December 2022 West Edition

REGIONAL NEWS

WyoTech Students Receive Jessi Combs Foundation Scholarships

Industry Veteran Frank Terlep Sells Company, Receives Three Awards at SEMA, Named CIC Chair

By Stacey Phillips Autobody News

A little over three years ago, Frank Terlep co-founded Auto Techcelarators to help the auto, collision, glass, insurance and truck industries properly estimate, calibrate and validate advanced driverassistance systems (ADAS) repairs and calibrations.

As CEO, Terlep and his team developed Test Drive CoPilot™, a platform designed to change how ADAS safety system verification test drives are performed, managed and documented. They also created Calibration CoPilot™ to properly operate and manage ADAS service and calibration businesses, and

ADAS CoPilot™, an ADAS and calibration information, knowledge and repair procedure mobile app and web portal.

The entrepreneur has worked in the automotive industry for more than 40 years, dating back to 1984, when he launched his first technology business with a $100,000 investment from an angel investor and developed one of the first software applications for the automotive aftermarket industry.

Since then, he said he has helped design and launch the industry’s first Windows-based estimating and management system, the first online parts procurement platform, the first mobile app and digital marketing platform, as well as a remote scanning l

The scholarship program is one of many ways JCF fulfills its mission to educate, inspire and empower the next generation of trailblazing and stereotype-breaking women.

Reca p

REGIONAL NEWS

PepsiCo. Confirms It Will Receive Tesla Semi Truck on Dec. 1 At 2 Facilities

By Joey Klender Teslarati

PepsiCo. confirmed Oct. 7 it is set to receive Tesla’s electric Semi truck Dec. 1 at two of its California facilities.

“We can confirm our first electric Tesla Semis Dec. 1, 2022, supporting our Frito-Lay plant in Modesto, CA, + our PepsiCo beverages plant in Sacramento,” the company said in a statement Oct. 7. “We’re looking forward to this next step in

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

WyoTech, a leading U.S. automotive, diesel and collision trade school, announced three of its students Maggie Daskam, Jade Bovee and Kaygen Bogle were recipients of the Jessi Combs Foundation (JCF) scholarship.

Daskam is a member of the Women of WyoTech group, which she describes as very special, as it “brings the few

In October, Auto Techcelerators, co-founded by Frank Terlep, was acquired by Opus IVS™, a global diagnostics, ADAS calibration, programming and on-demand remote support company

REGIONAL NEWS

CA Governor Calls Special Session in December to Weigh Windfall Tax on Oil Companies 6

CAA Capitol and East Bay Chapter Meetings Postponed Until January 17

Crash Champions Acquires DAA Auto Body Centers 11

Crash Champions Adds 3rd Collision Repair Center in Portland, OR, Metro Area 8

Eastern Washington High School Works with Local Businesses to Teach Auto Repair Skills 27

Legislation Adopted in California Allowing Digital License Plates 21

PepsiCo. Confirms it Will Receive Tesla Semi Truck on Dec. 1 at 2 Facilities 1

Richard Fish Announced as Franchisee of the Year at 2022 Fix Auto Conference 22

Tesla Cybertruck Battery Packs to Be Built at Fremont, CA, Factory 4

WyoTech Students Receive Jessi Combs Foundation Scholarships 1

COLUMNISTS

Mike Anderson

What You’re Missing by Not Researching Battery Disconnect and Reconnect Procedures 10

Abby Andrews

Collision Repairers Learn How to Negotiate with Insurers to Get Paid for All Work 39

Driven Brands Celebrates Opening of 1,000th Collision Repair Location in North America 14

Ed Attanasio

Collision Repairers Learn How to Negotiate with Insurers to Get Paid for All Work 28

Stacey Phillips

ALLDATA’s ADAS Quick Reference Tool Receives SEMA New Product Award in ADAS Category 30

Collision Repairers Find Cost Savings & Quality Care with SCRS National Health Care Plan 20

Industry Veteran Frank Terlep Sells Company, Receives Three Awards at SEMA, Named CIC Chair 1

Mitchell Awarded 3rd Patent for Collision Repair Diagnostics, Showcases Product Enhancements at SEMA 16

Prestigious Awards Announced at Collision Industry Red Carpet Awards Breakfast During SEMA 2022 26

Spanesi Americas Introduces FLASH Portable Pulling Column 44

SUN Collision Repair Information Software Helps Technicians Find OEM Repair Procedures 36

John Yoswick

Economist Tells Collision Repairers at MSO Symposium: ‘Beware the Economic Narrative’ 38

How Will Results from SCRS ‘Blend’ Study Be Used Moving Forward? 34

NATIONAL NEWS

Auto Care Alliance Partners with Broadly 49

Auto Insurers Struggle to Manage Expectations as Repair Times Increase 46

Average Length of Rental Up 3 Days Year-Over-Year 32

Axalta Promotes Muse to VP of Sales 48

Boyd Group Services Inc. Reports 3Q Financial Results 43

CCC Introduces Diagnostics Enhancements 43

CCC Names New Executive 28

Classic Collision Adds 3rd Location in North Carolina, Expands Again in Texas 28

Equalizer® Gives Back this Holiday Season 36

EV Sales Hit Record, According to Kelley Blue Book 48

Ford Hit with $105M Verdict Over

Trade Secrets 50

Hyundai Recalls 2018 Santa Fe Sports After 4 Fires 47

I-CAR Recognized for Skills Training 27

Kia Recalls 71,000 SUVs for Fire Risk50

Minnesota Law Firm Files Class Action Complaint on Behalf of Kia and Hyundai Theft Victims 8

More Than 745,000 Stolen Vehicles Reported So Far in 2022 34

MotorTrend Launches ‘FAST’ TV 22

NABC Donates 9 Vehicles, Presents Awards, Inducts Hall of Eagles Members at SEMA Show 42

Nationwide Catalytic Converter Theft Ring Busted 49

New-Vehicle Monthly Payment Hits Another Record High in October 31

SCRS Study Concludes Blend Time is Greater than Full Refinish 47

Index of Advertisers

Agile Truck & Tools

American Chevrolet

17

Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers 35

AutoNation Honda Costa Mesa 44

Axalta Coating Systems 6

BendPak 13

BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers 38

Car Pros Kia 36

Car Pros Kia Renton 48

Certified Automotive Parts Association 12

Chase Chevrolet 14

Citrus Kia-Ford 28

Classifieds 50

Colortone Automotive Paints 22

Corwin Buick-GMC 48

Courtesy Chevrolet San Diego 37

Dynabrade, Inc ���������������������������������������� 52

Equalizer Auto Glass Tools

Kearny Mesa Subaru-Hyundai ����������������� 21

Kia Downtown Los Angeles��������������������� 42

Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers 40-41

Kia of Carson 30

Kia of Irvine 16

Malco 11

Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers 46

Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers 46

Michael Hohl Motor Company 47

MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers 38

MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers 29

Niello Audi 49

Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers 45

North American Bancard 9

Novato Chevrolet 17

Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers 43

Porterville Ford ������������������������������������������� 4

8

Fairview Ford-Lincoln-Mercury 32

FH Dailey Chevrolet 17

Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers 27

Future Nissan of Roseville 30

Galpin Motors 23

Garden Grove Kia 16

Glenn E Thomas Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep 10

GM Wholesale Parts Dealers 51

Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers 24-25

Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers 43

Industrial Finishes and Systems 19

Roseville Kia��������������������������������������������� 44

Sandberg Volvo Cars 36

Santa Monica Audi 22

SATA Dan-Am Company 7

Sorbothane Soft-Blow Mallet 14

Spanesi Americas 2

Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers 39

The Bay Area Automotive Group 33

TYC Genera Corporation 15

Volkswagen Pasadena 34

Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers 31

Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers 38

By Joey Klender Teslarati

Tesla plans to start building battery packs for the upcoming Cybertruck on a new cell manufacturing line in the Fremont, CA, factory, people with knowledge of the project told Teslarati.

In August, Teslarati reported Tesla had filed to build a new battery manufacturing equipment line on the

manufactured at Gigafactory Nevada and put them into modules and packs manufactured on the new Fremont battery line.

Currently, the line is being completed by construction crews on site. Additionally, Tesla engineers are installing automation equipment to produce the Cybertruck battery packs.

Tesla did not immediately respond to request for comment.

to create those vehicles: Cybertruck, Semi, Roadster, Optimus, and be ready to bring those to production hopefully next year. That is most likely.”

Although Tesla is planning to begin deliveries of the Semi on Dec. 1, all other projects have been effectively delayed until next year, but preparation to launch those projects is evidently a priority within the factories.

Tesla’s Vice President of Powertrain Drew Baglino said earlier this year the company was not constrained in terms of 4680 battery cell availability.

“So throughout 2021, we focused on growing cell supply alongside our in-house 4680 effort to provide us flexibility and insurance as we attempt to grow as fast as possible,” Baglino said on the Q4 and Full Year 2021 Earnings Call in January. “4680 cells are not a constraint to our 2022 volume plans based on the information we have.”

What Baglino said next on the call likely indicates what Tesla was preparing the Cybertruck for: pack manufacturing at Fremont, shipping the packs to Texas, and then installing them into vehicles.

structural packs every day, which are being assembled into vehicles in Texas. I was driving one yesterday and the day before. And we believe our first 4680 vehicles will be delivered this quarter.”

The Kato Road facility has supported Tesla’s 4680 cell needs thus far. The 4680 packs were installed on some Gigafactory Texas-built Model Ys, and were reviewed by Munro Live earlier this year. Fremont will likely support Cybertruck pack manufacturing for some time, using cells from Kato Road and from suppliers like Panasonic when it begins manufacturing the battery for Tesla.

As Cybertruck manufacturing ramps up into late 2023, 2024 and beyond, packs will then be at Fremont and Gigafactory Texas, which would likely entirely support Cybertruck production.

second floor of the Fremont factory. The filing, submitted to the City of Fremont on Aug. 30, related to the module portion of the line, Tesla said.

Tesla described the project as “CTA Battery B-Build,” the filing showed.

Tesla is ultimately planning to build the Cybertruck in Austin at Gigafactory Texas. However, battery cells and cell pack manufacturing are not yet ready to take off at the new Tesla plant. Tesla applied to build a battery and cathode manufacturing building at Gigafactory Texas earlier this year, and while the project has been started, it likely will not be ready for the Cybertruck’s projected launch in mid-2023.

With an extensive order log of more than 1 million total reservations, Tesla is preparing for Cybertruck manufacturing by building the battery packs at a plant that is already operational. The Fremont facility, the only Tesla plant manufacturing all four vehicles the company builds, was ultimately chosen for the task of kicking off Cybertruck pack manufacturing, Teslarati confirmed with sources familiar with the matter.

Sources familiar with the matter told Teslarati the second-floor manufacturing line Tesla filed to build in August will manufacture the Cybertruck packs. Tesla will take the 4680 battery cells produced at the Kato Road facility or another previously-used cell design

Tesla is also working hard to kick off Cybertruck pack production as time is extremely limited. Tesla has a series of vehicles, referred to as “carriers,” which transport batteries throughout the factory. The company recently ordered around 300 new carriers for the factory as cell and battery pack manufacturing is set to ramp drastically.

The sources also said the Cybertruck battery pack line is currently being tested with Tesla’s automation equipment. Tesla is working to ramp the line quickly as Cybertruck vehicle manufacturing is planned for next year at Gigafactory Texas.

Tesla is set to build the Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas. After unveiling the all-electric pickup in 2019, Tesla has delayed initial production on several occasions due to supply chain issues and other challenges.

“In 2022, supply chain will continue to be the fundamental limiter of output across all factories,” CEO Elon Musk said during Tesla’s Q4 and 2021 Full Year Earnings Call in January. “So the chip shortage, while better than last year, is still an issue. And, yeah, so that’s there are multiple supply chain challenges.”

Musk said the challenges would delay the launch of any new products in 2022.

“We will, however, do a lot of engineering and tooling, what not

“But we are making meaningful progress of the ramp curve in Kato,” Baglino said. “We’re building 4680

By Madison Hirneisen The Center Square

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling a special session on Dec. 5 for lawmakers to discuss a proposed windfall tax on oil companies, a move he said will address “greed,” but admitting it could face legal scrutiny.

Newsom proposed a new tax on the excess profits of oil companies, announcing he wants to deliver refunds or rebates back to taxpayers who have been “fleeced” by companies engaging in “gouging.”Under Newsom’s proposal, companies who are involved in extracting, producing and refining oil will pay a higher tax rate on earnings over a certain amount. The “recouped windfall profits” would be directed to taxpayer refunds, his office said.

The Legislature is already set to reconvene Dec. 5, but Newsom announced Oct. 7 he is calling a special session upon lawmakers’ return to Sacramento to urgently address his proposal.

“We’re gonna get the money back that they’ve been gouging and taking from the pockets of hard-working Californians,” Newsom told reporters

Oct. 7.

Newsom’s announcement comes as gas prices have reached nearrecord levels in the Golden State over the previous week, spiking to $2.50 over the national average. Experts say the latest surge in California gas prices is due to a supply chain crisis caused by refineries shutting down in September, but Newsom asserted Oct. 7 the high prices are due to gouging.

The announcement also came the same day the state began distributing $9.5 billion worth of rebates to millions of Californians meant to provide relief to high prices residents continue to face. Newsom’s office estimates that 23 million taxpayers will benefit from the rebates, who qualify for a payment ranging from $200 to $1,050 depending on income and dependents.

The governor told reporters he wants to take a “similar approach” to deliver refunds from the windfall tax as the state did with the current rebate.

Critics of Newsom’s windfall tax proposal asserted it could actually cause prices to spike even higher in the Golden State. California

Taxpayers Association President Robert Gutierrez said in a statement “another tax increase that makes the production process more expensive would result in even higher prices for drivers.”

proposal in order. The governor acknowledged oil companies will likely respond with litigation to the proposal, noting he is working with lawmakers to weigh “legal options.”

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins released a joint statement in response to Newsom’s special session announcement, saying they “look forward to examining the governor’s detailed proposal when we receive it.”

The special session will occur nearly a month after the Nov. 8 election, when more than two dozen new lawmakers will join the Legislature following many members announcing they are either retiring or not seeking re-election, as reported by CalMatters.

When asked about the decision to wait until after the election to call the special session, Newsom told reporters he is taking time to work with leading lawmakers to get the

“As stated last week, a solution that takes excessive profits out of the hands of oil corporations and puts money back into the hands of consumers deserves strong consideration by the Legislature,” Atkins and Rendon said.

The governor’s call for a special session was met with criticism by some Republican lawmakers, many of whom have tried unsuccessfully to suspend the state’s gas tax in response to high prices.

“Newsom is calling a Special Session of the Legislature for the sole purpose of raising taxes. Parody and reality have become indistinguishable,” Assemblymember Kevin Kiley tweeted.

