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For nearly 40 years, the Certified Automotive Parts Association has been ensuring collision repair professionals and consumers have access to high-quality automotive replacement parts.
When a vehicle needs repair, the parts used matter. Not every aftermarket part is equal - and determining part quality isn't always possible by looking. CAPA's certification program exists to help easily identify high quality alternative parts with certainty.
CAPA-certified parts are independently tested and validated to be comparable in fit, function, and quality to automaker-branded parts, often at a significantly lower cost. For shops, insurers, and vehicle owners, the CAPA Quality Seal is the mark that removes the guesswork.
The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA), founded in 1987, is the nation's only independent, non-profit certification organization for automotive crash parts whose sole purpose is to ensure that both consumers and the industry have the means to identify high-quality parts via the CAPA Quality Seal.
CAPA is an ANSI-accredited standards developer for competitive crash repair parts. We do not manufacture, sell, or distribute parts - and we have no financial stake in which parts pass or fail certification. Our role is to provide independent, unbiased verification of quality, safety, and performance.
If automakers were the only source for replacement parts, market competition would disappear. Part costs would rise, availability would shrink, and quality would suffer. CAPA-certified parts ensure consumers have access to quality options at competitive prices.
CAPA develops standards and procedures for testing aftermarket replacement parts. Only after a part meets every requirement is a manufacturer permitted to place the CAPA Quality Seal on it - the distinctive blue and yellow seal that makes certified parts easy to identify in the shop.
Testing covers everything from exterior metal parts and bumper covers to lighting components and sensors. Each year, thousands of production parts are inspected at factories around the world, fitted to vehicles, and verified in the lab.
It is impossible to look at a part and determine its quality by appearance alone. That's what CAPA's standards and the CAPA Quality Seal are for.
CAPA-certified parts help us meet our goals - which ultimately are to return our customers' vehicles to them as quickly as we can without compromising safety or quality.
Certification doesn't just serve one part of the supply chain - it builds trust across the board.
CAPA certification eliminates uncertainty at the parts counter. CAPA-certified parts reduce cycle times, streamline shop efficiency, and let technicians focus on quality repairs.
When a vehicle is in the shop, every day matters. CAPA-certified parts are an available, affordable, and comparable alternative to automaker-branded parts - getting customers back in their vehicles sooner.
CAPA certification provides objective, third-party validation of part quality. For insurers, that means confidence in the parts being used and reduced exposure to quality-related issues.
Certification sets a floor for quality in the aftermarket. It rewards manufacturers who invest in standards and gives the entire supply chain - from distributor to repairer - a shared language for quality.
When quality matters, ask for CAPA-certified parts. If it doesn't have the CAPA Quality Seal, it's not a CAPA-certified aftermarket part.
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