Recent legislation in Oklahoma that would impose new rules on auto repair businesses has been opposed by the Automotive Service Association (ASA), according to a press release from the organization.
ASA is urging Oklahoma lawmakers to come out against Senate Bill (SB) 1853, which, if passed, the group asserts would impose rules making it harder for shops to restore vehicles to safe conditions.
According to ASA, the bill would allow a tower or wrecker to pass on cost estimates to drivers without the repair shop charging a markup, would prevent shops from charging storage fees for a vehicle after repairs on it are completed, and prevent shops from charging storage fees for a total-loss vehicle until the insurance company has deemed it as such.
Additionally, the organization said the bill would limit how much businesses can charge for certain jobs, and how much time can be allocated to certain tasks. Repairers cannot charge more than $39/day for indoor storage for vehicles less than 20 feet long; for outdoor storage, no more than $24/day be charged.
The total time taken to disassemble a vehicle would not be allowed to take longer than 4 hours to complete, and may not cost more than $60/hour, ASA went on to claim. The same rules would apply to administrative activities, such as parts identification, COVID or bio-cleaning, pre-repair diagnostic scans, creating a repair plan, and so on.
In response to the legislation, ASA is encouraging auto repair professionals in Oklahoma to contact their representatives and voice their thoughts on the issue.
“Technicians are trained to treat each vehicle differently to ensure it is returned to its owner in a condition safe for operation. By contrast, this bill tells repairers to lump all vehicles together and treat them the same,” argued ASA Board of Directors Chairman Scott Benavidez.
