Fixed Ops Journal - October 2017 - 26

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

SCAN

continued from Page 24

collision-repair standards for its other brands.
GM had informal discussions with insurance
companies in developing the new certification program, he adds.
GM says it will require dealerships and body
shops enrolled in the program to scan accident
vehicles before and after repairs. Scanning with
a specialized tool identifies trouble codes in a
vehicle's powertrain and safety systems. It also
alerts body shop technicians when a component, such as a rear backup camera, is not properly calibrated.
Who should pay for scans has been a source
of contention for some repair shops. Joe Hershey, body shop manager at Bill Brown Ford
in suburban Detroit, says nearly every procedure on a repair order for a wrecked vehicle
includes a line item and a billable charge submitted to an insurer.
But automakers, including GM, and insurers often expect body shops to perform scans

as part of the repair process. That rankles shop techs who work on commission, Hershey says.
Eck says GM's scanning mandate will
make sure repairs are done properly.
"Because of [vehicle] electronics today, and not knowing what happens in
a collision, pre- and post-scanning
needs to be done to ensure that the car
is properly calibrated," he says. "We
simply say, if you are going to fix it right,
this is what you should be doing."

that not just the tools, training and facilities are in place, but that [repairs
are] being completed" by a properly
certified technician, Eck adds.
The cost to become a GM-certified
collision-repair center will vary, Eck
says.
If body shops "already have the
tools and other things that are going
Eck: GM plan
to be part of our requirements, they'll
has safety first
be good to go," he says.
"But if they don't and choose to be
in this program, obviously they will have a different financial [responsibility] to make up."
Watching techs
Enrollment will open in early 2018. IndeIn addition to the required scanning, Eck says,
pendent body shops that become GM-certiGM's new program establishes procedures that
fied collision-repair centers will work with the
require technicians to perform only the repairs
automaker's aftermarket sales force.
for which they are trained and certified.
Eck notes that "80 to 85 percent of collision
"Other OEMs have developed a great framework is done outside of a dealership network.
work, and we want to build on that," Eck says.
About 34,000 independents and 4,000 dealers
"It's one thing to have a welder who is certified.
have [body] shops."
It's another thing to make sure the certified
"But our standards will be the same no matwelder is doing the welding for that vehicle.
ter what the rooftop looks like." 
"We want to push the industry to make sure

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OCTOBER 2017

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fixed Ops Journal - October 2017