Industry groups announce unified position on automotive scan tools

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. — Three automotive aftermarket industry associations are recommending that auto repair shops are best serviced by having access to both OEM and multi-brand scan tools.

In a position statement to the automotive aftermarket industry, the Equipment and Tool Institute (ETI), the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) and the Auto Care Association (ACA) said they have taken a unified position on multi-brand scan tools in the aftermarket space following significant commentary and debate surrounding use of multi-brand versus original equipment manufacturer (OEM) scan tools.

The memo concludes, "… shops will be best served to have both OEM and multi-brand tool accessibility, enabling shops to choose the most appropriate solution for each repair."

The position statement solidifies the organizations' position on practices and standards in common diagnostic processes and was produced after consultation with subject matter experts in both OE scanning and multi-brand aftermarket tools, the groups said.

ETI's members have been licensing and incorporating OEM diagnostic data, service information and repair procedures into the development of millions of aftermarket scan tools used by both professional mechanical and collision repair customers for more than two decades. Much of this data is currently held by ETI in a secure, cloud-based repository, ETI said.

"We are proud to work directly with Auto Care and AASA in the development of this critically important statement," ETI Executive Director Brian Plott said. "We have worked with OEM and aftermarket experts to develop our position, and we are confident in our stance."

"This position statement makes it clear to the industry that consumers and repair facilities are best served when multi-brand scan tools are available," AASA President and COO Paul McCarthy added.

Multi-brand scan tools make economic sense for collision and mechanical repair and offer a user interface of common navigation and operational flow, providing efficiency for the user, the associations said, noting the investment in numerous individual OE tools can be cost prohibitive and can present the potential for reduced efficiency, depending on the learning curve.

If repair shops are required to have OE tools for each brand, consumers may experience price increases for even standard repairs, they said.

This position also is supported by state Right to Repair laws and industry agreements, along with the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, the current Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") and the California Air Resources Board ("CARB") service information regulations, the groups said.