ASA Board Approves Policy Position Statement on OEM Repair Procedures

The ASA Board of Directors has approved the following policy position statement on OEM Repair Procedures:

Insurers Should Account for OEM Repair Procedure Research in Estimates

ASA supports the research, application, and documentation of OEM repair procedures before, during, and after completing a repair. OEMs develop, test, and verify repair procedures to restore the safety and functionality of the repaired vehicle. Estimating databases do not currently account for the repairer’s time spent researching these procedures even though this step is necessary and critical to completing repairs properly and safely. Insurers should compensate repairers for the full labor expended. Insurers and information providers should commit to accounting for this labor upon OEMs’ publication of repair procedures.

Official OEM repair procedures change frequently. Additionally, the time required to research a repair procedure and apply it to a repair plan varies from vehicle to vehicle. Therefore, OEMs should provide clear and consistent access to repair information and procedures for all collision repair facilities, insurers, and consumers. OEM repair guidance should also reflect common goals of safety, quality, and cost effectiveness to benefit consumers.