From BodyShopBusiness.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- More than five years ago, the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) developed the CAPA Tracker, in response to collision repairer concerns about tracing problem parts. In the event of a part recall, the CAPA Tracker can notify every participating shop that installed one of the parts in question. The shop can then alert customers and take necessary action, CAPA says.

The program was designed specifically for collision repairers who expressed concern that should a problem surface with a CAPA Certified part, it would be difficult for them to determine if they actually installed that part on a particular customer’s car.

“Recently, various repairer associations have been raising concerns about product recalls,” said Jack Gillis, CAPA executive director. “The CAPA Tracker provides these associations with a tool they can pass on to their members. The good news is that the CAPA Tracker is available on the 3 million-plus CAPA Certified parts used by collision repairers. The bad news is that four out of five times when a repairer installs a CAPA certifiable part, they use a non-certified part.”

Gillis noted that this is why it’s important for collision repairers to use parts with a CAPA seal. Through the free, Web-based tracking program, repair facilities can register the CAPA seal numbers of parts they have installed, allowing CAPA to notify the shops if parts problems are discovered.

CAPA says the program provides collision repairers with more control over the part identification process than with OEM parts. Unlike OEMs who have to recall millions of vehicles because they don’t know where parts have been installed, CAPA says its tracker allows the tracing of specific parts and notifies shops if they installed the parts.

For more information about the CAPA Tracker, visit: http://www.capacertified.org/trackerhome.asp

For more background from BodyShop Business on collision industry concern over aftermarket parts safety, click here.