CAPA’s decision to stop publishing decertified aftermarket parts lists is not viewed as a serious operational concern by most collision repair shop owners — but many are questioning why the information is no longer being made publicly available.
The Certified Automotive Parts Association published its final monthly decertification list in December and has since discontinued both its weekly and monthly emailed reports. Repairers are now required to verify parts individually using CAPA’s online Part Search tool.
In January, several repairers also noted that the option to search specifically for decertified parts had been removed from the Part Search tool altogether.
Collision Repair communicated with several Canadian collision repairers who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of parts sourcing, insurer relationships and liability exposure. While most responded the change would not significantly alter their day-to-day repair decisions, the loss of consolidated decertification reporting raised concerns around transparency and documentation.
“It’s not causing panic in shops,” according to one repairer. “Most of us already limit aftermarket parts use. The bigger question is why the information was pulled if it’s not considered important.”
Another repairer said the decertification lists had served as a useful verification tool, particularly when insurer-specified parts were included on an estimate.
“Decertification doesn’t automatically mean a part is unsafe, but it is a change in status,” the repairer commented. “That’s something we used to be able to see clearly.”
CAPA has maintained that decertification does not necessarily indicate a safety issue. According to the association, serious concerns related to part performance or safety will continue to be communicated through public safety alerts, as they were prior to the change.
Still, some repairers said the removal of regular reporting shifts more responsibility onto shops to independently track parts information — even if the overall risk remains low.
“If it truly doesn’t matter, then publishing the list shouldn’t be a problem,” according to another shop owner. “When information disappears, people naturally wonder why.”
The decision comes amid broader industry discussions about parts transparency, liability and documentation, particularly as collision repairers continue to navigate insurer-driven parts selection and increasing expectations around repair validation.
For more information on CAPA Certified Parts please visit https://www.capacertified.org/PartSearch
