The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), the Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE), and automobile manufacturers, are discussing an agreement that will give automobile owners the choice of where to take their vehicle for repair. The decision would be a victory for aftermarket groups who have been fighting for over a decade to ensure that vehicle repair is affordable and convenient for all Americans. Continue reading

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is once again making it increasingly difficult for automakers to achieve top ratings for vehicle safety, by tightening testing criteria for the third time since 2006. The tests will evaluate two aspects of safety: crash worthiness – how well a vehicle protects its occupants in a crash – and crash avoidance and mitigation – technology that can prevent a crash or lessen its severity. Continue reading

Japanese auto parts maker, Takata Corporation, is the latest parts manufacturer to be charged in one of the largest criminal antitrust investigations, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The inquiry into price-fixing auto parts between worldwide manufacturers began back in January 2000 and is estimated to have resulted in more than $1.6 billion in fines since 2011. The investigation covers over a dozen separate conspiracies involving over thirty different auto parts affecting Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota. Continue reading

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), approximately 10,000 people die in drinking and driving related crashes every year. In an attempt to reach a goal of zero alcohol and impaired related deaths, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are recommending that states implement laws that will work toward that goal. Continue reading