“We’re gonna get the money back that they’ve been gouging and taking from the pockets of hardworking Californians,”

GAVIN NEWSOM CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR

our #PepsiCoPositive journey + will provide more details once we have taken delivery.”

On Oct. 6, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted the Semi had officially started production and would be delivered to PepsiCo. on Dec. 1. PepsiCo. first preordered the Tesla Semi in late 2017 after the vehicle was unveiled. It has been expecting delivery for several years, but supply chain shortages and battery constraints delayed the initial production of the vehicle. Musk said in an email to employees in 2020 it was time to ramp up “volume production” of the Semi, but COVID-19 derailed those plans as the response to the virus shut down

commerce and delayed projects across the sector.

Tesla announced earlier this year it would delay the release of new products in 2022, but the company has been able to defy many of the issues that have plagued others. Tesla pushed production of the Cybertruck to early 2023 and essentially slashed any possibility of a new production project beginning. The company’s ability to launch production of the Semi when it was planning on delaying new projects until 2023 is impressive, and could ultimately be a sign of good things to come.

Frito Lay, a PepsiCo. brand, operates the Modesto, CA, plant, and has been preparing for the arrival of the Semi for some time. The company has been installing Megachargers at the site and testing the Semi when it is available.

Crash Champions Adds 3rd Collision Repair Center in Portland, OR, Metro Area

Crash Champions, LLC, on Oct. 19 announced it has expanded service in the Portland, OR, metro area, as it closed on a deal to acquire a location at 935 Southeast 202nd Ave. in Gresham.

Crash Champions, which opened its first Portland location earlier this year, now serves area customers and business partners at three premier repair centers across the market.

“This team of highly trained technicians has the expertise and equipment that align with the Crash Champions vision and strategic growth plan,” said Matt Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champions. “This high-quality facility will continue to provide customers with industry-leading repair work in a service-focused environment, while offering its team members a rewarding corporate culture and meaningful professional development opportunities. I am pleased to welcome them to our growing team.”

The Gresham location features about 17,000 square feet of

production space, and as part of the Crash Champions’ growing national network, will provide customers with a lifetime warranty on all repairs, valid at any of its locations.

“I first became a partner at this shop 30 years ago and have served as sole owner for the last 16 years. Born and raised in the local area, I have enjoyed being active and serving Gresham and the local communities,” said owner and operator Shon Kim. “It has been an incredible experience doing what I love, but now is the right time, and Crash Champions is the right partner, to start the next chapter. It is clear to me that Matt and his team are building something special, and I am thrilled that we get to be a part of it.”

For more information about Crash Champions, visit crashchampions. com. Collision repair companies interested in selling their business are encouraged to visit crashchampions.com/sell-yourshop to learn more.

Source: Crash Champions

Minnesota Law Firm Files Class Action Complaint on Behalf of Kia and Hyundai Theft Victims

Hellmuth & Johnson announced its clients have brought a class action against Kia America, Inc. and Hyundai Motor America following a nationwide rash of thefts that revealed a major defect in certain Kia and Hyundai models.

According to the complaint, Kia and Hyundai did not install engine immobilizers in many of their vehicles produced before November 2021. These vehicles are now sitting targets and continue to be frequently stolen across the country.

Manufacturers have regularly installed engine immobilizers in vehicles for decades as a common theft deterrent. Engine immobilizers prevent the engine from starting without using the vehicle’s authorized key. The system is based on a unique key or fob that contains a transponder chip that transmits a specific code to start the engine. The engine control unit does not activate the fuel system or the ignition circuit if the code in the key or fob does

not match.

Law enforcement acknowledges these thefts are part of a nationwide trend, in part due to social media tutorials that show thieves how to exploit the defect, allowing them to bypass the ignition by breaking off the dash panels and simply using a USB port to start the car. Despite knowing and being made aware of the threat these vehicles pose, Kia and Hyundai have failed to provide any permanent solutions to consumers. Their conduct violates consumer protection laws and breaches the companies’ warranty obligations.

For more information about the case, contact Hellmuth & Johnson partner  Anne T. Regan at (952) 460-9285.

The vehicle owners are represented by Anne T. Regan, Nathan D. Prosser and Lindsey L. Larson of Hellmuth & Johnson, Minneapolis, MN.

Source: Hellmuth & Johnson

During a recent collision industry seminar I was teaching, I asked if there were any technicians in the class, and several people raised their hands.

I asked them: “If I walked into your shop, and asked you if you research the procedures in the OEM repair manual before you disconnect a battery, what would you say?”

It’s a question I’d like you to consider right now as you start reading this article.

In that class, I heard one tech muttering something quietly, and I asked him what he said.

“I would say if you don’t know how to disconnect a battery, you shouldn’t be working on cars,” he replied.

That’s a fair statement, I told him. But then I took him—and the rest of the class—through the OEM procedures for a particular vehicle, showing him what that automaker states you need to be aware of before you disconnect a battery. Yet I think most of you, like that tech in my class, would acknowledge that no, you’re

by Not Researching Battery Disconnect and Reconnect Procedures

not researching the OEM repair procedures before you disconnect a battery.

So let’s talk about this. First, one of the things you need to know before you disconnect a battery is whether the vehicle is connected to telematics.

Lexus Safety Connect.

What we’ve found is, in some instances, if the vehicle is connected and you disconnect the battery, it may send an alert through the telematics to the automaker to say something happened to this car’s battery. The OEM may in turn contact the customer via text or email, or sometimes even alert the dealership service department to ask them to reach out to that customer.

Your failure to research the procedures prior to disconnecting that battery just created a bad customer service experience.

So before you ever disconnect a battery, determine whether the vehicle is connected, and if so, determine if you need to place it in “service mode” first.

For one vehicle, the automaker may say you have to wait one minute, while another may say you have to wait six minutes. I’ve seen some OEMs say after you turn the car off, you have to wait 90 minutes before you disconnect the battery.

This is only going to become more important moving forward as more vehicles are “connected” to things like General Motors’ OnStar or Toyota/

Another consideration is “wait time.” Every automaker I’ve researched says you have to wait a certain amount of time after you turn the vehicle off before you disconnect the battery. It’s not a one-size-fits-all procedure.

There are often other precautions listed in the automaker battery disconnect procedures. For example, you may have to protect certain components. I saw a procedure recently that said you have to have the left front door open when you disconnect the battery. If you don’t, it can trigger some diagnostic trouble codes.

Mike Anderson — From the Desk of Mike Anderson

Industry trainer Mike Anderson worries too few shops are researching automaker information related to disconnecting and reconnecting vehicle batteries

“Every vehicle manufacturer that I’m aware of has certain procedures that must be done when you reconnect a battery.”

MIKE ANDERSON COLLISION ADVICE

Okay, so you followed the disconnect procedures, repaired and the vehicle, and you’re ready to reconnect the battery. Are you researching those procedures every time as well?

I know the answer to that question because it’s something we ask about in our “Who Pays for What?” survey every year. We found less than half of you (46%) say you’re researching those procedures all or most of the time. While I would say even “most of the time” isn’t good enough, I’m even more concerned about the 41% of you who say you do it “some of the time” or “only occasionally.” And the 13% of you who said “never” are just inviting trouble.

Every vehicle manufacturer I’m aware of has certain procedures that must be done when you reconnect a battery. Some of them may be initializations, like for a one-touch feature on a window or sunroof.

I can tell you I recently saw reconnect procedures for a Ford that said the vehicle must be driven for a certain amount of time and distance so the engine can relearn or reprogram itself. I’ve seen other OEMs say when you reconnect the battery you have to do a steering angle sensor procedure.

At Collision Advice, we recently built a new training course focused just on battery disconnect and

reconnect procedures. We found enough content related to this topic to fill more than six hours of classroom instruction to ensure estimators and technicians understand what they need to know.

So now that you’ve read this article, I’m going to ask you again: If I walked into your shop, and asked you if you research the procedures in the OEM repair manual before you disconnect a battery, what would you say?

Oh, and another incentive for taking this important step: The “Who Pays for What?” survey found that among the shops performing the OEM battery reconnect procedures, nearly two-thirds (63%) said they are paid for that labor “always” or “most of the time” by the eight largest national insurers.

NEW PODCAST Launching

Crash Champions, LLC on Nov. 15 announced it has grown its presence in Eastern Washington through the acquisition of DAA Auto Body Centers in Spokane, WA. One of the area’s leading providers of high-quality auto body repair services, DAA serves customers at two Spokane-area repair centers, located at 3001 E. Palouse Highway and 2607 S. Hayford Road. With the addition of DAA, Crash Champions now provides customers access to collision repair service at 21 locations across Washington.

“I am thrilled to welcome Bob McConkey and his team to Crash Champions,” said Matt Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champions. “DAA offers the finest quality collision repair and restoration services available using the latest technologies, which speaks to why its customers have voted it the No. 1 regional repair center for nine straight years. Like Crash Champions, DAA does not make compromises when it comes to the caliber of its professionals, materials, or equipment. I am confident they will make a terrific addition to our footprint in the region.” DAA’s two

I-CAR Gold Class-certified repair centers boast nearly 30,000 square feet of combined production space staffed by ASE-certified technicians. It is the only collision repair company in Spokane manufacturer-certified by Honda, Acura and Subaru.

“At DAA, our journey to becoming a top-rated auto body repair facility has been made possible by ASEtrained and certified technicians and a culture that prioritizes service and community,” said Bob McConkey, owner of DAA Auto Body Centers.

“These are the same elements that have served as the foundation for Crash Champions’ continued national expansion, which was a key factor behind our decision to join the team. Though leadership may change, the shop will remain a dynamic, customer-focused organization with strong roots in the local community.”

For more information about Crash Champions, visit crashchampions. com. Collision repair companies interested in joining the Crash Champions team are encouraged to visit crashchampions.com/sell-yourshop to learn more.

Source: Crash Champions

and calibration software platform. He also authored a book, “Auto Industry Disruption, Who and What is Being Disrupted and What to Do About It.”

In October, Auto Techcelerators was acquired by Opus IVS™, a global diagnostics, ADAS calibration, programming and on-demand remote support company.

that everyone in the automotive, collision, glass, truck and insurance companies can benefit from.

The acquisition will also allow us to expand the sales and marketing of our existing Auto Techcelerators CoPilot suite to existing and future Opus customers in North America, the UK and Australia.

Q:With the sale of the company, what will your new role be?

A:My new title is vice president of ADAS solutions. My focus will be on designing, developing and delivering this platform. It will also include educating the industry on the importance of proper diagnostic, ADAS, calibration and validation processes and documentation.

presentation the next morning so I could attend the SEMA Awards Breakfast and receive the award.

When someone like me invents something from an idea and receives this type of award, it validates all the blood, sweat and tears it took to launch a product like Test Drive CoPilot.

It was also very satisfying to have Test Drive CoPilot receive runner-up in the new ADAS Product Category, be selected as a top five finalist in the SEMA Launch Pad competiton, and receive the SEMA Global Media Award.

standards.

Q:As the new CIC chairman, what is your goal during your term and what are you most excited about?

At the 2022 SEMA Show held in November in Las Vegas, NV, Terlep was honored for his hard work and dedication over the years. During the event, he was inducted into the Hall of Eagles, the collision industry’s Hall of Fame; received a SEMA Best New Product Award in the category of Collision Repair & Refinish; was given a Chairperson’s Award for co-chairing the CIECA Emerging Technologies Committee; and was named chairman of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC).

Autobody News recently had the opportunity to ask Terlep about his accomplishments and what he attributes his success to.

Q:What prompted the sale of Auto Techcelerators to Opus IVS and how will this impact Auto Techcelerator’s focus?

A:The sale to Opus IVS started with a phone call from Brian Herron, the CEO, inquiring if we had an interest in selling our company. After multiple phone calls and a trip to the Opus IVS office, it became apparent that our organizations had many synergies and business opportunities if we integrated Opus IVS solutions with our technologies.

Based on the synergies and opportunities, the decision to sell the company to Opus IVS was easy.

I think the acquisition will allow Opus IVS to make a much bigger impact on the industry when it comes to ADAS services, calibrations and validation. When we combine our technologies, we hope to deliver a single end-to-end diagnostic, ADAS, calibration and validation platform

Based on previous experiences with Auto Techcelerators and other corporations, I am sure I will be involved in other aspects of the company, such as business development, marketing, sales, etc. I want to help the company and its

Q: What is the importance of being involved as the co-chair of CIECA’s Emerging Technologies Committee and helping to create new standards for the collision industry?

A:Being co-chair of the Emerging Technologies Committee with Gene Lopez from Seidner’s Collision allows us to “see around the corner” on what and potentially how “the next

A: I am humbled and honored to be selected as the next CIC chairman for 2023 and 2024. I know I have a lot of big shoes to fill but I am excited about the opportunity. Darrell Amberson, the past chair, really raised the bar, so I hope to raise the bar even further. I am most excited about my opportunity to lead an organization and work with committed people who can positively impact the collision industry.

I have a few goals and objectives during my term. This includes continuing to “raise the bar,” as past chairs Jeff Peevy and Darrell Amberson have done over the past four years. I would also like to position CIC as THE industry event to learn from, contribute to, participate in, network, challenge industry norms, debate, have fun

Frank Terlep was inducted into the Hall of Eagles, the collision industry’s Hall of Fame, during the SEMA Show

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

Driven Brands’ collision group on Oct. 18 celebrated the opening of CARSTAR Patriot Auto Body Little Rock in Little Rock, AR—its 1,000th collision repair facility in North America.

From entering the collision market in 2015 with the purchase of 240 CARSTAR locations in the U.S., Driven Collision has quadrupled its footprint across North America in just seven years. Driven Collision now services commercial and retail customers in all 48 states within the contiguous U.S. and all 10 Canadian provinces operating under CARSTAR, ABRA and Fix Auto.

Chase Marchese is the owner of CARSTAR Patriot Auto Body Little Rock. It is his third CARSTAR location; he also owns two in Hot Springs, AR. Before entering the collision repair industry, Marchese served as a medic in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2011, including deployments to Iraq.

He got his start in the business by managing several repair facilities for a friend, and in 2014, he became an owner of a collision repair facility. He joined the CARSTAR franchise family

in 2019.

“I decided to give it a shot, to see what CARSTAR does for me,” Marchese said. “I had just opened my second location. Now all my shops are running at maximum capacity. I opened my new store in Little Rock and was at maximum capacity within three weeks.

“CARSTAR has boosted my business,” Marchese said. “I don’t believe there is any way to have gotten to where we’ve gotten without it.”

Marchese said he aims to eventually open as many as 14 CARSTAR stores in Arkansas.

“I’m honored to be the 1,000th collision repair location in the Driven Brands family,” said Marchese. “As a businessman and entrepreneur, it is an exciting moment to be able to continue growing my business to

reach new incredible communities in this area.”

