Vehicle manufacturer recalls, an opportunity for the independent aftermarket?

TecRMI-greasley-shaun-copyAccording to recent data analysed by JD Power and Associates, there were more than 51 million recalls issued by vehicle manufacturers during 2015 and as if these figures were not shocking enough, according to them, more than 45 million vehicles recalled between 2013 and 2015 remain unresolved.

Although drivers have to take the majority of the responsibility for this extraordinary figure, contributory factors include the short supply of some specific replacement parts and vehicles being sold on before the work is done, which in some countries terminates the direct line of communication from vehicle manufacturer/dealer to owner.

“These figures do not only reveal the depth of the problem, they also point to a tremendous profit opportunity for the independent,” says Shaun Greasley, general manager for TecAlliance UK and Ireland. “However, the opportunity can only become a reality if the independent sector can easily find out which cars are affected and what needs to be done to resolve the recall.” TecAlliance is the name behind the TecDoc, TecRMI, Headline and TecCom brands.

Greasley adds: ““At TecAlliance, we specialise in collecting, standardising and presenting data to allow every sector of the aftermarket to benefit from the information that data contains. This means that when it comes to technical service and repair information, we can provide workshops with the recall information they need to turn these opportunities into reality.

What service managers need to realise is that these are not ‘theoretical opportunities’ that are only open to the few ‘top’ independents. This information is available irrespective of the size of their business and bearing in mind the number of recalls and their low response rate, it is very likely that these vehicles are coming into and out of their workshops on a daily basis.”

Greasley explains: “What the TecAlliance system provides is not just the details of the recall issued by the vehicle manufacturer, but also the repair process and parts required to carry out the work, and all made available by simple a website login! What could be easier to access and put into practice than that?

Armed with this resource, workshops simply need to type the details of the vehicle into the TecAlliance system as it’s booked in and details of any relevant recall will be appear. The technician then just needs to check to find out whether the recall has been done or whether it is one of the millions that still requires the work to be carried out.”

He concludes by saying: “This practical resource is a great example of how TecAlliance turns the data it gathers into something that can make a real difference to the profitability of a typical, no nonsense workshop.”

The TecAlliance website claims that their technical service and repair data provides technicians with multiple product options for diagnostic fault finding, as well as general service and repair schedules, requirements and processes. The system contains more than 6.5 million items of technical data, 21.5 million quoted repair times, 230,000 service plans and 900,000 repair instructions.