FALLS CHURCH, Va. – As of May 1, the Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association (AMRA) and the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP) have taken over administration of the Motorist Assurance Program of Canada (MAP Canada).
 
MAP Canada, which was operated by the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) since 1998, is based on the MAP program in the U.S., which was incorporated in 1992. MAP Canada offered accreditation to facilities in the Canadian automotive repair and service industry, as well as membership to manufacturing and supply companies that support the industry.
 
AMRA/MAP says it intends to absorb MAP Canada members as soon as possible. Canadian service providers, such as Active, Green + Ross, Canadian Tire Corp. and Midas International, will continue to train their employees in a similar fashion, with a few subtle changes, as they make progress toward having their facilities meet MAP Participation guidelines.
 
“We welcome the members of MAP Canada into the AMRA/MAP family,” said Barry Soltz, AMRA/MAP president. “We hope their transition into our organization will be a smooth one, and we believe all parties will benefit from this conversion.”
 
MAP – the consumer outreach effort of AMRA and the leading consumer auto service non-profit organization in the United States – is a non-profit program created by concerned automotive business owners, manufacturers and associations. MAP requires all of its participating shops to adhere to a strict set of fact- based vehicle inspection and communication standards. It also establishes criteria not only for recommending replacement of worn parts and other products, but also how the recommendations are communicated to the vehicle owner.
 
MAP offers tips for choosing and working with qualified repair providers as well as a list of participating MAP shops, identifiable by zip/postal codes, at www.motorist.org.