Hella is first participant of CAPA's Tier 1 Replacement Parts Verification Program

The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA), an independent non-profit standard-setting and certification organization for automotive crash parts, has approved global supplier Hella as the first manufacturer in its Tier 1 Replacement Parts Verification Program, according to a press release.

CAPA's new program, which it announced July 2021, is available to any Tier 1 supplier that "also produces an in-house, alternately branded version of car company original (CCO) or car company service (CCS) parts used for automotive repair," according to the release. 

The new program marks a change for the association, which for 35 years since its founding has focused on certifying true aftermarket parts. The new verification program is said by the association to draw on the strengths of its certification program and its "third-party testing partner's expertise in testing and certification." 

“Historically, Tier 1 replacement parts have lacked clear definitions and been classified as aftermarket parts, making it difficult to determine which parts are truly equivalent to CCOs or CCSs,” said Clark Plucinski, Chairman, CAPA Board of Directors, in the release. “The CAPA Tier 1 Verification Program helps clarify these parts by ensuring the same factory, tooling, materials, and manufacturing processes are used during the production of the car company part and the Tier 1 Verified replacement part.”

CAPA Tier 1 Verified parts must also demonstrate compliance to all applicable federal regulations, which CAPA says helps ensure there are no differences when a supplier changes production from manufacturing the car company parts to the Tier 1-branded version of the part.

“We are pleased to be the first manufacturer to receive CAPA approval in the Tier 1 Replacement Parts Verification Program,” said Fred Snow, president of Hella Automotive Sales, Inc., a subsidiary of Faurecia that is responsible aftermarket business for USA and Canada. "We believe that having a CAPA class for original equipment (OE) products that clarifies what the product is for the market is a large step forward. This allows stakeholders in collision repair to fully understand and trust what is being sold and installed. For an OE supplier that is also heavily involved in the aftermarket, this clarity that it is OE quality in the box is paramount."

Hella and Faurecia operate under the umbrella brand Forvia, which according to CAPA is the seventh-largest automotive supplier worldwide. Now that Hella has completed CAPA's approval process, it may begin submitting parts for verification. Those verified parts will be announced via CAPA weekly updates, and they will be identified by the CAPA Tier 1 Verified label.

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