subject: Quality Auto Parts: An Issue Of Safety [print this page] An independent study based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatal Accident Reporting Systems (FARS) concluded that defective parts may have a role in a significant number of fatal crashes - either as a contributing factor or by increasing the severity in many of these crashes.
The Institute for Research in Public Safety at Indiana University conducted an in-depth study of 420 of the 153,247 fatal crashes FARS recorded between 2005 and 2007 and discovered that defective parts were a contributing factor in 25 percent of the cases. In 18 percent of those cases, defective parts were the definite cause of the crash, and a probable cause in another 32 percent of them. Moreover, the report concluded that fatal traffic crashes related to defective parts are likely to be significantly under-represented.
Sadly, these crashes might have been prevented through regular car maintenance and the use of quality aftermarket parts from trusted full service suppliers.
Vehicles 10 years old and older now comprise 41.6 percent of the U.S. fleet, up from 37.8 percent just five years ago, and the average age of light vehicles in use in the U.S. has risen from 8.0 years to 9.4 years since 1990. The value of unperformed and underperformed vehicle maintenance in the United States is estimated at $55 billion. The reasons are as diverse as consumers - busy schedules, lack of knowledge, misplaced economizing, and even simple procrastination. Whatever the reason, deferring regular maintenance is more than just unwise choice - it could lead to a dangerous and potentially deadly crash.
Another poor choice some car owners make is to tell their technician to install the cheapest available parts - usually "knock-off" or "will fit" parts that are designed and manufactured offshore to poor quality standards. These parts are cheaper but more prone to failure.
Given our current economic environment, it is easy to understand why motorists are tempted to make these poor decisions. However, when they choose to defer repairs or have cheap, low quality products installed, they increase the possibility that they will become part of a deadly statistical group.
This is not to imply that only parts from original equipment suppliers can be acceptable. After all, there are many companies that engineer and manufacturer products exclusively for the aftermarket, and their quality is just as good as (and in some cases better than) the parts that were installed on vehicles during the assembly process. Consumers who are unsure of whether or not a part fits this description need only to listen to the service writer or technician - if they talk price instead of performance, there's an excellent chance the motorist is being offered parts at the bottom end of the quality scale.
So, what can be done?
Independent repair facilities are the best repair choice for most vehicles but car owners should make sure the shop employees ASE certified technicians and also to tell them to only install quality, brand name aftermarket parts. Consumers need to ask service writers and technicians why they're spec'ing the parts they're ordering for a job. And if they don't like or trust the answers, consumers should take their business elsewhere. They have too much to lose to risk driving vehicles with sub-standard parts.
Similarly, technicians need to become more forceful advocates of installing quality parts. It may be easier to give in to a customer who wants to spend the bare minimum needed to get their vehicle back on the road, but there can be unpleasant consequences for saving $25 on a brake job or $50 on struts. A technician who can clearly explain the benefits of installing quality products will likely find himself with happier and safer customers for life.
Too many people have died in the U.S. during the last decade because of crashes in which defective parts were a primary or probable cause. Quality parts matter and it is important that everyone in the repair industry -from distributors and technicians to consumers- must Know Your Parts!
The Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) "Know Your Parts" campaign is dedicated to informing the public of the importance of quality parts. Cheaply made offshore parts are a problem. Knowledge is the solution. It's a public safety issue we can all rally behind.
by: Al Haberstroh
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