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Total Loss Percentages

(Mitchell’s Regional Trend Report 2nd Half 2008)

Diamond Standard Brand Response from Geoff Crane,
Business Development Manager

Why you should use Diamond Standard Brand or OEM Safety Parts. The total loss article in Crash Network referenced Mitchell’s Regional Trend Report wherein total losses reached 16.2% of all uploaded estimates for the 2nd half of 2008. We believe there are some important additional, contributing reasons for this but which were not cited in the article.

1) The average vehicle age involved in a collision is approaching 6 years; combined with a precipitous drop in used vehicle valuations

2) Use of substandard bumper system components in previous collision repair, specifically steel bumpers, foam energy absorbers and steel reinforcements. Testing has shown these parts to fail federal standards of crashworthiness and the standard of performance, the OEM part, which came on the original vehicle designed to provide a level of crashworthiness that met FMVSS 214. Use of parts which fail to provide the level of crashworthiness of the original safety part will lead to a greater level of damage as confirmed by GM in their 2004 bumper system test analysis of a 2001 Chevy Cavalier. Compared to the GM bumper system in an IIHS low speed dynamic test, use of non conforming Offshore Aftermarket parts led to repair damage $1,500 greater than the system with OEM parts. This test was repeated by Diamond Standard Brand in early 2005 using Diamond Standard absorbers and rebar vs. OEM and showed similar crashworthiness to OEM with a significant $126.94 savings in repair advantage. Based on current repair costs, the use of the Offshore Aftermarket parts would create damage in excess of $2,500 rendering the car a total loss vs. repairable with OEM or Diamond Standard Brand Alternative parts.

3) While OEM and Diamond Standard Brand utilize high strength steel for bumpers and reinforcements and high density EPP polypropylene for their absorbers, some Offshore Aftermarket manufacturers substitute low cost non high strength steel for reinforcements and low cost polystyrene for energy absorbers. These materials do not match the strength nor the energy absorbing and crashworthiness of the OEM and Diamond Standard Brand material as proven in extensive testing which is very concerning.

The Crash Network Article stated the following Mitchell Regional Trend Report statistics on total losses:

16.2% of all estimates uploaded in 2nd half 2008
North Dakota had lowest rate @ 10.9%
States with less than 13% included IL, MA, CA, HI, DC
States with more than 20% included AL, LA, MO, SC, TN, GA, WI, WV, NC
AL had the highest total loss @ 24.2%

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