Marchese always remembered his service in the Army. He selects a veteran each quarter and repairs their vehicle free of charge.

“I’m proud to combine efforts with my paint vendor, BASF, and Driven Brands to help support a local Arkansas veterans’ charity as part of today’s celebration where we’re each donating $1,000 to Veterans Villages of America in honor of the 1,000th location,” Marchese said.

Marchese said he also hires veterans to work in his shops, as the military tends to instill two traits in its servicemembers important for working in collision repair: integrity and attention to detail.

Marchese is far from the only miniMSO owner within CARSTAR, said Dean Fisher, collision president, Driven Brands.

“Probably 40%-plus of CARSTAR stores are part of an MSO,” he said.

Sabrina Thring, collision COO, Driven Brands, said joining CARSTAR gives owners access to the model CARSTAR has built that supports MSO growth in any market.

“The sky’s the limit,” she said.

Brian Newberry, VP of development, Driven Brands, added

a lot of independent owners, like Marchese, are choosing to join CARSTAR because it has “a lot of boxes on the business plan checked off.”

“We’re a great fit for independents with a growth mindset,” he said.

Fisher said Driven Brands now has 58 ABRA locations, 766 CARSTAR locations and 186 Fix Auto locations.

He said the number adds up to more than 1,000 because Marchese opened his store in early September, and the brands have continued to grow since then.

“We’re still growing as we’re speaking,” Fisher said.

By Stacey Phillips Autobody News

Since introducing Mitchell Diagnostics in 2017, Mitchell International, Inc., an Enlyte company, has received three patents for collision repair diagnostics.

The most recent patent—11,462,061—was awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in October and announced by Mitchell during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The company received its first auto diagnostics patent in 2018 and the second in 2021. The third patent covers the unique methods of using cloud-based technology to bring OEM procedures directly to repair technicians using a diagnostic scan tool.

“The company has continued to enhance its platform with patented and patent-pending technologies designed to assist repairers in meeting the needs of today’s complex vehicles,” said Jack Rozint, Mitchell’s SVP of repair sales. “Our Mitchell Diagnostics patents are just one example of the many things

that Mitchell is doing to support the collision industry in delivering proper, safe and efficient repairs on today’s advanced vehicles, helping to enhance profitability and customer satisfaction.”

Rozint said the latest patent covers key diagnostic workflow enhancements. These include the use of server-based technology to directly link Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) from the scan tool to the associated OEM repair procedure for that code.

With Mitchell Diagnostics, this is accomplished via connection of the scan devices to Mitchell’s cloudbased workflow infrastructure.

This feature was deployed in 2020 through an integration between Mitchell Diagnostics and Mitchell TechAdvisor.

“Linking the DTCs from the scan tool to the associated repair procedure can reduce the time it takes to blueprint and perform collision repairs,” said Rozint. “It can also support technicians in their delivery of a proper and safe repair since they have direct access to the relevant OEM procedures without having to look them up manually.”

When available, the repair procedures are delivered back to the technician on the scan device. Also included is a way for collision repair facilities to systematically document that the necessary diagnostic and repair procedures were performed. Rozint said allowing shops to upload and easily share diagnostic reports

automotive claims markets. Through the Diagnostics as a Service (DaaS) platform and integration with Mitchell’s cloud-based solutions, repairers can receive assignments, perform scans, access more than 1,000 dynamic calibration routines, take photos, write estimates, link directly to OEM repair procedures based on DTCs, order parts and manage repair orders. They can also upload standardized scan and calibration reports as well as invoices to share with insurers.

The company said Mitchell Diagnostics has been used to perform more than 4 million pre-, inprocess and post-scans, as well as more than 50,000 dynamic and static calibrations.

At this year’s SEMA Show, Mitchell showcased enhancements made to Mitchell Diagnostics.

with insurance partners can help expedite claims processing and payment. In addition, repairers have the option to make those reports accessible to vehicle owners so they know the work was completed to OEM standards.

Mitchell Diagnostics was launched in 2017 for the collision repair and

“The need for diagnostics in collision repair is growing as vehicles get more complex and manufacturers make Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) standard on most new models,” said Rozint. “With our DaaS platform and cloud-based technologies, shops have the tools they need to safely return collision-

“The company has continued to enhance its platform with patented and patent-pending technologies designed to assist repairers in meeting the needs of today’s complex vehicles,”

JACK ROZINT MITCHELL’S SVP OF REPAIR SALES

damaged vehicles to the road. They can also bring work that they used to sublet in-house, introducing new revenue opportunities for their businesses.”

The company also shared with SEMA Show attendees the enhancements made to Mitchell Cloud Estimating. These include support for the repair of electric vehicles (EVs) and a newly introduced product—Mitchell Cloud Estimating TruckMax—for estimating collision damage to medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

He said the patent-pending EV enhancements are especially timely due to the dramatic growth in EV sales and include new features designed to streamline estimate writing for battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Looking ahead, Rozint said the company’s focus remains on providing innovative technology that supports proper, safe and efficient collision repairs.

For more information, visit www. mitchell.com/solutions/autophysical-damage.

CAA Capitol and East Bay Chapter Meetings

Postponed Until January

The California Autobody Association’s upcoming meetings in Sacramento and Pleasant Hill have moved to January 2023. New dates and updated invites will be sent out in the following weeks. “How to Deal with the Department of Insurance” was set for Nov. 15 at the Wyndham Hotel Sacramento. The presentation was set to help members prepare a new business plan to deal with insurance company issues facing the auto body repair industry. The topic of discussion was to be the CAA’s May 11 webinar with the DOI, covering the hidden agreements, concessions and admissions mentioned during the webinar by DOI representatives.

The East Bay Chapter of the CAA was going to present “The Impact of Inflation on Labor and the Cost of Doing Business” Nov. 16 at Back Forty Texas Barbecue in Pleasant Hill.

Tim Ronak of AkzoNobel was going to answer questions about labor rates.

Source: CAA

WyoTech Students

females here at school together and helps us get to know each other better.”

“From a very young age, my grandpa would always talk to me about the cars he used to have, which made me want a car of my own,” Daskam said. “So I just started working till I could afford to get a goal car for me. And once I did, it seems I’ve been fixing things on it ever since. Not only did I learn a lot from it right away, but it also helped me realize I liked working on vehicles. Deciding to go to WyoTech was a lot of things for me. I learned lots through my diesel core classes and have been loving my specialty classes High Performance Power Trains and Chassis Fabrication.”

“I feel honored receiving the support from a very inspirational and well-known name,” said Bovee, who enrolled in WyoTech in September 2021 and began classes in October. “The Jessi Combs Foundation thrills me and very much inspires me to explore and get my name known the same way Jessi did with ‘the fastest woman on four wheels.’” According to Bovee, her creativity sparked her interest in the automotive field and to seek out WyoTech to pursue her interests. “Especially going into the auto body field, I can show and express my own creative ways with cars. I chose

to attend WyoTech because their curriculum stands out from other trade schools and programs for my specialty,” she added.

Bogle said she was excited about the recognition and ready to work with women like herself. “My family has always worked on cars, and we spend Sunday mornings watching car-building shows like the ones Jessi starred in,” Bogle said. “WyoTech offers everything I want in a school. This is a hands-on learning environment, and I didn’t want the ‘normal’ college experience. I wanted to be with students like me.”

The trades have seen a modest but steady increase in diversity among men and women in the past few years. According to a 2018 study by the Center for American Progress, 7.3% of people who completed apprenticeship programs were women. According to data from the U.S. Department of Labor, the number is up roughly 4% in two years, with women making up 11.6% of those who completed apprenticeship programs in the 2020 fiscal year.

The Jessi Combs Foundation was founded in 2019 in honor of the late Jessi Combs, a renowned race car driver and WyoTech graduate.

For more information, visit www. wyotech.edu. To learn more about the Jessi Combs Foundation, visit www. thejessicombsfoundation.com.

Source: WyoTech

Collision Repairers Find Cost Savings & Quality Care with SCRS National Health Care Plan

By Stacey Phillips Autobody News

Following the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) announcement in September that it implemented a national health care solution for members, Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg said the program has received an overwhelmingly positive response from the collision repair industry.

carrier.

Schulenburg, Dunn and Frazer shared details about the program.

Schulenburg: In 2018, the SCRS board began focusing on how we could best serve member requests around human resources and benefits programs. We found that health care was their biggest challenge. They said it costs a fortune, they get bad coverage they can’t use, spend a ton of money, and feel they don’t have better options.

We’ve worked closely with both companies and have been impressed with the importance they have placed on touching base with the industry and ensuring members understand the plan.

Q:

“Since launching the plan, we’ve been able to save companies within the collision repair space close to $650,000 in premiums,” said Schulenburg. “That’s the tip of the iceberg and doesn’t account for the out-of-pocket expenses families can save.”

Schulenburg said the plan is saving companies up to 20% versus the renewals they are receiving from their current insurance providers. Additionally, he said the plan is unique in that it provides $0 deductibles, employee choice in their out-of-pocket maximum, and a list of no-cost services, such as primary care, urgent care, specialty care, labs and imaging, generic prescriptions and mental health care. He said most plans do not cover these services until an employee meets the deductible.

During the time when most employers go through open enrollment, collision repairers could stop by the SCRS booth at the SEMA Show and learn about the health and retirement plans available from two organizations involved in setting up and managing the programs, Decisely and Gravie. They included Decisely’s CEO and co-founder Kevin Dunn and SVP of Business Development Eric Frazer, and Abir Sen, co-founder and co-CEO of Gravie, the insurance

We worked with Decisely, a firm specializing in benefits brokerage and HR services, and launched the SCRS 401(k) Multiple Employer Plan (MEP) first because it was easier to put together for members. Health care is a complicated area of the industry, so we relied on Decisely to help navigate the available options. We also engaged with Gravie, the plan provider, to learn more about their product Comfort™.

Our goal was to find a national program for SCRS members. We wanted it to reduce costs for employers and employees and improve the quality of care. We needed it to be something that gave our industry a distinct advantage to help recruit entrants. We didn’t need to just compete with larger businesses in our own space; we needed to compete with industries offering more competitive benefit plans.

Q:

Why did you team up with

Decisely and Gravie?

Schulenburg: Decisely was the right partner because it was as important for them as it was for us to find the best plan for the industry.

Gravie’s cofounders also made it clear how important it was to change how people interact with health care. We found they could offer a sustainable plan and deliver average savings between 10 to 15% versus members’ existing plans.

Gravie’s plan utilizes the Aetna and Cigna PPO networks, which most people are familiar with. The result is a familiar experience without the familiar costs and obstacles.

What did you want the plan to include?

Frazer: In 2018, association health plans were a common topic in national news. Regardless of the political climate and the winds of change in regulatory agencies and state insurance organizations, we wanted to find a plan that could rival large corporate buying power. We’re happy we found a solution.

Dunn: Small businesses feel the brunt of high premium costs. Because they often have a small number of employees, they are underwritten with a high premium. It’s unfair that they are not part of a scaled product. That’s what Decisely was able to offer.

We sourced health care like large corporations such as Delta Airlines or FedEx because the collision repair industry is part of an amalgamation of a group of like-minded people. We wanted a plan that could help attract people to join the industry and retain them. We’ve found that an employee will stay at a company three and a half times longer if there is a benefits plan.

Q: What makes the program unique?

Frazer: When basic needs such as primary and specialist care, labs and generic prescriptions are covered at no cost, this meets 88% of health care needs for most people. That’s a 180-degree difference from other programs.

Dunn: With traditional plans, you pay a $50-$200 co-pay as part of your premium. The SCRS plan eliminates those costs, so there is no copay, whether that’s for a doctor’s appointment, an MRI or prescription.

Schulenburg: By offering an affordable insurance plan with no co-pay, you get a healthier population with people who take their prescription drugs and go to the doctor.

This program is about giving health care solutions that people can use today. One of our early adopters employs a technician whose wife is pregnant. When the couple

compared their existing plan to this new one, they found they would save $6,000 in out-of-pocket expenses on the birth of their child. That’s a meaningful difference.

Q: Who is eligible to join?

Schulenburg: Anybody in the collision repair industry can shop the plan and learn about its benefits. Those who choose to participate must be SCRS members.

Q: Why should employers evaluate the plan?

Schulenburg: We encourage all employers, whether they already have a plan, to look at the available options and get a free quote. Imagine if you could leverage a 10% or 15% savings. That is a substantial amount of money that could be reinvested into your business and/or employees.

Dunn: It’s a challenging environment with inflationary concerns and high costs. This plan is great for employers to save on premiums and put money back into employees’ pockets. If you can save a family $6,000, the employee will remember that and be a cheerleader for the company.

With the savings, many employers are taking part of that money and investing it in other plans, such as vision, dental and setting up a life insurance policy.

Frazer: If you want a different result, you must do something different. Gravie’s program SCRS has secured for members is already showing results.

While the plan can help larger SCRS members, it also helps level up the playing field for small- and medium-sized members so they can compete, recruit and retain like a Fortune 500 company.

Schulenburg: There are things that SCRS does that are important as an association and there are things that we can do that really make a difference in people’s lives. This plan can change a lot of people’s lives.

For more information, visit www. scrs.com/healthcare.

Q: Why was the health care plan initiated?

Collision repair businesses had the opportunity to stop by the SCRS booth at the SEMA Show and learn about the health and retirement plans available from two organizations involved in setting up and managing the programs, Decisely and Gravie

Reviver, a technology company and developer of the digital license plate, on Oct. 5 announced the passage of California’s Motor Vehicle Digital Number Plates bill (AB-984).

The bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to authorize devices meeting specified criteria as alternatives to conventional license plates, stickers, tabs and registration cards, and also establishes requirements for piloting and adopting new alternative devices for vehicle licensing.

This enables all vehicle owners in California to use Reviver’s suite of products as alternatives to conventional license plates, stickers, tabs and registration cards issued by the California DMV.

Preceding passage of this new legislation, the California DMV, under Senate Bill 806, conducted a pilot program to evaluate the use of vehicle licensing alternatives. Approximately 10,000 California drivers have already purchased the RPlate™ as part of this pilot program, which has successfully delivered automated and integrated technologies to California vehicle owners in an effort to modernize the DMV.

Additionally, in a collaboration with the California Highway Patrol (CHiP), the program tested the operational capability and functionality of three products to determine the costeffectiveness and feasibility of statewide implementation.

“Californians are known to be early adopters of emerging innovative technologies. We welcome new opportunities to automate and integrate as many parts of our lives as possible, enabling us to streamline mundane tasks and stay connected. Our cars are no exception,” said  Neville Boston, Reviver cofounder and chief strategy officer.

“We’d like to thank Assembly member Lori. D. Wilson for spearheading this important bill, as well as our previous authors and many diverse partners for their help in reaching this exciting milestone,” Boston said. “We are especially grateful to the California Black Chamber of Commerce, California New Car Dealers Association, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and the California Police Chiefs Association. Without their unwavering support, this wouldn’t be possible.”

