"Genuine Ford collision replacement parts are the same as those used to manufacture the vehicle," a Ford engineer says in the video. ABPA said it has evidence that this is false.
ABPA said that during tests conducted by ABPA engineers, front bumper isolators were removed from two 2005-2009 Ford Mustangs and compared with two Ford-branded front bumper isolator service parts purchased from Ford dealers. Examination revealed the Ford service parts, which Ford says are the same as Ford production parts, were approximately one-fourth the weight, ABPA claims. Production parts from the two vehicles weighed 864 and 822 grams respectively, while two genuine Ford collision replacement parts for the same component were 72 percent lighter at 239 and 233 grams, ABPA said.
"On behalf of the aftermarket industry I want to thank Ford for proving what we have said for years, which is that replacement parts can vary from the original equipment parts installed in production while still providing comparable performance and returning vehicles to pre- crash condition," said ABPA Legislation and Regulation Committee Co-Chair Eileen A. Sottile. "If that were not the case, then why would Ford's customers receive these replacement parts? The huge weight discrepancies between production and service parts clearly underscore that the original Ford components that come on its vehicles and those Ford-branded parts sold for collision repair are not 'the same,' as they have claimed," Sottile added.ABPA's engineers are reviewing the recent Ford video, undertaking additional testing and planning to make their technical assessments public. The ABPA recently released video illustrating the safety and quality of aftermarket auto parts.
