Australians want a say in how their vehicles are repaired, with 91.8% agreeing they have a right to be informed before non-genuine parts are fitted to their car.
The insight was revealed by research undertaken by motoring industry initiative Genuine is Best. The research polled Australians intending to buy a car in the next one to two years. It also revealed vehicles repaired and maintained with genuine parts are a superior investment in the eyes of Australian vehicle buyers.
With many drivers potentially unaware that vehicle insurers and repairers may mandate the use of non-genuine mechanical and collision parts when repairing a vehicle, fewer than two in every 100 of those surveyed would be willingly excluded from decisions about the quality of parts fitted to their vehicle.
Genuine is Best has previously identified demonstrable safety and quality differences between genuine and non-genuine car parts.
FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said vehicle owners should have the right to choose how their car is repaired. “The message to insurers and repairers is crystal clear. If you’re planning to fit anything other than the tested and proven genuine part, Aussies demand the right to be notified.”
Putting the safety and quality concerns aside, vehicles repaired and maintained with genuine parts, accessories and dealer servicing are valued more highly. If a non-genuine part has the potential to lower the resale value of a car, Australian drivers want to be notified before any part that is not approved by the manufacturer is fitted.
“It’s really a bare minimum expectation. It’s my car, it’s my choice. “Australians are acting as testers for non-genuine parts on the behalf of the insurers and repairers motivated to repair and return cars as cheaply as possible. From an oil filter to a bonnet to a safety sensor, we deserve the right to choose what’s being fitted to our cars,” concluded Weber.