“In 2013, I authored SB 806, a bill that authorized an alternative device pilot program with the CA DMV and sparked the evolution of the digital license plate, “ said Senator Ben Hueso. “AB 984 enroots a successful pilot program and exemplifies California’s leadership in technological innovation, while maintaining the integrity of thoughtful security, privacy and convenience.”

Now available in California, the RPlate Reviver’s consumer digital license plate product offers two device options enabling vehicle owners to connect their vehicle with a suite of services including in-app registration renewal, visual personalization, vehicle location services and security features such as easily reporting a vehicle as stolen.

The RPlate battery-powered version, available to all consumers, is a self-installed model with a replaceable five-year battery available at $19.95/month.

The RPlate hard-wired version is currently only offered to commercial businesses and features a hardwired, professionally installed model with integrated telematics features and a backlit display, at $24.95/

month.

Commercial fleet businesses in California are now able to access digital license plates via RFleet, which bundles the hard-wired RPlate along with the RFleet Software Dashboard. RFleet offers a suite of features tailored to businesses managing vehicle fleets, including automated vehicle registration and compliance, batch registration renewal, as well as a robust set of telematics and safety features, including geo-fencing and mileage tracking.

“California is home to the rapidly growing technology of digital license plates,” said Majority Leader Emeritus Hertzberg. “California has always been a place for innovation and opportunity, and AB 984 shows how we can use technology to improve compliance, offer convenience and develop industry standards.”

Reviver’s digital license plates are currently legal for sale and DMV registration in California, Michigan, Arizona and Texas for commercial fleet vehicles. More than 10 additional U.S. states are in various stages of adoption.

Source: Reviver

Fix Auto USA announced the top performers in the Fix Auto family during the final day of the Fix Auto USA conference, naming Richard Fish, owner of multiple Fix Auto USA locations in Orange County and San Diego, as the Fix Auto USA Franchisee of the Year for 2022.

Fish was selected for the top honor for his leadership among the Fix Auto USA network, excellent performance, mentorship of other franchise owners and support for the entire Fix Auto USA family.

“Richard Fish views his franchise relationship as something bigger than himself,” said Landon Thompson, vice president of operations, Fix Auto USA. “He is a visionary, an acknowledged and well-respected leader amongst his peers, and he consistently looks at ways to support and enhance the system. He doesn’t hesitate to give us a kick when needed or even a warm embrace. He is inspiring and helps others reach the same impressive levels of accomplishment. This franchisee is a true mentor, leader and friend.”

Fish was also recognized with the NPS (Net Promoter Score) for his

excellence in customer service at his Fix Auto San Clemente location. Criteria for this award is based on the highest NPS rating as well as a minimum return rate.

operational processes to help ensure the facility stays in the green while delivering collision repair excellence.

Pictured, left to right, are

“Fix Auto USA is known for our world-class customer service, and we are excited to recognize Richard Fish and this facility for consistently going above and beyond with their operational performance and service levels,” said Thompson.

In addition, Fix Auto San Clemente received the Going Green Award, which recognizes a facility leading in every key performance indicator across the board from CSI to LOR. Fish was awarded the honor for keeping a keen focus on metrics and

“Having owned a shop since 2005 but having been in the industry for the majority of my career, it has been exciting to watch and partake in the operational growth and changes within this field,” said Fish. “When I bought my first shop, I crafted a vision of how I wanted to run my business. I quickly learned the importance of the numbers to keep business coming in the door as this is the key factor in maintaining DRP relationships. Now, our team operates off of the numbers and strives to meet and exceed our metrics to keep business coming in the door.”

More than 300 Fix Auto USA franchise partners, vendors, corporate team members and collision industry leaders gathered at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort near San Diego for the 2022 Fix Auto USA conference. It was the first time in two years that the Fix Auto USA family had gathered.

Visit FixAutoUSA.com for more information.

Source: Fix Auto USA

MotorTrend Group announced Oct. 26 the next phase of its expansion strategy with a new way for viewers to enjoy highquality automotive content: free ad-supported streaming TV that will reach tens of millions of viewers and hundreds of millions of devices.

Fans will now be able to access the all-new MotorTrend FAST TV channel on Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s free TV and video streaming platform, and Xumo.

This gives viewers more options than ever to watch MotorTrend’s massive library of automotive content in addition to MotorTrend+, the only ad-free subscription streaming service dedicated entirely to the motoring world and MotorTrend TV, already available in 73 million homes.

It was available as of Oct. 26 on Samsung TV Plus and Oct. 27 on FAST service Xumo. More FAST providers will be announced soon.

Visit www.MotorTrend.com/ FASTTV for more information.

Source: MotorTrend Group

Richard Fish Announced As Franchisee of the Year At 2022 Fix Auto Conference

Dean Fisher, Sabrina Thring, Dennis Mahoney, Richard Fish, Anton Harris, Lesa Laird, Margaret Owen, Jennifer Paulino and Landon Thompson.

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

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

Ocean Honda Santa Cruz 831-464-1800

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4:30 mickw@oceanhondasantacruz�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

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

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

autobodynews.com

Prestigious Awards Announced at Collision Industry Red Carpet Awards Breakfast During SEMA 2022

By Stacey Phillips Autobody News

Members of the collision repair industry gathered at the Collision Industry Red Carpet Awards Breakfast on Nov. 2 during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV.

Prestigious awards and recognitions were given out by the Collision Industry Electronic

IVS, received a Chairman’s Award for extraordinary leadership cochairing the Emerging Technologies Committee, which has spun off several other committees to develop standards.

Enterprise Holdings was named CIECA’s Company of the Year. “The company chosen this year truly supports CIECA and its mission in many more ways than just volunteering on committees,” noted Martinez, who recognized Kim DeVallance Caron for her dedication.

CREF

Brandon Eckenrode, managing director of CREF, announced Rod Habel, director of training for Sherwin-Williams, received a Fueling the Future Award, which recognizes an individual or company that has gone above and beyond helping the collision repair school program students and instructors.

repair,” said Alicia Figurelli, Greco’s Publishing’s senior vice president.

“My dad passed away in May and this is a memory of him,” said Anderson. “He helped me understand what quality was and customer service, and I’m grateful for that.” He added he was truly humbled and grateful for the award.

I CAR

I-CAR’s awards were announced by John Van Alstyne, CEO and president. Bill Condron at Sawgrass Ford received the Jeff Silver Memorial Award, named after the industry leader who was considered the pioneer of I-CAR Gold Class and Platinum recognition programs.

attendance and those who weren’t. “Our mission and vision are to make the collision industry the best it can be and put on its best face for the communities where we live and work,” said Garoutte.

SCRS

During the last presentation of the morning, Danny Gredinberg, administrator of the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG), received the 2022 March Taylor Kina’ole Award. It was presented by Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of SCRS; Barry Dorn, vice president of Dorn’s Body & Paint; Toby Chess; and Dale Matsumoto, president of Auto Body Hawaii

“This is a very special, meaningful award for all of us,” said Schulenburg.

Commerce Association (CIECA), the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), Greco Publishing, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR), the National Auto Body Council (NABC) and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS).

“This awards breakfast is important for our industry… and I appreciate the companies, organizations and individuals who have supported this effort,” said Jeff Peevy, the master of ceremonies and I-CAR’s vice president of technical products, programs and services. “It’s a beautiful and very respectful thing that we do to make this industry better for the future generations coming.”

The event was sponsored by participating organizations.

CIECA

CIECA Chairman Phil Martinez, senior technical consultant at Mitchell International, announced CIECA’s awards.

Three Architecture Committee members received an Outstanding Contribution Award for working on the next generation of collision industry standards—CIECA API Standards (CAPIS). They included Committee Chair Dan Webster from Enlyte, Andy Bober from Entegral and Mike Hastings from Car-Part. com.

Gene Lopez, of Seidner’s Collision, and Frank Terlep, of Opus

“He has always been there for schools and students across the country,” said Eckenrode.

Two instructors shared what Habel’s support has meant to them and their programs. Jay Abitz from Freedom High School in Wisconsin said the generous donations from Habel and Sherwin-Williams have really changed the trajectory of their program.

Kenny McMillian from Kennedy King College in Illinois also shared his sentiment. “I would like to express my special thanks and gratitude to Rod

“Just as Jeff showed the difference one person can make, our award recipient believes there is something he can do about the pervasive talent shortage,” said Van Alstyne. “He’s made it a personal mission to recruit new talent in the industry he loves. Just as important, he takes the time to nurture the newcomers and support the continuing professional development of everyone he works with.”

Eveland Bros., Collision Repair, Inc., a family-owned and operated operation, received the Russ Verona Memorial Award.

When March passed away, Schulenburg said it was important this his legacy of Kina’ole—doing the right thing at the right time for the right reasons—was honored, acknowledged and rewarded. It also became a mantra for SCRS and many others.

“True Kina’ole really happens naturally. It has a deeper meaning,” said Matsumoto. “It doesn’t happen in your head. It happens here… in your heart.”

Chess, the 2021 recipient of the March Taylor Kina’ole Award, said March was a great mentor and stood for what Kina’ole is. March regularly arrived at his shop at 5 a.m. to communicate with the information providers on times that were not right in the database.

“When he got up to 200 of them, he said, ‘I can’t do this anymore. They are coming in faster than I can handle,’” recalled Chess. That was the birth of the DEG.

Habel and all he has done for our program at Kennedy King College over the years, as well as everyone at Sherwin-Williams who embraced our collision program,” he said.

Greco Publishing

Mike Anderson from Collision Advice received Greco’s Publishing’s Industry Icon Award. “Our inaugural industry icon award winner is known locally, regionally, nationally and globally as the ‘go to’ in collision

“Our award-winning collision repair center invests heavily in the education of its staff who hold I-CAR Platinum credentials and are certified by ASE and dozens of OEMs,” said Van Alstyne. The business has adhered to I-CAR’s Gold Class standard continuously since 1993, making it one of a very small group of shops in the country to reach this milestone.

NABC

Rather than handing out awards, NABC President and CEO Bill Garoutte gave accolades to those in

When announcing the award recipient, Dorn said Gredinberg is tireless with the DEG, just like March, getting up early and staying up late to do the right thing for those who don’t have a voice. “[Danny] has shown us time and time again that he cares and he cares selflessly about what goes on and he embodies what Kina’ole is.”

“I love giving back because there was a time when I needed help and I was reaching out to resources that were available through the DEG,” said Gredinberg. “I’m very fortunate to be part of a great industry that has given me so much.”

Pictured, left to right, are CIECA Chairman Phil Martinez; CIECA Chairperson’s Award recipients Gene Lopez of Seidner’s Collision Centers and Frank Terlep of Opus IVS; and CIECA Executive Director Paul Barry

Pictured, left to right, are Barry Dorn, Dorn’s Body & Paint; Dale Matsumoto, Auto Body Hawaii; Toby Chess; Danny Gredinberg, Database Enhancement Gateway, and recipient of the SCRS 2022 March Taylor Kina’ole Award; and SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg

Bill Condron, left, recipient of the I-CAR Jeff Silver Memorial Award, with I-CAR CEO and President John Van Alstyne, right

Eastern Washington High School Works With Local

By Doug Nadvornick Spokane Public Radio

Many businesses are using creativity to train people to work in their industries when they can’t find enough workers in the open market.

For example, two businesses on the Washington Palouse are working with a local school district to teach skills needed to service vehicles. Kris Johnson from the Association of Washington Business led a tour.

“This is down at Gar-Pal [GarfieldPalouse High School], where they’ve started an auto program. That’s a partnership between Spokane Community College, the local Ford dealership called Jess, the McGregor companies and then the I-Tech program, which is to have a dual credit program in the high school,” he said. “It offers young people a chance to become an automotive technician.” When students finish the program, they earn both high school and college credit and have the chance to stay in their home towns and work at either Jess or McGregor.

Johnson said other businesses

around the state are considering similar partnerships.

“I think there is a hunger to see more of this done, more of this type of collaboration, this type of partnership around the state as every manufacturer and every employer is looking for that next generation of workforce to come to work right now,” he said.

Johnson said programs like the one at Gar-Pal are popular among some students who like the chance to train for careers without having to leave home and go deep into debt in college. Business Leaders Tour Eastern Washington Firms

The tour at Garfield-Palouse High School was part of a weeklong visit to state businesses, sponsored by the Association of Washington Business. They spent one day in Spokane, which has a strong and diversified manufacturing sector, but faces some challenges as it looks to grow.

Johnson from the AWB said Spokane County has 560 companies that employ 15,000 people. The state has set a goal to double the number of manufacturing firms and employees

during the next 10 years.

Johnson said the pathway to that involves building a larger manufacturing workforce and improving the state’s tax and regulatory climate for business. He said it also involves preserving the region’s extensive hydropower infrastructure. His organization opposes proposals to breach the four dams on the Lower Snake River.

“We know that low-cost, affordable, reliable power has been a game changer for manufacturing in this state. It’s been a game changer for agriculture, recreation and our economy. We need to preserve and maintain our energy leadership,” he said. AWB’s annual manufacturing bus tour made several stops in eastern Washington, including a day in the Tri-Cities, one in Moses Lake and Yakima and one day in Spokane, including stops at Altek, which manufactures aerospace parts; Inland Empire Paper, Hotstart,

I-CAR Recognized For Skills Training

A panel of international media judges awarded I-CAR a prestigious SEMA Global Media Award in recognition of its new Electric Vehicle (EV) Hands-On Skills Development course.

The five-day EV Hands-On Skills Development course serves as the capstone to eight prerequisite EV courses for collision repair professionals, and is taught by I-CAR’s growing bench of EV experts at I-CAR’s new Chicago Technical Center (CTC) in Vernon Hills, IL.

The SEMA Global Media Awards (GMA) Program recognizes those companies that manufacture specialty equipment products and accessories that would have mass appeal to consumers in countries outside the U.S.

I-CAR was also recognized as a runner-up in the SEMA Best New Products Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) product category for its recently

CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. strengthened its executive team with the appointment of Michael Silva as chief commercial and customer success officer.

Silva will have overall responsibility to deliver innovative outcomes for CCC’s customers across the P&C insurance economy. Silva joins CCC from Salesforce, where he was responsible for global and enterprise customers in the financial services segment.

Silva joins CCC following successful tenures at several leading technology companies. He most recently served as SVP of financial services at Salesforce. Prior to Salesforce, Silva held SVP and general manager roles at IBM, Microsoft and United Health. He has successfully led teams and executed growth strategies delivering several billion dollars of annual revenue. Silva also has P&C insurance operating experience, leading a claims department at Chubb Insurance early in his career.

Source: CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc.

Telesis

By Ed Attanasio Autobody News

Center Brings Back Monthly Car Cruise in

said.

