Massachusetts State Legislators Consider Anti-Motoring-Consumer Bills -- Favoritism of Car Manufacturers Over Consumer Choice

    ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 16 Several anti-motoring-consumer
bills are being considered for passage by the Joint Committee on Insurance.
Promoted by pro-monopoly special interests, these bills, known as "crash parts
legislation," will remove the freedom of choice by consumers of what type of
vehicle part to have as a replacement, by whom, and eventually, what they will
pay.
    Sandy Bass-Cors, Executive Director for the Coalition for Auto Repair
Equality (CARE), stated, "At least seven bills have been introduced which have
questionable constitutional and legal authority.  For example, House Bill 3945
promotes a 10-year monopoly for car dealer parts only.  This legislation
states, 'In the repair of any motor vehicle which are insured for collision,
limited collision or comprehensive coverage and which are up to 10 model years
old shall use only original equipment manufactured parts when being repaired
pursuant to an insurance contract.'"
    "This flies in the face of federal legislation," continued Bass-Cors.  The
Magnuson-Moss Act, passed in the U.S. Senate in the 1970s, expressly prohibits
repairs being tied to warranties.  "Furthermore, this eliminates competition
for consumers which will lead to a dramatic price increase on all car parts
and service, and most likely an increase in insurance premiums.
    "Many aftermarket parts, which these bills are trying to eliminate, are
manufactured by the same manufacturer as the Original Equipment Manufacturer
(OEM) parts.  The difference is the price.  Aftermarket parts are up to 50
percent less than car dealer parts and most aftermarket parts come with long-
term or life-time warranties," continued Bass-Cors.
    Approximately 42 states have introduced crash parts bills and 42 have
killed them. One state, Montana, is now facing a class action law suit on
Constitutional grounds and Interference with Interstate Commerce laws.
"Recalls on parts and general vehicle failures have been on OEM parts and
manufacturer problems -- not aftermarket parts," stated Bass-Cors.
    CARE's member companies include: NAPA, Midas, CARQUEST, AutoZone, Advance
Auto, Jiffy Lube, Discount Auto, O'Reilly's and CSK (parent company of
Checker, Schuck, Kragen). The automotive aftermarket employs five million
people nationwide in over 495,000 locations.
    "Passage of these crash parts bills will place a financial burden on low-
and-fixed income motorists who depend on safe, high-quality, affordable car
parts.  All these bills will do is place the government in their wallets and
tell them that they aren't capable of choosing their own car parts. And
nothing could be further from the truth.
    "These crash parts bills are equivalent to removing generic brand
medicines and telling people that only the high-priced drugs are good for
them," concluded Bass-Cors.