BETHESDA, Md. and TORRANCE, Calif. – Late last week, American Honda released position statements on Honda and Acura Genuine Parts, which state that failing to repair Honda and Acura vehicles with OEM parts could compromise vehicle safety and performance, along with warranties.
As a result, yesterday the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) issued a press release announcing that it has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in response to Honda’s position statements.
AAIA claims that Honda’s statements – failure to use Honda replacement parts will cause consumers to lose warranty coverage on their vehicle – are a violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
In its complaint to FTC, AAIA claims that Honda’s statements are a direct attempt to market replacement parts for Honda under the guise of an unsubstantiated warning to consumers regarding the use of non-original equipment parts.
“We request that FTC take immediate action to require that Honda withdraw the statement and issue a correction that use of non-Honda parts will not cause a owner to violate their warranty,” said Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA president and CEO.
In a statement issued by American Honda for both its Honda and Acura vehicle lines on Aug. 20, the company said, “American Honda will not be responsible for any subsequent repair costs associated with vehicle or part failures caused by the use of parts other than Honda Genuine parts purchased from an authorized U.S. Honda dealer.”
“We contend that Honda’s statements are in violation of prohibitions in the Magnuson-Moss Warranty-FTC Improvement Act (Public Law 93-637) from conditioning a consumer warranty on the use of non-original equipment parts, and are misleading to consumers regarding their rights and choices under the law,” Schmatz said. “To our knowledge, Honda has provided no specific evidence to support their claim that there are problems with use of non-Honda aftermarket parts for their vehicles or that use of such parts creates warranty-related issues for their customers.”
Honda’s position statements are reprinted below in their entirety:
HONDA GENUINE PARTS
The original parts used on a Honda automobile are designed and built to work together within their respective systems to provide optimum performance, safety and system integrity.
American Honda recommends that all maintenance and repairs are performed using Honda recommended procedures and Honda Genuine parts, which are designated for use in the specific Honda vehicle.
Other parts – whether aftermarket, counterfeit or gray market – are not recommended. The quality, performance and safety of these parts and whether they are compatible with a particular Honda vehicle are unknown. Only by purchasing Honda Genuine parts through an authorized US Honda dealer can you be assured of the replacement part’s authenticity, reliability and compatibility.
American Honda’s new vehicle warranty and replacement parts warranty do not apply to any part which is not purchased from an authorized US Honda dealer. American Honda will not be responsible for any subsequent repair costs associated with vehicle or part failures caused by the use of parts other than Honda Genuine parts purchased from an authorized US Honda dealer.
ACURA GENUINE PARTS
The original parts used on an Acura automobile are designed and built to work together within their respective systems to provide optimum performance, safety and system integrity.
American Honda recommends that all maintenance and repairs are performed using Acura recommended procedures and Acura Genuine parts, which are designated for use in the specific Acura vehicle.
Other parts – whether aftermarket, counterfeit or gray market – are not recommended. The quality, performance and safety of these parts and whether they are compatible with a particular Acura vehicle are unknown. Only by purchasing Acura Genuine parts through an authorized US Acura dealer can you be assured of the replacement part’s authenticity, reliability and compatibility.
American Honda’s new vehicle warranty and replacement parts warranty do not apply to any part which is not purchased from an authorized US Acura dealer. American Honda will not be responsible for any subsequent repair costs associated with vehicle or part failures caused by the use of parts other than Acura Genuine parts purchased from an authorized US Acura dealer.