Starting sometime in the 1980s, a car cruise/show was held every Saturday at the Vons Shopping Center in Palmdale, CA. During the pandemic, the event was cancelled, but now it’s back—thanks to Telesis Collision Center and its owner, Geoff Dozier

Instead of every Saturday, the cruise now happens only on the fourth Saturday of every month, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the same Vons Shopping Center. Presented by Telesis Collision Center, it’s sponsored by Chevron in Rancho Vista and the Campano Law Group. Radio station Bob FM broadcasts from the event from 5 to 7 p.m.

Dozier was particularly interested in bringing back the event because he owns a 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge painted in Carousel Red. Classic cars are on display in the parking lot at the shopping center and at the conclusion of the evening, they all cruise a route to show the neighborhood these classic, primarily American-made cars.

When the cruise didn’t come back after the pandemic, Dozier began looking for a way to bring it back, he

“The most popular and wellattended Saturday in the past was the fourth Saturday, so we decided to re-start it one time a month to see if people would come back, and they have,” Dozier said. “The cruise had become a regular thing for many years and we thought we need to bring it back. The public has embraced it and we recently had our first one, with 70 cars on-site. In the

on advertising and this event is a great marketing tool. The original radio station that was sponsoring the cruise (The Quake 93.5) is no longer in existence, so we approached Bob FM and they agreed. The feedback we’ve been receiving has been great!”

Car owners in the area are anxious to get involved and Dozier hopes it will continue to grow.

“People tell me that their fathers used to bring them to the cruise and now they are brining their children and grandchildren as well,” he said. “There was definitely a void after the pandemic and the cruise we believe is much-needed to get us back to normal again. People like to display their beautiful vehicles and everyone loves seeing them, so we are delighted to be sponsoring the 4th Saturday Car Cruise here in Palmdale.”

old days, as many as 200 classic cars participated, and we are confident that it will get back to that number eventually.”

Dozier sees definite value in community events like the 4th Saturday Car Cruise.

“These types of events can really help us to tell our customers we care about the city and its people,” he said. “We spend a lot of money

For more information to display your cars at the cruise, contact Raul Lopez at (661) 433-7975 or Greg Wood at (661) 209-7727.

The Vons Shopping Center is located at 30th St. West and Rancho Vista Boulevard.

AUTOBODY

Classic Collision, LLC, a leading national multi-site collision repair operator based in Atlanta, announced two new closings Nov. 4 the acquisition of Smitty’s Collision in Mooresville, NC, and a CARSTAR Franchise in Houston, TX.

Smitty’s Collision opened its doors 20 years ago with a commitment to bring quality repairs to the Mooresville area.

“We used the most up to date technology to return vehicles to pre-collision condition with a staff that had over 100 years of experience in the collision repair industry, and excited to be a part of the Classic growth in North Carolina,” said Kenny Barber, former owner of Smitty’s Collision.

The Premier CARSTAR was family-owned and dedicated to exceptional customer care throughout the repair process.

“We were absolutely committed to being the industry’s best in attending to our customer’s needs, and confident that Classic Collision will continue

that same commitment to the Houston area,” said Kal Shaban, former owner of Premier CARSTAR.

“We are pleased to welcome both Smitty’s Collision and CARSTAR’s team to the Classic family. We recognize their high service standards and look forward to advancing that once again in Texas and adding our third location in North Carolina market,” said Toan Nguyen, CEO of Classic Collision.

Source: Classic Collision

“In the old days, as many as 200 classic cars participated and we are confident that it will get back to that number eventually.”

GEOFF DOZIER OWNER OF TELESIS COLLISION CENTER

Classic Collision Adds 3rd Location in North Carolina, Expands Again in Texas

“We were absolutely committed to being the industry’s best in attending to our customer’s needs, and confident that Classic Collision will continue that same commitment to the Houston area,”

KAL SHABAN FORMER OWNER OF PREMIER CARSTAR

ALLDATA’s ADAS Quick Reference Tool Receives SEMA New Product Award in ADAS Category

By Stacey Phillips Auotbody News

Founded in 1986, ALLDATA is known for providing OEM automotive repair and collision information. The company said more than 400,000 technicians use ALLDATA’s software solutions for faster diagnostics, updated OEM information covering 95% of vehicles on the road, and simpler shop management.

At the November SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV, ALLDATA received a 2022 SEMA New Product Award in the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) category for its new ADAS Quick Reference tool. The annual awards program recognizes cutting-edge new products introduced to the automotive specialty-equipment market.

The company previously received a PTEN Innovation Award this year.

During the show, ALLDATA representatives shared information about the company’s latest enhancements and provided live demonstrations of its OEM repair information products, diagnostic tools and shop management software, including ADAS Quick Reference, ALLDATA Inspections,

and its new partnership with Nexpart Multi-Seller.

“We’re always looking for ways to help shops boost productivity and streamline the workflow process,” said Satwinder Mangat, president of ALLDATA.

Autobody News had the opportunity to talk to Mangat about the award and the company’s new products.

Quick Reference tool links directly to the ADAS system or component by name, such as Backup Camera or Lane Departure System. It also provides the location of the component, identifies removal/

components.

Having all the ADAS information in one place helps shops save time and prepare more accurate estimates and detailed blueprints based on OEM requirements and procedures.

Q:

What did you showcase during the SEMA Show?

A:We were thrilled! ADAS was a huge topic at SEMA, and we were honored to be recognized for this latest update to ALLDATA Repair® and ALLDATA Collision®, which makes it easy for customers to find ADAS repair information in one place.

A:ALLDATA’s ADAS Quick Reference provides one-click access to vehicle-specific ADAS information direct from the OEMs.

Shops can easily filter by system, component or location. The ADAS

replacement requirements that could result in extra labor for calibration or sublet costs, and displays basic calibration information, required tools and prerequisites for servicing ADAS

It was great to be back in full force for the first time since 2019. There was a ton of buzz about ADAS this year. That was certainly the case at the ALLDATA booth, where attendees lined up for demos of the new award-winning ADAS Quick Reference tool.

We were also excited to showcase our new partnership with Nexpart Multi-Seller. The tool makes it easy to add parts from leading vendors to an estimate, check local product availability in real-time, and quickly order from preferred suppliers.

ALLDATA Shop Manager now includes Nexpart Multi-Seller parts ordering, providing 24/7 access to leading suppliers in one place, including the AutoZone catalog.

In addition, show attendees could see how ALLDATA Inspections, another new tool, enables shops to jumpstart the customer check-in

Satwinder Mangat, president of ALLDATA, accepts the 2022 SEMA New Product Award for the company’s new ADAS Quick Reference tool

Q: What was your reaction to receiving the SEMA New Product Award?

Q: What are some features of the product that will benefit collision repair shops?

A:

process curbside and perform digital vehicle inspections (DVIs).

ALLDATA Inspections

easy to greet customers at the vehicle, look up or add a new customer, check off a digital inspection sheet, and email it to the customer—all in minutes.

flexibility to check in customers at their vehicles, identify services that are required or due soon, and deliver trustworthy advice on the spot for a better overall shop experience.

A:We’re excited about ALLDATA Find-A-Fix, a new information source that provides topranked diagnostic solutions for a specific vehicle and Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) based on data-driven analysis for trusted repairs. It’s currently included at no additional cost for a limited time with ALLDATA Repair® and ALLDATA Collision®.

New-Vehicle Monthly Payment Hits Another Record High in October

New-vehicle affordability declined again in October with auto loan rates reaching a 20year high as prices increased slightly, according to the Cox Automotive/Moody’s Analytics Vehicle Affordability Index. The number of median weeks of income needed to purchase the average new vehicle in October increased to 42.8 weeks from an upwardly revised 42.6 weeks in September.

monthly payment increased by 1.1% to $748, a new record high.

“Higher rates are already shifting access to vehicles and financing towards wealthier consumers,” said Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke. “Affordability will be challenged for years to come in both the new and used markets. It’s not the Fed’s fault, but it will impact consumer access to transportation.”

Average Monthly Payment For New Car Hits Another Record High

The tool works with ALLDATA Repair®, ALLDATA Collision® and ALLDATA Shop Manager, so that the entire service team can share customer and vehicle documentation for estimates, repair orders and invoices in real-time.

ALLDATA Inspections gives shops

Another product on the horizon is ALLDATA Repair Forecaster. It generates a list of known failures for the next 12 months or 10,000 miles based on year/make/ model/engine (YMME), location and odometer reading. This allows customers to use information from ALLDATA to share predicted repairs with customers.

For more information, visit www. alldata.com/en.

Supporting affordability, median income grew 0.4%, and incentives from manufacturers increased. All other factors moved against affordability.

The average price paid for a new vehicle in October increased by 0.2% to $48,281, according to Kelley Blue Book. The average interest rate increased another 30 basis points. As a result of these moves, the estimated typical

New-vehicle affordability in October was much worse than a year ago when prices were lower, incentives were higherand interest rates were much lower. The estimated number of weeks of median income needed to purchase the average new vehicle in October was up 7% from last year when the index stood at 40 weeks.

The next update of the Cox Automotive/Moody’s Analytics Vehicle Affordability Index will be published Dec. 15.

Source: Cox Automotive

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Q: How will ALLDATA Inspections help collision repairers?

A:

makes it

Q: Is there anything you would like to share about ALLDATA’s future focus?

ALLDATA team members at the 2022 SEMA Show included, left to right, Christopher Mochan, Ric Martinez, Robert Gomez, Pat Castillo, Daniel Dimapasoc, Bryan Goux, Ryan Deugaw, Diane Flood, Crystal Brahm and Terry Louizos

Enterprise released its Length of Rental (LOR) report for the third quarter of 2022, showing the average for collision replacementrelated rentals was 18.2 days, representing a three-day increase from Q3 2021’s 15.2 days.

Last year, when Enterprise compared Q3 2021 to Q3 2020, the results showed a 2.9-day rise. This represents almost six full days in the last 24 months.

As Enterprise previously observed in Q2 2022, signs were pointing toward seasonal norms, albeit with higher overall totals. This trend continued; the half-day increase from Q2 2022 (17.7 days) is in line with historical results. For example, in Q3 2021, results were two full days higher than Q2 2021.

Louisiana recorded the highest overall LOR at 22.2 days, a 3.5-day increase from Q3 2021. Georgia and Oklahoma were both at 21 days, a 3.9- and 3.5-day increase, respectively. Rhode Island, Alaska, Colorado and Texas all had results greater than 20 days. Eleven other states were greater than 19 days.

On the other hand, North Dakota had the lowest LOR for Q3 2022 at 13.0 days, a 1.3-day increase from Q3 2021. It was followed by Hawaii (13.7), Iowa (13.9), Washington, D.C. (14.7) and Vermont (15.1).

John Yoswick, editor of the weekly CRASH Network newsletter, reported a CRASH Network survey in June found the vast majority of shops (85%) are currently looking to fill at least one position in their facility, up from 79% a year ago.

Body technicians, including helpers, remain the most needed positions in shops. Most shops (67%) are currently searching for at least one body technician (up 5 percentage points from three years ago, pre-pandemic), and 38% of shops are looking to hire a body helper (up 7 percentage points from both a year ago and three years ago).

Drivable

For rentals associated with a drivable repair, average LOR was 15.7 days, a 2.6-day increase from Q3 2021.

Louisiana had the highest drivable LOR at 18.6 days, followed by Oklahoma (18.4), Georgia (18.4) and Rhode Island (18.0). Seven other states were greater than 17 days, with another eight above 16 days.

Washington (16.5) had the largest drivable LOR increase, up four days, while Colorado (17.1) and Arkansas (16.7) were both up 3.8 days over

Q3 2021.

North Dakota also had the lowest LOR for drivable claims, coming in at 9.9 days, a 0.4-day increase from Q3 2021. The next lowest result was Hawaii at 11.2 days (up 0.5) and Iowa at 11.5 (up 1.4).

Hawaii did have the highest total loss LOR at 23.2 days, followed by Washington (21.3) and Louisiana (21.0).

North Dakota was lowest at 14.3 days, followed by Iowa (14.8) and Florida (15.2).

Summary

While Q3 2022 suggests the return of historical trending, the results themselves continue to be exacerbated by supply chain disruptions, parts delays, collision repair backlogs, claims process challenges and technician shortages.

And with the complexity of vehicle repairs only increasing, for both internal combustion engine (ICE) and battery electric vehicles (BEV) models, the entire industry must play a part in ensuring all collisionrelated businesses are aligned not just for procedural solutions, but to ensure our mutual customers receive safe and proper repairs, and excellent experience and peace of mind.

Non-Drivable

Non-drivable rental LOR was 27.2 days, a 5.3-day increase from Q3 2021. Twelve states had nondrivable LORs greater than 30 days, led by Louisiana (34.3), Alaska (34.2), Colorado (32.2), and Oklahoma (32.0).

Washington’s results of 31.9 days represented the largest year-overyear increase at 10.3 days higher that Q3 2021.

Including Washington, 34 states plus Washington, D.C., saw increases greater than five full days from Q3 2021.

The District of Columbia had the lowest non-drivable LOR at 22.2 days, which was still an increase of 5.1 days from Q3 2021. New York (23.2 days) and Iowa (23.6) had the next-lowest results.

Yoswick said the repair backlog has an outsized impact on nondrivable repairs.

“Shops continue to struggle with high levels of work-in-progress (WIP): jobs stalled because of parts delays or other issues or nondrivable vehicles waiting in the queue,” Yoswick said.

Total Loss

LOR for rentals associated with a total loss claim was 17.8 days, a modest 1.6-day increase from Q3 2021.

There was a wide variance across the country in relation to Q3 2021; on one end of the table is Hawaii with an increase of 7.3 days, with Washington, D.C. (-2.4) and Alabama (-1.1) on the other end.

With the historic flooding and devastation brought on by Hurricane Ian, Enterprise expects to see impacts to Florida’s results in the months to come.

Source: Enterprise

How Will Results from SCRS ‘Blend’ Study Be Used Moving Forward?

By John Yoswick Autobody News

With the Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ release in November of the results of its hands-on study demonstrating that blending of a panel takes an average of 31% more time than a full panel refinish—rather than the 50% less time allocated in the three estimating systems— the association was asked during CIC where the issue goes moving forward.

“Here’s the beauty of CIC: That’s up to you,” Aaron Schulenburg of SCRS said during the conference held during SEMA in Las Vegas. “Our goal was to capture data, and present it in a transparent manner, and to share it with the industry so you can have the dialogue you need to have. I don’t know where that occurs or how that occurs, but I think there’s a big disconnect between what we’ve identified and what exists today.”

The study came about because the three estimating system providers each establish its own refinish labor allowance for any given panel, and while those labor times

for the same panel may differ from one estimating system to another, all three companies use 50% as a blend calculation.

“Our members have long challenged that,” Schulenburg said this past summer, before the study was completed.

