ASCCA What You Need To Know

December 15, 2014

Steve Vanlandingham to be President of ASCCA in 2015

ASCCA 2014 President-elect Craig Johnson resigned his position in late November. The Board of Directors during its meeting held on December 6, 2014, elected Steve Vanlandingham to fill the vacancy. Therefore, Steve Vanlandingham is now the 2014 President-elect and will ascend to the position of 2015 President on January 1, 2015.

Read the ASCCA press release

ASCCA Member of the Month - December 2014

The ASCCA's member of the month for December is John Eppstein, owner of John's Automotive Care in San Diego. He has been in the automotive industry since 1985. John is active in the community through the Boys and Girls Club. He is a board member of ASCCA and also serves on the ASCCA Endorsements Committee. John is a member of ASCCA Chapter 24 and has served as its secretary, vice president, and chair of the Meetings Committee. He is also on the ASCEF Board of Trustees and his shop is an ASCEF Cars for Careers donation site.

Do you know someone deserving of being ASCCA Member of the Month? Nominate them! More info here

Click here to read about previous ASCCA members of the month.

Car Care Council Offers Free, Useful Info for Your Customers

Interested in some FREE content for independent auto shop or ASCCA chapter newsletters? Well, here's a source of great information you can use and pass along to your customers. The Car Care Council has a new monthly electronic newsletter -- The Car Care Council e-brief -- that provides original content for you.

Online Parts Purchasing by Customers: A Slippery Slope for Shop Owners

How do you respond when a customer wants to bring in their own parts for car repairs you are performing? Will you still be liable if you install that part and it fails? Bryce Evans in Ratchet & Wrench reviews some of the issues related to this sticky situation.

Read the article in Ratchet & Wrench

Share with Your Clients: New Tire Safety Video

The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has released another consumer education video in the "Tire Safety Starts with..." series.

The newest video, "Tire Safety Starts with Tire Selection," covers the basic guidelines that motorists should follow when selecting replacement tires.

Watch the video

Keep Your Customers in the Loop

ASCCA member Mitch Schneider, owner of Schneider's Auto Repair in Simi Valley, California, writes in Ratchet & Wrench this week about the importance of communicating with your customers when considering changes to how you run your shop.

Read the article from Ratchet & Wrench

Today's Technology: A Blessing and a Curse

Technology can distract drivers and thereby cause accidents -- and it can steer cars away from accidents. Technology can bring you new customers -- or lead them to take their business elsewhere. New technologies talk to you, nag you, and sometimes assume you are not a rational human being. Parts & People ruminates this week on some of the good and bad aspects of technology as it relates to autos.

Read the article from Parts & People

(Reprinted with permission from Parts & People.)

AutoCare Association's Weekly Capital Report Highlights

This week's Capital Report from the AutoCare Association includes these articles:

Automakers Call for More Parts Testing During House Airbag Defects Hearing

Gas Tax Increase Gets Mixed Recognition from President Obama and Retiring Congressmen

Transportation Research Study Says Current Funding System is Not Working

Read the full report here

Time is Running Out on a Member Benefit! ASCCA Discount on DAD Device Good Through the End of this Year

Applus Technologies, Inc. ("Applus") is pleased to offer ASCCA members a 15% discount off the retail price of each Applus Smog DADdy� full system. To obtain the discount, Applus Technologies asks that ASCCA members wishing to purchase the units order on their website www.smogdaddy.com and enter promotion code "ASCCA" in the appropriate space on the order form.

This offer will expire December 31, 2014. ASCCA members will receive their discount immediately upon purchase. In cases where established members have made purchases prior to the date of this agreement, Applus will adjust the purchase price to reflect the aforementioned discount.

Calendar: Upcoming Events

Bureau of Automotive Repair Advisory Group (BAG) Meeting
January 15, 2015
DCA HQ2, 1747 North Market Blvd, Hearing Room 186
Sacramento, CA

ASCCA Team Weekend
February 7-8, 2015
Double Tree by Hilton Sacramento
2001 Point W Way
Sacramento, CA 95815
Click here for more information

Bureau of Automotive Repair Advisory Group (BAG) Meeting
April 22, 2015
DCA HQ2, 1747 North Market Blvd, Hearing Room 186
Sacramento, CA

Honda Forgot to Report 1,729 Death and Injury Claims

Over the past 11 months, Honda failed to report 1,729 death and injury claims. The NHTSA may levy a fine of $35 million against Honda as a result. Automakers are supposed to inform NHTSA immediately when consumers file claims and lawsuits.

Read the article from The Washington Post

Recall Notices from the NHTSA this Week