TIA is among four automotive trade associations that are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to protect consumers from misleading information from Mazda.
Mazda recently issued a press release the four claim misleads consumers regarding the use of aftermarket parts. The carmaker stated that it “recommends that all maintenance and collision repairs be performed using genuine Mazda parts in order to provide an optimum level of performance, safety and durability.”
Mazda further stated that it “does not recommend the use of aftermarket parts (or imitation parts) for any Mazda maintenance or collision repair” and that “These aftermarket parts are generally made to a lower standard in order to cut costs and lack the testing required to determine their effectiveness in vehicle performance and safety.”
According to the associations, none of Mazda’s statements were accompanied by any evidence.
TIA joined with the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, the Automotive Oil Change Association and the Service Station Dealers of America and Allied Trades to send a letter of protest to the FTC, urging the commission to take action against Mazda for violating the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, which expressly prohibits the conditioning of warranties based on the use of a non-original equipment part.
The joint letter stated that, “every day car owners or their service professionals use non-Mazda parts in the repair of their vehicle without any problem. In fact, many of these parts may have been produced by the very same factory that supplied the original component to Mazda – only the label on the box is different.”