The association’s 35-page report on the study—which can be downloaded at scrs.com/

a full refinish and a blend panel using the same paint colors on new F-150 panels supplied by Ford.

Across all colors, the average blend time among the five paint lines were between about 128% and about 134% of full refinish time.

“What’s remarkable to me, with all the different [paint] companies and [their] different processes, is how close the [percentage differences] are among all of the companies,” Robb Power, senior manager of refinish solutions for PPG, said at CIC. “I would have never thought it would come in that close. To me, that adds validity to what we see in those results.”

to capture credible data, to have real conversation, that helps motivate positive change in the industry,” Schulenburg said.

Attracting And Training New Employees

Another panel discussion at CIC in Las Vegas focused on employee recruitment and retention.

blendstudy—details how it was conducted, with painters employed by each of the five major paint companies following their company’s process guidelines for spraying both

Schulenburg said it’s clearly an issue that needs to be addressed with the information providers, who were invited to attend the SCRS study but who were “not present” over the two days. He said he feels it is an appropriate topic for CIC’s Paint and Materials Committee to address moving forward, but regardless, he said, it “can and should be addressed with the information providers [as] an issue that has been brought to them through our work with different associations…for years.”

“That was the goal from the onset,

Jim Guthrie, president of Car Crafters, which operates five shops in New Mexico, said his company uses a “recruitment card” as part of its effort to attract new employees. Guthrie said all his employees have the cards, which include a QR code that can be scanned to link to the company’s “career page” where someone can fill out and submit an application.

Across the U.S., vehicle theft totals are approaching near record highs and new analysis by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) indicates these trends show no signs of slowing down.

Vehicle theft data, provided by the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and analyzed by NICB, indicates more than 745,000 vehicles have been stolen in the first three quarters of 2022, with more than 250,000 having been reported to law enforcement since the end of June. This is a 24% increase compared to this same time period in 2019. If this trend continues, totals could exceed 1 million stolen vehicles nationally by the end of the year and surpass pre-pandemic highs by more than 100,000 stolen vehicles.

“The year may be coming to an end, but criminals are not going on winter break,” said David Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB. “Even as temperatures drop, vehicle owners everywhere need to know that the criminals are still on the hunt.”

Vehicle thefts in the U.S. are

the highest they have been since 2008. According to previous analysis by the NICB, vehicle thefts tend to increase in the last three months of the year during the holiday season. If history repeats itself once again, the U.S. will see thefts trending around yearly highs through the end of the year.

“Remember, practicing good security hygiene is an easy and effective first step all of us can take to protect ourselves and our vehicles,” said Glawe. “Don’t leave your car running and unattended. Always take your keys with you and most importantly, make sure your auto policy is up to date. It is that simple.”

Should your vehicle be stolen, call law enforcement and your insurer immediately. Reporting a vehicle as soon as possible after it is stolen increases the chance of recovery.

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, call the NICB at 1-800-TEL-NICB. For additional information, visit NICB’s website, WWW.NICB.org.

Source: NICB

Robb Power of PPG said the consistency in the results SCRS blend study among five different paint manufacturers “add validity” to the findings

“That was the goal from the onset, to capture credible data, to have real conversation, that helps motivate positive change in the industry.”

AARON SCHULENBURG SCRS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Guthrie said collision repair businesses can develop an internal promotion to encourage employees to hand out the card to potential hires. If a referred potential employee gets hired and stays for six months, the employee who handed out that card may get $500, for example, “and if they stay another six months, they get another $500,” Guthrie said. “Whatever the promotion is that you

through bumper tools, door panels and bumper repair.” Students learn a skill, then can use it in the shop.

“It takes somebody off the street, teaches them the basics, the theory, and then they go put it into practice,” he said.

Once a student in the program can demonstrate the skill, and has the tools to perform it, they are “signed off for that particular function, whether it’s drilling spot welds or whatever.”

Within two or three years, he said, students are “advanced to a point where they’re basically a B-tech. It’s a way they can earn while they learn.”

Reasons Why Insurers Receive A Low Grade

a prior year’s survey completed by more than 1,100 shops, showed differences exist even among insurance companies receiving a similar grade.

Not surprisingly, some of the reasons commonly cited by shops for giving an insurer a low grade were payment-related issues: an insurer seeks “unreasonable” discounts on parts or labor, or is viewed as “slow to pay.”

However, many of the reasons are primarily process-related rather than payment-related. While only 3% of shops grading one insurer said they gave that insurer a “C-” or lower

insurers, but only 27% of shops felt that was true about one of the other insurers receiving a similar low grade.

These findings, Yoswick said, offer insurers “something of a roadmap for improving their relationship with shops without thinking that the only thing that would make shops happier is paying them more money.”

Change In CIC Leadership

Also at CIC in Las Vegas, Darrell Amberson was recognized at the end of his two years serving as chairman of the conference.

want to come up with within your own shop. The recruitment card has been a neat little tool for us.”

Guthrie said his company tries to have six to 12 entry-level employees participating in its “earn while you learn” program, which uses a basic curriculum that “starts with the simple EPA/OSHA stuff, and then goes

Also at CIC, John Yoswick of CRASH Network shared data from that publication’s annual “Insurer Report Card” survey, showing the reasons shops give some insurance companies’ claims practices a lower grade can be based more on the processes that insurer uses rather than payment-related concerns.

The Insurer Report Card allows collision repair professionals to grade the insurance companies they interact with based on how well each carrier’s policies and practices help ensure quality repairs and customer service. The data shared at CIC, from

because they view that company’s claims staff as inexperienced or poorly trained, for example, more than one in four shops cited that as the reason they gave one of the other insurers a similarly low grade. Almost 80% shops said one insurer requires more digital images than other

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“We want to thank you for all you’ve done because you’ve certainly raised the bar,” Jeff Hendler, a past CIC chairman who has been CIC administrator, told Amberson.

“Together with our committees and chair people, we work to elevate our industry to higher levels of performance, professionalism, technical expertise and business acumen,” Amberson said of CIC in his closing comments.

“I believe we are making a difference.”

Frank Terlep of Auto Techcelerators will begin his term as CIC chairman at the next meeting, being held Jan. 19 in Palm Springs, CA.

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Darrell Amberson was recognized at CIC in Las Vegas as he concluded his two years as chairman of the conference

By Stacey Phillips Auotbody News

One of the biggest challenges for collision repair shops across the country is locating OEM repair procedures quickly and costeffectively. To help technicians find the information they need to fix a car properly, SUN Collision Repair Information software was created in 2019 by SUN®, a brand of Snap-on® Incorporated.

Fast forward to the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where the company shared information about the ease in which its software can help repairers locate OEM repair procedures and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) information to help increase efficiency and profits.

“Some vehicles aren’t repaired properly using OEM procedures,” said Chris Bonneau, business manager for SUN. “That could put somebody’s life at risk. We want to make it easier and simpler for shops to fix cars faster, and according to OEM specifications, so they are safe to drive.”

Since the launch of SUN Collision,

Equalizer® Gives Back This Holiday Season

Equalizer® is opening up its Tools for Techs program once again this holiday season to go along with its donation to Toys for Tots, to gift a tech with some extra Christmas cheer.

From now until Dec. 14, Equalizer will donate a portion of proceeds from the products included in its Glass Removal Kit (GRK551) to the Toys for Tots Austin, TX, organization.

In addition to Toys for Tots, Equalizer® is asking for nominations for a deserving auto glass installer in its Tools for Techs program. The winning nomination(s) will receive a Glass Removal Kit with their choice of removal tool, such as an Equalizer Ambush™, BlackHawk™, Viper™, Raptor™ or Transformer worth up to $2,359 in value.

Submit your nomination for an honorable tech who is deserving of a special start to the new year at equalizer.com/tools-fortechs-2

Source: Equalizer

Bonneau said the company has been working to ensure the product is user-friendly for technicians and shops, so they can spend less time with the software program and more time fixing vehicles.

“When they are in our program, they aren’t making money,” said Bonneau. “We want them to get the information they need from the OEM and translate that into the repairs, so they aren’t having to spend so much time searching for the content and the right procedures.”

While talking with shops, Bonneau learned many think information is difficult to find because each website is configured differently and requires a unique login. “They also feel they can’t afford to pay for multiple OEM subscriptions,” said Bonneau. “SUN Collision is a cost-effective way to access information in one place.”

The web-based, mobile-friendly product provides comprehensive OEM repair information and procedures for body and frame, paint and finish, and materials for all makes and models of vehicles. To help users find information quickly, the 1Search Plus search engine presents information in a graphical layout. The product also provides interactive

wiring diagrams and a link to ADAS information.

“As ADAS technology becomes more complex and interconnected, repairing ADAS-equipped vehicles presents a greater challenge for collision repair shops,” explained Bonneau.

He said SUN Collision provides the details needed to make it easy to diagnose, repair and calibrate ADAS components such as sensors, cameras, radar systems and control modules.

The database includes a complete lineup of OEM-licensed procedures for both collision and mechanical repairs for 26 standard makes, and is updated regularly. Collision information covers 2004 through 2022 vehicles, and mechanical information dates back to 1964.

Bonneau also shared information about the Tru-Point™ ADAS calibration system launched in January 2021 by John Bean, part of the Snap-On family. The company recently announced purchasers of the calibration system will receive a complimentary two-month subscription to SUN Collision.

“Together, SUN and TRU-Point products provide an all-in-one

solution for OEM collision and repair procedures to help technicians increase productivity,” said Bonneau.

In September, the company announced its partnership with Collision Automotive Repair Services, Inc. (CARS) to offer its collision repair information to members at a discounted price.

Established in 1992, CARS is a stock-based business cooperative that brings collision repair facilities together with vendors and suppliers to gain discounts, rewards, and training on products and services used in their shops.

“We’re excited to partner with the CARS Cooperative and offer a substantial discount to members throughout the United States,” said Bonneau. “Not only will members greatly benefit from the auto repair software, but they’ll also receive a customized training program and best-in-class support to help improve productivity and grow their bottom line.”

For more information, visit suncollision.com.

By John Yoswick Auotbody News

While inflation, supply chain issues and labor shortages have many on edge about the U.S. economy, Christopher Thornberg offered a fairly positive message to collision repairers at the MSO Symposium in Las Vegas on Oct. 31.

pandemic, but even back in 2019.

“Look, take a step back and recognize that these stories you are seeing year after year are a hell of a lot scarier than the world around us,” Thornberg said. “So beware the narrative. We live in odd times, but it’s not a recession, and indeed I don’t expect any kind of recession in the near term. There is so much pent-up consumer demand in our economy right now.”

He acknowledged higher interest rates are cooling off home prices, but “the fundamentals of real estate are actually still very good right now.” Inflation will burn out on its own, he said. While an inflationary economy is brittle—“If a real shock does pop up, it could cause real problems”— “the scariest thing to me is still the narrative,” he said.

driving. The federal funds rate does not keep people from getting on the road.”

No Quick Drop In Shops’ Backlog Forecast

Also offering mostly good news for body shops moving into 2023 was Bart Mazurek, vice president of consulting services for CCC Intelligent Solutions’ automotive services group. He told MSO Symposium attendees he doesn’t expect the record-high

mid-next year will start to come back down. But I don’t anticipate them going much below four weeks.”

He said claims counts this year are running ahead of 2021 but still aren’t what they were in 2019, in part because downtown traffic and morning commute congestion in major urban markets is still down compared to 2019.

“I don’t anticipate repair volume to come back to pre-pandemic levels maybe ever,” Mazurek said. “A lot of that has to do with vehicles getting smarter, and with ADAS being standard on every new vehicle. Especially in terms of front-end collisions, they’re going to become less frequent and more costly.”

Thornberg, who holds a doctorate in business economics from UCLA and is founder of Beacon Economics in California, said those worried about the current gloom-and-doom headlines about the economy should go back and look at similarly worried predictions not only at the start of the

For collision repairers, a slowdown in the construction industry will free up shipping container capacity for other goods, likely easing supply chain issues, Thornberg said. And someone who finds themselves priced out of the housing market may decide to buy a new car instead.

“If you’re just looking at people buying and driving cars, I don’t expect that to slow down at all,” Thornberg said. “Look at the roads. Everyone is

average backlog of work at body shops across the country to decline much before mid-2023 at the earliest. The labor shortage is a key cause, he said, and there’s actually been some decline in enrollment and graduate counts in collision training programs.

“While supply chain issues will alleviate [next year], that’s not going to cut these backlogs in half,” Mazurek said. “Realistically, they will probably get worse in the interim, and then

That said, strong used vehicle values have kept the percentage of those claims resulting in a total loss vehicle declining the past two years. In the fourth quarter of 2020, total losses accounted for 21.7% of the total claims count, according to CCC data; by the third quarter of this year, that was down to 17%.

Economist Christopher Thornberg told collision repairers, “The federal funds rate does not keep people from getting on the road.”

“We live in odd times, but it’s not a recession, and indeed I don’t expect any kind of recession in the near-term.”

CHRISTOPHER THORNBERG FOUNDER OF BEACON ECONOMICS

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

Negotiating with insurers is just part of the repair process and nothing to dread, according to Mike Anderson of Collision Advice.

Anderson and Danny Gredinberg, of the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG), presented “BulletProof Negotiation Tactics” Nov. 2 at the 2022 SEMA Show, part of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ (SCRS) Repairer Driven Education series.

“I’m seeing more and more friction between shops and insurers,” Anderson said. “The goal is to give you negotiation strategies to reduce that friction and get paid more.”

Anderson and Gredinberg gave tips on how to approach negotiations from a fact-based standpoint—with documentation, and where to find it—and finally discussed a collision repairer’s options when an insurer still won’t pay for work.

Anderson said anyone can get a copy of the full presentation by emailing his assistant, Tiffany

Many people make the mistake of thinking of negotiations as a negative thing, like a fight or an argument, he said, but they’re a discussion aimed at reaching an agreement.

Repairers must negotiate on things like labor times, not-included labor operations, labor rates, alternative parts usage and more, Anderson said.

The negotiation begins the moment you interact with the customer, he said. “The customer is really the boss. Get the customer believing in you before you enter into conversation with the payer.”

Anderson suggested reviewing the vehicle’s owner’s manual with the owner, to show the owner exactly what the automaker says must be done to properly complete the repair.

If your shop is not in a DRP and the insurance company is causing a delay, call the customer every day, Gredinberg said.

“Tell the customer their car is on hold after disassembling, and they may want to call to expedite the claim,” Anderson said. “After you’ve called them two or three days, the

When writing an estimate, it needs to tell a story, with good line notes and quality photos. Attach OEM repair procedures to the estimate, as they can change frequently.

Anderson then went over his “Rules of Negotiation.”

Your Opinion Don’T Mean Jack

“It only matters what you can prove, substantiate or justify,” he said.

