The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) has struck back at a General Motors (GM) statement  that the automobile manufacturer does not approve of the use of aftermarket, reconditioned, or salvage bumpers/fascias on GM vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

The position statement references the company’s commitment to safety and says that such parts might have “different material specifications than what was designed, tested and validated for use with ADAS.”

“The fact is,” said ARA Interim CEO Sandy Blalock, “the genuine, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) recycled parts that ARA members sell are the very same parts manufactured by General Motors. They are genuine GM parts, designed by GM and built to meet their requirements for fit, finish, durability, reliability and safety. For the company to effectively ban the reutilization of their own parts speaks not to a commitment to safety, but rather a commitment to forcing lower-cost alternative parts out of the market.”

In a statement, the ARA emphasized that to ensure that the recycled OEM parts they provide meet customer expectations, ARA member facilities employ multi-step quality control precautions. “The professional automotive recycling industry has become increasingly sophisticated in methods of processing, identifying, evaluating and inventorying parts and assemblies that are harvested from total loss vehicles.”

For example, says the ARA, at the typical professional automotive recycling facility, these processes may include: taking images of the vehicle and its component parts to track vehicle part record, review of a vehicle’s build codes, assessing the extent and type of any damage, and checking the vehicle identification number (VIN).

“This is just another example of an auto manufacturer purposefully mischaracterizing recycled OEM parts to mislead consumers,” said Blalock. “ARA is very concerned that General Motors and other manufacturers are becoming more aggressive in their attacks on the use of recycled OEM parts. We continue to urge the Federal Trade Commission, legislators, consumer groups, and other stakeholders to help hold auto manufacturers accountable for their attacks on recycled OEM parts utilization.”