The Debate on Aftermarket Crash Parts

The debate on the quality and safety of aftermarket crash parts is highly polarized, reflecting a range of opinions on the safety of aftermarket crash parts:

• Aftermarket crash parts are unsafe. According to this position—held generally by many collision-repair associations and repair shop owners—aftermarket crash parts are inferior to OEM parts in fit and finish and are dangerous. The evidence for this argument is mostly anecdotal, although we saw aftermarket crash parts that were clearly different from their OEM counterparts.
• Aftermarket crash parts may be unsafe. According to this position—held generally by new vehicle manufacturers—the impact of aftermarket crash parts on occupants’ safety is unknown. Therefore, the manufacturers recommend that only OEM parts be used to ensure that repaired vehicles perform to their original safety specifications.
• Aftermarket crash parts are safe. According to this position—held generally by insurance companies and aftermarket manufacturers— aftermarket crash parts are cosmetic only and do not affect vehicle safety.
  
  

The Debate on
Recycled Airbags

The debate on the use of recycled airbags is also divided. General opinions include the following:

• Recycled airbags may be unsafe. Advocates of this position—generally OEMs, some insurance companies, and body shop owners—maintain that deployed airbags should be replaced only with new OEM airbags. Advocates of this position maintain that airbags are a vital safety feature and the potential risks of recycled airbags should preclude replacing a deployed airbag with anything other than a new airbag. Furthermore, they argue that recycled airbags do not undergo the same intensive quality checks as newly manufactured units. They add that many undetectable variables, like water damage to the airbag, could prevent a recycled airbag from deploying properly. Finally, they contend that the existence of a recycled airbag market will further increase airbag theft.
• Recycled airbags are safe. Advocates of this position—generally recycling organizations and some insurance companies—maintain that reusing nondeployed OEM airbags is a viable, economical, and safe alternative to using new, more costly OEM airbags when the recycled airbags are properly matched, handled, and installed. The advocates add that lower-income drivers may not be able to afford to replace their airbags with new, more expensive OEM airbags. Therefore, recyclers are creating a market in which drivers can purchase replacement airbags that are 50 percent to 70 percent cheaper than new airbags.