Don’T Take The Bait

“When insurers say, ‘No one else charges for that, you’re the only one,’ they’re baiting you,” he said. “Say, ‘I don’t care what anyone else charges for, I want to stick to the facts.’”

Present The Facts

Is it required to restore the car to preaccident condition? Is it included in any other labor operation? Is there a pre-determined time in the database? If not, what is it worth?

“These are questions based on fact, not emotions,” Anderson said.

estimating systems; credible internet sources like SCRS, I-CAR, ASE and OEM websites; manufacturer bulletins; scan tools; the vehicle manual; DEGweb.org; and Collision Advice’s “Who Pays for What” surveys to find documentation supporting your position.

If the insurer still is not convinced, the options for the repairer are to perform the operation for free, charge the customer, refuse the job, ask for a hold harmless agreement, right to appraisal, involve the agent or have the customer come on-site and meet with the insurer, but prep the customer first.

“At the end of the day, remember: do you want easy, or do you want worth it?” Anderson said. “This is not a magic bullet, but it’ll increase your chances of reimbursement.”

rove It

Use OEM repair procedures;

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The National Auto Body Council® made a big splash raindrops and high winds included during its 2022 NABC SEMA Celebration at this year’s SEMA Show on the SEMA Reveal main stage outside the Las Vegas Convention Center.

of the industry leaders who comprise the Hall of Eagles, the collision industry’s Hall of Fame, which honors exceptional individuals whose longterm efforts have reached beyond their jobs and self-interest to make significant contributions towards the betterment of the industry.

The 2021 and 2022 Hall of Eagles inductees are Dan Risley, Petra Schroeder, Doug Webb, Tim Adelmann and Frank Terlep

NABC® Awards Announced NABC® then presented its annual awards the NABC Changing and

The Recipients Included:

Alex Ramirez, U.S. Navy veteran, nominated by Forgotten Not Gone, received a 2017 Nissan Sentra donated by GEICO and repaired by Caliber Collision.

John Bush, U.S. Army veteran, selected by U.S. Vets, received a 2018 Kia Optima donated by GEICO and repaired by Service King/Crash Champions.

Rosemary Smith, U.S. Army veteran, nominated by Welcome Home Troops, received a 2019 Honda HR-V also donated by GEICO and repaired by Service King/Crash Champions.

by Enterprise and prepared for presentation by Chapman Collision.

Ofelia Valencia Chavez, U.S. Army National Guard active duty, selected by Las Vegas Vet Center, received a 2016 Jeep Renegade donated by Farmers and repaired by Classic Collision.

Angelique Corrente, minister and caregiver for her nephew, nominated by Lake Mead Christian Ministries, received a 2015 Hyundai Tucson donated by Nationwide and repaired by Faulkner Collision.

The celebration showcased NABC annual awards, the Hall of Eagles recipients and the NABC Recycled Rides presentation to nine deserving Las Vegas families. The 2022 NABC SEMA Celebration was held Nov. 2 right in front of the world’s largest automotive aftermarket event. More than 300 NABC members, guests and colleagues joined in the celebration. Alan Taylor of “The Drive” radio network was the emcee for the event.

Saving Lives award and the NABC President’s Award.

The NABC Changing and Saving Lives Award recognizes the individual in the collision repair industry who has delivered exemplary service in the NABC mission of Changing and Saving Lives Every Day, far beyond their role in the industry.

Michael Quinn was selected as the recipient, and his daughter Emily accepted on his behalf.

Recognition Of NABC F.R.E.E. 5,000th First Responder

The event kicked off with the recognition of a special milestone in the NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication™ program, which recently saw it’s 5,000th first responder participate in an education event.

Kyle Medeiros, chair of the NABC F.R.E.E. committee, and George Avery, NABC F.R.E.E. program manager, joined Faulkner Collision and collision center manager April Lausch, and Nationwide Insurance associate vice presidents Scott Dunfee and Scott Sherry, who donated 10 vehicles, to recognize Jamie Keenhold, an EMT and first responder with the Bath, PA, Firefighters and Ambulance Corp.

Hall Of Eagles For 2021 And 2022 Inducted

The next milestone was the recognition

The NABC President’s Award, which formally recognizes companies for their leadership of and commitment to improving the collision repair industry, is designed to honor the NABC member company that supports the vision of the NABC through donation of their time and resources. Enterprise Rent-a-Car was voted as the recipient, and Scott Sampley, vice president of replacement and leisure division for Enterprise, accepted on behalf of the organization.

NABC Recycled Rides Presented To Nine Recipients

Then, attention turned to the NABC Recycled Rides presentation, featuring vehicle donors GEICO, Farmers Insurance®, Travelers, Allstate, Enterprise, Nationwide and Hertz, and collision repair partners Caliber Collision, Fix Auto USA, Crash Champions/Service King, Chapman Collision, Classic Collision, Faulkner Collision and Gerber Collision.

Porsche Harris, single mother with three children, selected by Family Promise of Las Vegas, received a 2017 Kia Sedona donated by Travelers and repaired by Fix Auto USA.

Victoria Earwin, single mother with two children, selected by Family Promise of Las Vegas, received a 2020 Jeep Cherokee donated

Tony Carriedo, single father of one, nominated by Family Promise of Las Vegas, received a 2020 Nissan Altima donated by Hertz and repaired by Chapman Collision.

Katherine Hall, single mother of two, selected by Family Promise of Las Vegas, received a 2019 Nissan Sentra donated by Allstate and repaired by Gerber Collision and Glass.

When each recipient opened their trunk they found a car care kit donated by Meguiar’s, and those with young children received car seats donated by Enterprise partner Longhouse Solutions.

Source: NABC

Pictured, left to right, are Debbie Teter, Scott Sampley, Emily Quinn, Stacy Bartnik and Clint Marlow.

Boyd Group Services Inc. Reports 3Q Financial Results

Boyd Group Services Inc. on Nov. 9 announced the results for the three- and nine-month periods ended Sept. 30.

The Boyd Group’s third quarter 2022 financial statements and MD&A have been filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). This news release is not in any way a substitute for reading Boyd’s financial statements, including notes to the financial statements, and Boyd’s Management’s Discussion & Analysis.

Results and Highlights for the Third Quarter:

Sales increased by 27.6% to $625.7 million from $490.2 million in the same period of 2021, including same-store sales increases of 21.9%. The third quarter of 2022 recognized the same number of selling and production days when compared to the same period of 2021. Sales were modestly impacted by Hurricane Ian, with an estimated negative impact of $2.1 million during the third quarter.

Gross Profit increased by 30.9% to $282.3 million or 45.1% of sales from $215.7 million or 44.0% of

sales in the same period in 2021.

Adjusted EBITDA increased 41.8% to $73.0 million, or 11.7% of sales, compared with Adjusted EBITDA of $51.5 million, or 10.5% of sales in the same period of 2021, which included $0.5 million of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

Adjusted net earnings increased to $12.1 million, compared with $2.4 million in the same period of 2021 and adjusted net earnings per share increased to $0.56, compared with $0.11 in the same period of 2021.

Net earnings increased to $11.9 million, compared with $0.4 million in the same period of 2021 and net earnings per share increased to $0.55, compared with $0.02 in the same period of 2021.

Debt, net of cash before lease liabilities decreased from $414.4 million at Dec. 31, 2021, to $314.6 million at Sept. 30, 2022.

Declared third quarter dividend in the amount of C$0.144 per share.

Rolled out the expanded Wow Operating Way practices to corporate business processes.

Added eight locations, including six through acquisition, one startup location and one intake center.

Subsequent To Quarter End

Added five locations.

All Gerber Collision & Glass locations temporarily closed due to Hurricane Ian, in Florida and South Carolina, have re-opened. The impact of these closures on the fourth quarter results and the ability to recover some of the costs through insurance is being assessed; however, the impact on fourth quarter sales has been lower than that recorded in the third quarter results.

Announced a new executive vice president and COO for the collision business.

Announced a dividend increase of 2.1% to $0.588 per share annualized from $0.576 per share annualized.

Achieved growth in the Technician Development Program, from approximately 200 apprentices at the beginning of 2022 to 400 apprentices.

Source: Boyd Group Services, Inc.

CCC Introduces Diagnostics Enhancements

CCC Intelligent Solutions on Oct. 25 announced the introduction of enhancements to CCC® Diagnostics, a transformative product that meets the evolving needs of an increasingly complex collision repair industry.

The new functionality will simplify the diagnostics process for repairers and drive consistency in the administration of diagnostics billing, including customizable diagnostic profiles and a dashboard to drive diagnostics workflow. These features are further enhanced through CCC Diagnostic’s existing integrations with leading diagnostic service providers.

Through use of the CCC Diagnostics optional enhancements, repairers will be able to configure notifications to their staff to help inform them when deciding which vehicles need a pre- or post-repair scan, as well as which repairs have had a diagnostic operation completed, but not billed. Visit www.cccis.com/ diagnostics.

Source: CCC Intelligent Solutions

Spanesi Americas Introduces FLASH Portable Pulling Column

By Stacey Phillips Auotbody News

Built to be portable, powerful and flexible, the FLASH Portable Pulling Column was introduced by Spanesi Americas for the collision repair industry. The company showcased the patent-pending product during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV.

Timothy W. Morgan, COO of Spanesi Americas, Inc., said the FLASH is a vacuum-powered tower that uses the shop’s compressed air system (minimum of 102psi required) to create a vacuum seal to the flooring surface, delivering 550 pounds of pulling force using a heavyduty ratcheting system. The FLASH features an adjustable pulling height setup providing precise pulling for straight or down-pulling applications.

“This is a game-changer for collision repair facilities,” said Morgan. “Technicians no longer need to move the vehicle to a bench, frame rack or floor pot to perform light pulling duties on vehicles.”

With the FLASH, he said technicians have the flexibility to repair vehicles in tight spaces with the exact angles needed to remove vehicle damage. Using built-in rear

wheels allows the FLASH to be relocated within the repair facility so there is no need for anchoring to floor pots or moving the vehicle to a frame rack to perform a dent pull.

“With shop footprints becoming smaller, you need to maximize space,” said Morgan. “The FLASH is easy to use and works anywhere, so it is time efficient and can help shops save costs.”

Motors, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.

Spanesi Americas also displayed its award-winning TOUCH electronic measuring system, the 106EXT structural straightening bench, the MULTIBENCH single-bay repair solution, the Q5.2 three torch MIG/ MAG welding machine, and the PULL UP! repair systems for glue-based cosmetic and structural pulling.

With a range of equipment built for collision repairers, Morgan shared that in late October, Spanesi America’s received OEM certification approval from Lucid Motors. Approved Spanesi products include the 106 and 106EXT Structural Straightening Benches and the TOUCH electronic measuring system. Each piece of equipment underwent stringent reviews for data accuracy by Lucid Motors before being approved for the program.

The company is working to ensure it is at the forefront of vehicle repairs.

industry. Founding partners include the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), BASF and KTL Restorations.

“Spanesi has helped spread the word about Operative Talent and they are also donating equipment to get shops involved with supporting the raffle,” said Brandon Eckenrode, CREF’s managing director. “In addition to Operative Talent, Tim and Spanesi have been long-standing CREF supporters.”

As a sponsor, Spanesi plans to raffle a measuring system and donate the money to Operative Talent. The team also hopes to bring young people into their Chicago, IL, facility and teach them how to measure vehicles and weld.

During SEMA, Spanesi Americas raffled off four FLASH portable pulling columns. The winners were Gene Lopez, Siedner’s Collision Center, CA; Manuel Lim, Fixit Auto Body, CA; Nicole Craig, Coachworks, AZ; and Daniel Trevisanutto, Half-Way

“We understand the importance of working closely with the auto manufacturers to be able to repair a car properly,” said Morgan.

Another development is Spanesi America’s partnership with Operative Talent. Launched this year, Operative Talent was formed to engage and attract future talent to the automotive

“They need hands-on experience to determine if this is the path they want to take,” said Morgan, who started in the industry when he was 14 years old and wants to encourage young people to learn about the opportunities available in the industry. “We’re really excited about being part of this initiative.

“The industry has been given a bad rap that it’s a dirty job, but it’s not,” he said. “It can be a very fulfilling career.”

For more information, visit www. spanesi-americas.com.

Members of the Spanesi Americas team included, pictured, left to right: Timothy Morgan, Jeramy Holloway, Aaron Sworden, Fred Randazzo, Robert Wells, Constantino Uliano and Karl Kirschenmen

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The times have not been kind to the auto insurance industry.

The volume of vehicle collisions is returning to pre-pandemic levels and, when combined with all-time-high repair costs, historic backlogs in repair shops and limited replacement parts availability, it is costlier and more time-consuming than ever to get customers’ vehicles back on the road after a collision.

The J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, released Oct. 27, adds another dour fact to the mix: customer satisfaction has declined 7 points (on a 1,000-point scale) from 2021 as customers start to lose patience with the claims process.

“Insurers are in a tight spot with their own profitability strained and a host of external factors causing their customers to grow increasingly disillusioned with the entire claims experience,” said  Mark Garrett, director of global insurance intelligence at J.D. Power. “The best way forward is for insurers to start focusing on carefully managing customers’ expectations and finetuning their digital engagement strategies to shepherd their customers through the process.

“There is one bright spot in the study: insurers that focused on managing timing expectations, were quickly available and responsive to customers and that provided multiple digital options for status updates were able to outperform the industry with some even improving year over year,” Garrett said.

Key Findings Of The 2022 Study

Historically slow repair process drags on customer satisfaction: Overall satisfaction with the auto insurance claims process this year falls 7 points to 873. While satisfaction is down across nearly all factors in the study, satisfaction with the repair process registers a 9-point year-over-year decline.

This year marks the first time a majority of customers cited supply chain issues such as waiting for parts on order and repair shop backlog as reasons for delays in getting their vehicle back on the road. The average repair cycle time is nearly 17 days, compared with a prepandemic average of about 12 days.

Expectation management becomes key to customer satisfaction: The average overall satisfaction score

among customers experiencing a repair cycle time greater than three weeks is 837. That score jumps 71 points to 908 when customers are provided with an accurate time estimate beforehand.

Being empathetic throughout

Right hand, meet left hand: A common complaint about the auto insurance claims process is the need to repeatedly provide the same information to different people at various points in the process. Overall satisfaction scores are lowest (840)

Scores are highest (912)---and have held steady year over year when the insurer uses straightthrough-processing technology to automatically approve and route the claim.

Study Ranking

Amica Mutual ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction with a score of 903. NJM Insurance Co. (896) ranks second and Erie Insurance (893) ranks third.

The redesigned 2022 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 8,239 auto insurance customers who settled a claim within the past six months prior to participating in the survey. The study excludes claimants whose vehicle incurred only glass/ windshield damage or was stolen, or who only filed a roadside assistance claim. The study was fielded from November 2021 through September 2022.

the process is key, especially for the longer-tailed claims that can create more effort for customers who have questions, need updates and are trying to determine next steps.

