Substandard Standards Washington DC

The 'substandard standard' is quickly becoming the measuring stick all other repairs are judged by. It's time to do proper repairs according to OEM specifications.

By Lee Amaradio Jr
8/5/2008


The “industry standard” is rapidly becoming the “industry substandard.” What happens when a shop repairs a vehicle the correct way, the way the OEM requires? It’s penalized financially for investing in the proper training and equipment necessary to do such a repair.

Our entire industry’s labor rates and accepted practices are being determined by the repair facilities that have the least amount of money invested in equipment and training. This is why we need to clarify that the industry’s standard should be defined as whatever it takes to repair the vehicle correctly – according to something measurable.

What Is a Proper Repair?

The question is, what determines a proper repair? And what and who should set the industry standard? I-CAR is a good starting point. Add in the OEM collision requirements and we’ll be able to prove that we are definitely not measuring up to their requirements.

If the proper repair disappears and this substandard repair continues to be called the industry’s standard, what will happen in the future when the vehicles themselves will demand to be repaired properly according to the much higher standard? Will insurers be forced to total more vehicles, or do they think they’...