It's a dog fight! The Coalition for Collision Repair Excellence (CCRE) is taking on the Collision Industry Conference(CIC) over CIC's support for the use of salvage airbag system components. 

"CCRE is not afraid to state the conviction of many professional collision repairers… that reusing used airbags and SRS components is unacceptable, for obvious reasons," said Tony Lombardozzi, president of CCRE, who prepared the following letter to the CIC.

To: Parts Committee Chairperson

Collision Industry Conference [CIC]

Re: Used airbags or other used Supplemental Restraint System components

The Coalition of Collision Repair Excellence [CCRE] consists of a national group of very dedicated, independent, and quality minded professionals. We pride ourselves on our strong mission statements and our ability to continue to retake control of the repair industry from powerful conflicting outside interests, while at the same time we continuing to strive for collision repair excellence for the consumer's we all serve.

Our sponsors have vehemently voiced their concerns in opposition to your organization's present effort and position to publicly engage in discussion of acceptance and promotion of the use of used airbags and or other used SRS System components.

The CIC Parts Committee Chairperson and its members must know that used suspension parts, remanufactured wheels, airbags and airbag deployment units are a few items that should never be equated in the dollar scheme of profits from the salvaging of a damaged vehicle. No collision repair facility should be required to assume any undue liability for the installation of components not recommended by the manufacturer of that product.

Most collision repair experts have enough common sense to know these parts are as high up on the safety feature list as you can get, especially with regard to Hi Tech vehicles being manufactured today along with the assurance of additional occupant safety. Safety and quality minded expert professionals strongly believe that the use of these used parts will prove to be detrimental to consumers, and we should not have to loose lives to prove a point.

We ask that you listen to the vehicle manufacturers, who are objecting to their usage based upon strong, valid reasons. There are enough questionable concerns that remain unanswered, when it comes to the approval and the usage of "used- recycled parts" to repair damaged vehicles.

We strongly object to any further discussion, consideration, or committee efforts to approve or certify the use of these parts, as we feel it will only mislead and deceive the consuming public.

We ask that you cease and desist the absurdity of this road you are traveling, and suggest that you concentrate on more important industry issues.

Thanking you, in advance, for your cooperation on such a critical issue, I remain:

Sincerely yours,

Tony Lombardozzi, CCRE President

www.theccre.com