Claims servicing is not one size fits all: Rising repair costs are challenging insurers’ profitability, so pressure is mounting to better manage expenses.

This puts the focus on digital channels as a critical tool for efficiently managing customer relationships, but not all customers want to use such channels. In fact, 34% of customers say they have a stronger preference for working with people than using digital contact.

These customers also have a notably worse claims experience, as satisfaction is 31 points lower than among those who are equally comfortable with both people and digital as contact channels.

Getting digital formula just right is critical, but not easy: Not all digital experiences are created equal. When digital is used for delivering status updates, overall satisfaction rises 56 points, with those using text messaging having the highest levels of satisfaction. However, when digital is used to report first notice of loss (FNOL) via the internet or mobile app, overall satisfaction falls 4 points.

when customers interact with three or more representatives during the claims process---a decline of 13 points from a year ago.

For more information about the U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/ resource/jd-power-us-auto-claimssatisfaction-study.

Source: J.D. Power

Credit: Shutterstock

SCRS Study Concludes Blend Time Is Greater Than Full Refinish

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has published the results of its blend study research project conducted in August with major North American refinish companies.

To download the “Blend Study Report: A comparative analysis between full refinish and blend operations,” visit www.scrs.com/ blendstudy.

and Mitchell each defines its own refinish times, and each establishes the labor for blend on a two-stage refinish by utilizing a formula of 50% of the full refinish value.

Collision repairers have routinely expressed that blending a panel takes more skill and time to facilitate an invisible transition than the existing formulas reflect.

SCRS worked with AkzoNobel Vehicle Refinishes, Axalta Coating Systems, BASF Automotive Refinish, PPG Industries and Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes to perform the research at the Global Finishing Solutions (GFS) Center for Excellence, at the GFS headquarters in Osseo, WI.

less time allocated in the three IP estimating systems.

donated by 3M and SCRS as well as miscellaneous materials from the research project, were all donated to the Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC), in Eau Claire, WI.

Blending a panel adjacent to a panel being replaced or repaired is a necessary process to achieve a proper color match, and is recommended by all the major automotive refinish companies in North America.

The three primary estimating system information providers (IPs) in the U.S Audatex, CCC/MOTOR

The study used 45 new OEM parts, donated by Ford Motor Company, including hoods, fenders and front door shells for the 2018 Ford F-150, and was monitored and audited by DEKRA North America, the world’s largest unlisted expert organization in the TIC (testing, inspection, certification) industry.

The conclusions of this study indicate that blending, on average, took 31.59% more time than a full refinish, rather than the 50%

“The findings suggest that the concerns expressed by our members have not been unfounded,” said SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg “These results very clearly establish that performing the processes necessary to blend a panel does not take less labor than the processes to fully refinish a panel.”

The study results conclude the existing 50% formula may not be an accurate representation of the comparison between the two tasks.

At the conclusion of the test, all 45 parts donated by Ford Motor Company and 10 part stands

SCRS extends its gratitude to all the individuals and companies who made this research possible. With specific recognition of the contributions from 3M, AkzoNobel Vehicle Refinishes, Axalta Coating Systems, BASF Automotive Refinish, DEKRA North America, Ford Motor Company, Global Finishing Solutions, PPG Industries and Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes.

To download the “Blend Study Report: A comparative analysis between full refinish and blend operations,” visit www.scrs.com/ blendstudy.

Support this and other efforts from SCRS through membership, by contacting the SCRS office at info@scrs.com or visit www.scrs. com/join-scrs.

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

Hyundai Recalls 2018 Santa Fe Sports After 4 Fires

By David A. Wood CarComplaints.com

A 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport ABS module recall involves more than 44,000 SUVs following at least four Santa Fe Sport fires. According to Hyundai, owners of 2018 Santa Fe Sport SUVs should park outside and away from anything that could burn.

The anti-lock brake system could cause a short-circuit with the result of an engine compartment fire.

Hyundai said a fire can occur whether the 2018 Santa Fe Sport is in motion or parked.

An electrical short could cause a significant overcurrent in the ABS module which is what causes a fire. Both Hyundai and Kia have been investigating the root cause of the fires and engineers still haven’t tracked down the real problem.

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport ABS module recall is an expansion of a February recall of about 425,000 Hyundai vehicles. The recalled 2018 Hyundai vehicles have vehicle

identification numbers not included in the February ABS module fire recall.

In August, Hyundai was notified about a legal matter regarding a 2018 Santa Fe Sport fire and the SUV wasn’t included in the February ABS module recall.

In October Hyundai learned about another 2018 Santa Fe Sport fire and the automaker learned SUVs built between May 2017 and May 2018 had been excluded from the recall.

Hyundai warns 2018 Santa Fe Sport owners to be aware of any engine compartment fires, melting or burning odors and illuminated warning lights.

Although four 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport ABS module fires have been reported, no crashes or injuries have occurred.

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport ABS module fire recall notices are expected to be mailed Dec. 26, and dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse.

Owners of 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sports may call the automaker at 855-371-9460 and ask about recall number 237.

“These results very clearly establish that performing the processes necessary to blend a panel does not take less labor than the processes to fully refinish a panel.”

AARON SCHULENBURG SCRS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

EV Sales Hit Record, According To Kelley Blue Book

Sales of electrified vehicles hit a record in Q3 2022, as one of the hottest segments in the U.S. automotive market continues to make waves throughout the industry, according to Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive company.

compared to a year ago in September 2021. The average new EV price last month was $65,291, according to Kelley Blue Book, which is well above the industry average and aligns more with luxury versus mainstream prices.

Despite the high price tags for EVs, consumer interest is not showing any signs of slowing.

the EV segment slumped lower in Q3, although at 64% share, “lower” is a relative term. Declining share was inevitable for Tesla as more players entered the marketplace, but for now, the brand remains the leader among EVs.

Axalta Promotes Muse To VP of Sales

Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. On Oct. 31 announced Jim Muse has been promoted to VP of sales, Global Refinish, effective Jan. 1, 2023.

More than 200,000 electrified vehicles were sold in the threemonth span of Q3 a first with the segment far outpacing the rest of the industry in terms of sales volumes and share growth.

The high cost of electrified vehicles does not appear to deter car shoppers. While electrified vehicle prices declined slightly (1.8%) month over month from August to September, EV prices were up 9.7% in September

“Electrified vehicles continue to be the darling of the industry, with the growing marketplace and consumer interest now reflected in record sales numbers,” said Brian Moody, executive editor for Kelley Blue Book. “While EV prices currently align more closely with luxury versus mainstream, the market continues to grow and evolve with more choices hitting the scene all the time. It’s no longer just ‘which Tesla is available,’ but rather an industry-wide boom with more EVs on the horizon from Ford, GM, Hyundai and other manufacturers.”

While Tesla is still the leading EV brand, new entries continue to show strong growth as they gobble up share. Tesla’s share of

More notable than the decline in EV share is the fact Tesla easily held on to the top spot in the luxury market during Q3, outselling No. 2 Mercedes-Benz by a large margin.

Beyond pure EVs, Toyota remains the gold standard for hybrid powertrains. Hybrid sales for Toyota decreased year over year in Q3 mostly due to tight inventory, but the brand still moved more than 100,000 hybrids in the U.S. during those three months. Year to date, nearly half of all hybrids sold in the U.S. wear a Toyota badge.

To view Kelley Blue Book’s Q3 2022 Electrified Vehicle Sales Report, visit https://www. coxautoinc.com/wp-content/ uploads/2022/10/Q3-2022Kelley-Blue-Book-ElectrifiedVehicle-Sales-Report.pdf

Source: Kelley Blue Book

Muse will return to Axalta’s Global headquarters in Glen Mills, PA, and will report to Troy Weaver, senior vice president Global Refinish.

Prior to this promotion, Muse was Axalta’s vice president, EMEA Refinish, where he was responsible for Axalta’s Refinish Business in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. Muse first joined Axalta in 2013 as part of the North American refinish leadership team and was awarded the Axalta Senior Leadership Award in 2015 for his noteworthy contributions to the company.

Muse was also instrumental in the success of Axalta’s initiative to secure and grow market share with multiple location collision shop operators, mega-dealers and nationally recognized collision shop networks.

Source: Axalta

Federal, state and local law enforcement partners from across the U.S. executed a nationwide, coordinated takedown Nov. 2 of leaders and associates of a national network of thieves, dealers and processors for their roles in conspiracies involving stolen catalytic converters sold to a metal refinery for tens of millions of dollars.

Arrests, searches and seizures took place in California, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina and Virginia. In total, 21 individuals in five states have been arrested and/or charged for their roles in the conspiracy.

The 21 defendants are charged in two separate indictments unsealed Nov. 2 in the Eastern District of California and the Northern District of Oklahoma following extensive law enforcement arrest and search operations.

In addition to the indictments, more than 32 search warrants were executed, and law enforcement seized millions of dollars in assets, including homes, bank accounts, cash and luxury vehicles.

“Amidst a rise in catalytic converter thefts across the country, the Justice

Department has today carried out an operation arresting 21 defendants and executing 32 search warrants in a nationwide takedown of a multimillion-dollar catalytic converter theft network,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to work alongside our state and local partners to disrupt criminal conspiracies like this one that target the American people.”

Catalytic converters use precious metals in their core and are regularly targeted for theft due to the high value of these metals, especially palladium, platinum and rhodium.

Some of these precious metals are more valuable per ounce than gold and their value has been increasing in recent years. The black-market price for catalytic converters can be above $1,000 each, depending on the type of vehicle and what state it is from.

They can be stolen in less than a minute. Additionally, catalytic converters often lack unique serial numbers, VIN information or other distinctive identification features, making them difficult to trace to their lawful owner. Thus, the theft of catalytic converters has become increasingly popular because of their value, relative ease to steal and their

lack of identifying markings.

Eastern District Of California Case

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of California returned a 40-count indictment charging nine defendants with conspiracy to transport stolen catalytic converters, conspiracy to commit money laundering and other related charges.

According to court documents, brothers Tou Sue Vang, 31, and Andrew Vang, 27, and Monica Moua, 51, all of Sacramento, CA, allegedly operated an unlicensed business from their personal residence in Sacramento, where they bought stolen catalytic converters from local thieves and shipped them to DG Auto Parts LLC in New Jersey for processing. The Vang family allegedly sold more than $38 million in stolen catalytic converters to DG Auto.

Defendants Navin Khanna, aka Lovin Khanna, 39; Tinu Khanna, aka Gagan Khanna, 35; Daniel Dolan, 44; Chi Mo, aka David Mo, 37; Wright Louis Mosley, 50; and Ishu Lakra, 24, all of New Jersey, operated DG Auto in multiple locations in New Jersey. They knowingly purchased stolen catalytic converters and, through a “de-canning” process, extracted the precious metal powders from the catalytic core. DG Auto sold the precious metal powders it processed from California and elsewhere to a metal refinery for over $545 million.

Northern District Of Oklahoma Case

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Oklahoma returned a 40-count indictment charging 13 defendants with conspiracy to receive stolen catalytic converters, conspiracy to commit money laundering and other related charges.

According to court documents, together the defendants bought stolen catalytic converters from thieves on the street, then re-sold

and shipped them to DG Auto in New Jersey for processing.

Over the course of the conspiracy, defendant Tyler James Curtis received more than $13 million in wired funds from DG Auto for the shipment of catalytic converters and received more than $500,000 from Capital Cores for catalytic converters.

Defendant Adam G. Sharkey received more than $45 million in wired funds from DG Auto. And defendant Martynas Macerauskas received more than $6 million in payments from DG Auto for catalytic converters. In all these incidents, most of the catalytic converters sold to DG Auto were stolen, and DG Auto knew or should have known that when they paid for them.

The 13 defendants are Navin Khanna, 39, of Holmdel, NJ; Adam Sharkey, 26, of West Islip, NY; Robert Gary Sharkey, 57, of Babylon, NY; Tyler James Curtis, 26, of Wagoner, OK; Benjamin Robert Mansour, 24, of Bixby, OK; Reiss Nicole Biby, 24, of Wagoner, OK; Martynas Macerauskas, 28, of Leila Lake, TX; Kristina McKay Macerauskas, 21, of Leila Lake, TX; Parker Star Weavel, 25, of Tahlequah, OK; Shane Allen Minnick, 26, of Haskell, OK; Ryan David LaRue, 29, of Broken Bow, OK; Brian Pate Thomas, 25, of Choteau, OK; and Michael Anthony Rhoden, 26, of Keifer, OK.

Trial Attorney Danbee C. Kim of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría for the Eastern District of California, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan Reininger and David Nasar for the Northern District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the cases.

The FBI Sacramento, IRS-CI Sacramento, HSI Tulsa and IRS-CI Tulsa are investigating the cases.

— Source: U.S. Department of Justice

financing,

Members of ACA will receive up to 25% off a

Broadly

Broadly

to Broadly Premium. Further details about the Broadly special offer for Auto Care Alliance members can be found at www. autocarealliance.org/broadly.

Source: Auto Care Alliance

Publisher Jeremy Hayhurst

General Manager

Barbara Davies

Contributing Writers

Ed Attanasio, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Stacey Phillips, John Yoswick

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Joe Momber, Norman Morano

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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.

©2022 Adamantine Media LLC.

Autobody News P.O. Box 1516 Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews.com

Kia Recalls 71,000 SUVs For Fire Risk

Kia America issued a new recall for certain 2008-2009 Kia Sportage vehicles due to a continued risk of fire, and strongly urges owners of these vehicles to park their cars outside and away from homes and other structures until their vehicles have been repaired.

potentially affected

These vehicles were previously recalled in 2016, and owners will need to have their vehicles repaired again under this new recall.

The recall repair is under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Dec. 22.

Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-3334542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC253.

Vehicle owners can visit NHTSA. gov/recalls and enter their 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if their vehicle is under recall.

An engine compartment fire originating from around the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may occur while the vehicle is parked or being driven.

Kia said 71,704 vehicles are

Owners can also download NHTSA’s SaferCar app for Apple or Android. Enter the vehicle, tires, car seat, or other vehicle equipment, and the app will push a notification if a recall is issued.

Source: NHTSA

No. California

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 Sat 8am - 4:30pm

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

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

So. California

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

Rydell

Automotive Group

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY 818-832-1660 818-832-1692 Fax M-F 6am - 7pm Sat 8am - 5pm nrparts@rydells.com

So. California

Thorson

Motor Center

PASADENA 626-793-0454 626-795-6872 Fax M-F 7:30am - 6pm Sat 8:30am - 2pm parts@thorsonmotorcenter.com

Nevada Montana

Denny Menholt

Chevrolet BILLINGS

406-896-3111 406-896-3924 Fax M-F 7 am - 6 pm tsoltis@dennymenholt.com

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

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