• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Investigates Kia Recall Remedy
• Democratic Lawmakers Introduce Bills to Incentivize Electric Vehicle Adoption
• Department of Transportation Unveils Revised National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Guidance, Restarts Funding

• Trump Executive Orders and their potential impact on the automotive repair industry

• FTC, GM reach settlement over sale of connected vehicle data

• The latest on state and federal right-to-repair legislation

• Duffy rolls back CAFE standards right after taking office

• And More!

Members, please log into your account to read the update. 

• Happy Holidays from the Government Affairs Committee!

• PAMA’s challenge to Hyundai/Kia’s unprecedented plug-outs results in Hyundai’s publication of TSB acknowledging stuck gasket issue.

• Late model Hyundai owner’s manual telegraphs a risk of excessive oil consumption and opportunities for warranty denial.

• Early January 2024 will be a great time to contact your U.S. representatives in support of H.R. 906, the “REPAIR” Act. 

• Maine voters approved their Right to Repair ballot measure, but insiders anticipate automakers will sue to stop it. 

Members please log in to read the latest government affairs update. 

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a defect investigation in response to AOCA’s petition concerning Hyundai/Kia oil drain pan assembly failures.

• Congressional Vehicle Data Access Caucus created by Rep. Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA) may bring much needed oversight into this critical aspect of Right to Repair. Stay tuned for opportunities to participate.

• OSHA has resources to help keep workers safe before, during and after a hurricane.

AOCA members can click here to view this month's You Auto Know

AOCA members can click here to view this month's You Auto Know

• Mercedes-Benz issues rare “STOP DRIVE NOTIFICATION” for brakes recall on 53 models.
• Hyundai/Kia Corner Both
  • OEMs warn of oil filter drain plugs stuck inside the new oil filters in oil filter service kits. Do not install without checking.
  • Kia TSB PS359 covers ALL models directing gaskets must always be replaced and also describes the many kinds of expected engine damage symptoms and their causes—spoiler alert: it’s not aftermarket oil filters.
  • Both OEMs use an oil drain pan assembly (21510 2G500) so far identified in four cracked pan cases and previously associated with NHTSA Recall 19V063. That’s in addition to having the factory-painted drain plug and camouflaged gasket. 
• The REPAIR Act gets bipartisan support.

Read this month's update here!

Automotive Oil Change Association

Sacramento, CA 95825

AOCA's phone line remains the same: 916.329.1888. Email inquiries can be directed to info@aoca.org

AOCA members can click here to view this month's You Auto Know

Media Contact: Christina Bauders, CMP, Executive Director, christina@aoca.org

FTC’s Nixing the Fix Report to Congress Represents Milestone in AOCA’s

Fight to Protect Consumers from Unlawful OEM Tie-in Sales Maneuvers

May 6, 2021 - Sacramento, CA – Today the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) delivered its long-awaited report to Congress regarding “Nixing the Fix: A Workshop on Repair Restrictions” held in July 2019. AOCA applauds their decision to pursue a multi-faceted approach of law enforcement, regulatory options, and consumer education to stop illegal tie-in sales of branded parts/service and other OEM anti-competitive behavior.

FTC concluded OEMs provided no evidence that aftermarket service providers cause any vehicle damages or other hardship to consumers or OEMs, let alone any justification to allow OEM tie-in sales. In fact, FTC cited AOCA to demonstrate the reality of OEMs’ deflections:

In addition, AOCA argued that manufacturers simply use aftermarket parts and service providers as scapegoats for issues that arise with OEM-branded parts and service. For example, AOCA asserted that automakers engage in this type of restriction when they issue ‘a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) directing its authorized dealers to treat certain aftermarket parts as the de facto cause of problem engine symptoms that can be caused by a variety of factors including engine defects. The dealers forgo technical analysis and instead repeat the maintenance process for which the aftermarket part was employed—this time using the automaker’s recommended brand part. The automaker and dealer have not proven the particular aftermarket part caused the problem engine symptom as required by MMWA, yet the consumer gets charged for the mandatory maintenance including when it doesn’t solve the problem engine symptom.’ FN 175

“AOCA’s argument was no mere concept,” said AOCA President Mark Bochnowski. “We used decades of field experience, actual OEM TSBs, owners’ manuals, OEM advertisements, related defect recalls and class action litigation, thousands of consumer complaints to NHTSA, and critical Better Business Bureau statistics.” FTC also agreed with AOCA’s contention that OEMs are restricting consumers’ access to repair without any adequate justification, including herding them back to dealers via telematics.

AOCA encourages Congress to take the next logical step and require automakers and their authorized dealers to disclose to consumers their Section 102(c) anti-tying rights at both the time of vehicle sale and prior to vehicle service. Consumer safety depends on it.

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AOCA members can click here to view this month's You Auto Know

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AOCA members can click here to view this month's You Auto Know

AOCA members can click here to view this month's You Auto Know