The changes of the last 5 years and those still coming at us rapidly are significant more for their wide application than for their technology. Many of the features which are seen as “new” were being used by high-end manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz in the mid to late 2000s. But with only a few […]
This 2016 (no longer that new) Honda Civic is an excellent and affordable car that many people will buy and use for everything from city commuting to regular highway travel. It is a car that your family will use. It also looks a lot like a 2015 Civic which is structurally a completely different car. […]
“Position Statements” are written by vehicle manufacturers to summarize and highlight certain aspects of their repair procedures. They are not being written and published to reveal new information; they are reiteration and reinforcement of information that is already in the company’s service and repair information manuals and bulletins. They serve a purpose by gathering information […]
A significant component of repair facility certification by non OEM aligned certifying bodies (CCIAP is the national example in Canada) is customer service and the appearance of customer areas. Pictures of the customer washroom are always asked for. In 2021, this is missing the point. These organizations should be verifying the important things that car […]
Last year I was talking to a knowledgeable car owner about RFINA repairs and she understood quickly what I was saying. She then asked, “How do I know I am getting the right repairs? What questions can I ask?” I thought for a few seconds, and could only answer that there really are no direct […]
IIHS is the acronym for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This is an American organization focused on highway safety founded in 1959 by a group of insurance companies. One of the most publicly visible areas of IIHS work is their crash safety rating system, which is developed based on crash tests in their own […]
…but, of course we all want the cars fixed right. …but, you have to do the correct repair. For the last several years every presentation or industry discussion about the challenges and costs of modern vehicle repair ends with a variation of the phrase, “but, of course we need correct repairs.” This is said with […]
Today it is still possible to hide incorrect structural repairs; the owner cannot see the repaired frame rail that should have been replaced or the improperly welded door post. It is the rapidly expanding implementation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that will force everything into the open; the owner will notice that the active […]
One of my ongoing themes has been the need for change in the culture of the collision repair industry. Culture does not develop overnight and it certainly does not change overnight. We have had 50 years of a business style that has very much set a culture. Because there were very few rules set by […]
The concept of a self-regulated industry has been gaining some traction in the last year. Regulations are set and controlled by governments but they would rather not do all the work in verifying and enforcing compliance. Many models are available as templates or guides. For the collision repair industry CCIAP (Canadian Collision Industry Accreditation Program) […]