ABPA release_notess new crash test video

Aug. 16, 2011 — The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) on Tuesday announced the release of a video meant to show the safety and quality of aftermarket parts.

The video (above), posted to YouTube and the ABPA website, was released just a few days after Ford posted a video demonstrating the superiority of OEM parts over aftermarket offerings. 

The new ABPA video shows crash tests at high and low speeds in which aftermarket parts outperform OEM parts. The ABPA says the video’s assertions are drawn from the tests, “as well as lump mass modeling simulations and quasi-static crush tests designed by engineers with extensive experience in automotive safety systems.”

In the high-speed test, two 2006 Toyota Corollas—one with an OEM bumper reinforcement bar and the other with an OEM equivalent—are shown side-by-side deploying airbags simultaneously. Both cars delivered safety within federal standards, according to the ABPA.

In the low-speed test, the video shows an aftermarket bumper reinforcement bar outperforming and OEM bar, which the ABPA claims would reduce the estimate by $200.

“Time and again the aftermarket industry has demonstrated the safety and quality of its products, yet some car companies seem determined to counter scientific facts with fear-mongering," said Co-Chair of the ABPA Legislation and Regulation Committee Eileen A. Sottile. “OEs cannot credibly argue that only their branded parts can provide safety, especially when it comes to components that play a very small role in crash energy management.”

The ABPA, based in Houston, Texas, represents manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of independently produced aftermarket body parts. Its membership consists of more than 150 companies.