Subaru’s Positions Against Recycled and Aftermarket Parts is a Disservice to Consumers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:  August 23, 2021 
Contact: Sandy Blalock,  sandy@a-r-a.org

Subaru’s Positions Against Recycled and Aftermarket Parts is a Disservice to Consumers

Today, the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) strongly opposes Subaru’s recently published position statement that misleads consumers and effectively bans the use of safe and economical alternative repair parts. ARA’s Executive Director, Sandy Blalock, notes that “Auto manufacturers have become more aggressive in their efforts to force ROE-Recycled Original Equipment® and aftermarket parts out of the market. These statements and tactics stifle competition, greatly increase costs to consumers and in turn, can result in more repairable vehicles being considered uneconomical to repair. Manufacturer repair restrictions have become such a significant issue that both the Biden Administration and FTC have taken unambiguous steps to increase antitrust and consumer protection enforcement against manufacturer repair restrictions.”   

ARA’s incoming President, Marty Hollingshead, would like to point out that “Subaru recycled original equipment parts are the very same parts manufactured by Subaru and that Subaru recycled original equipment parts have a long history of being utilized in vehicle repairs.” Subaru recycled original equipment parts are the same parts specifically engineered by Subaru to provide maximum safety and optimal fit and functionality, which help maintain the high standards relating to a vehicle’s structural integrity.

ARA strongly believes that consumers have the right to choose where they can have their vehicles repaired and with repair parts that are safe and cost-effective alternatives to new OEM parts. Scott Robertson, ARA’s President stated, “In light of President Biden and the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recent actions to increase competition in repair markets, ARA is alarmed by Subaru’s decision to issue a position statement that unambiguously denounces the use of any repair part other than a new OEM part. Last month, President Biden issued an executive order that called for more than a dozen federal agencies to address manufacturer repair restrictions and the harmful effects these restrictions have on consumer choice. Along with President Biden’s focus on increasing competition by cracking down on anticompetitive practices from manufacturers, the FTC issued a new policy last month that will cause the agency to increase scrutiny on consumers’ right to repair.”

Subaru’s decision to issue a new position statement in the wake of President Biden and the FTC’s renewed focus on anti-consumer manufacturer-led repair restrictions is disappointing and appears to ignore this guidance. what parts are utilized and who they want to repair their vehicles.

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Since 1943, the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) represents an industry dedicated to the efficient removal and reuse of “green” ROE- Recycled Original Equipment® and the proper recycling of inoperable motor vehicles. ARA represents the interests of over 4,500 auto recycling facilities in the United States and seventeen other countries around the world. With programs such as the Certified Automotive Recycler Program (CAR), Green Recycled Parts, and other partnerships, ARA members continue to provide consumers with quality, low-cost alternatives for vehicle replacement parts, while preserving our environment for a “green” tomorrow.