The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) says Australian motorists want insurers and body shops to tell them if genuine parts are not used when repairing their cars.
The claim follows research, undertaken by FCAI’s Genuine is Best initiative, showing Australians want a say in how their vehicles are repaired. According to the poll, which surveyed people intending to buy a car in the next one to two years, 91.8 per cent of respondents want the right to be informed before non-genuine parts are fitted to their car. The data also revealed vehicles repaired and maintained with genuine parts are a superior investment in the eyes of Australian vehicle buyers.
“With many drivers potentially unaware that vehicle insurers and repairers may mandate the use of non-genuine mechanical and collision parts when repairing a vehicle, fewer than two in every 100 of those surveyed would be willingly excluded from decisions about the quality of parts fitted to their vehicle,” the FCAI said.
FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said vehicle owners should have the right to choose how their car is repaired.
“The message to insurers and repairers is crystal clear. If you’re planning to fit anything other than the tested and proven genuine part, Aussies demand the right to be notified,” Weber said.
“Putting the safety and quality concerns aside, we know vehicles repaired and maintained with genuine parts, accessories, and dealer servicing are valued more highly,” Weber added. “If a non-genuine part will potentially lower the resale value of my car, I want to be notified before a part that is not approved by the manufacturer is fitted.
“It’s really a bare minimum expectation – it’s my car, it’s my choice.”