more CAA Says California Insurers Could models cost from $1,800 to more than collision students now—100 Use Sneaky Political Tactics to Push $2,500, but a Los Angeles area body CAA members from across Southern California were given on any given day—and they shop would only be paid $18 to install AB 1679. See CAA Tours UTI, Page 12 a tour of the UTI Long Beach state-of-the-art facilities In that first article, we noted that one. Insurers using bogus labor rate insurers responded with a letter from surveys (which would continue to be the FAIR Coalition, a group consist- allowed under AB 1679) want to force ing of 25 different organizations in shops to charge even less. That same California (including many sponsored headlamp installation at a new car by the insurance industry) outlining dealership (where pricing is not subwhy they support AB 1679. ject to insurer surveys) would cost Below is a point-by-point analysis $45. and rebuttal to statements made in the The California Department of Inletter, provided by CAA Legislative surance documented that its StandardChairman Monte Etherton, President ized Labor Rate Survey regulations of Fender Mender Collision Repair in will produce an increased cost to inSee Response to AB 1679, Page 10 Encinitas, CA. by Autobody News Staff
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