Automakers and Repair Shops Enhance Consumer Choice for Service and Repair

OTTAWA , Sept. 29 /CNW Telbec/ - Automakers have partnered with Canadian service and repair shops to enhance consumers' ability to have their vehicles serviced in their local repair shops.

"We are pleased to enter into this voluntary national agreement with Canada's automotive OEMs on behalf of Canada's service and repair industry," stated Dale Finch , National Automotive Trades Association's Executive Vice President. "This agreement ensures that all auto manufacturers will provide access to service and repair information which will increase competition in Canada's service and repair industry for the benefit of Canadian consumers."

The Canadian Automotive Service Information Standard (CASIS) will allow automotive repair facilities in Canada to access auto manufacturers' service and repair information. Additionally, it will provide access to tooling and training information for local repair facilities across the country. CASIS ensures that all automakers will have the information made available no later than May 2010 .

"CASIS is a great industry solution for a longstanding industry challenge," stated David Adams , President of the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada . "This Agreement will provide the flexibility needed to address concerns of local repair facilities and our customers given the increasingly complex nature of motor vehicles and rapidly changing vehicle technology."

Mark Nantais, President of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association added, "After several months of cooperative dialogue between the service and repair industry and automakers, we are happy to be implementing CASIS. We are confident that consumers will be the big winners in this Agreement because Canadians will have more choice in where they take their vehicles for service and repair."

Canada's automotive service and repair industry is represented by the National Automotive Trades Association. NATA is a national organization whose members have over 5,000 individual auto service and repair shops across Canada .

Canada's auto manufacturers, importers, and distributors are represented by the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada (AIAMC) and the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association (CVMA). Collectively, AIAMC and CVMA represent those companies that sell over 99% of the new vehicles in Canada annually.

For further information: David Adams, President, Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada, [phone], [email protected], www.aiamc.com; Mark Nantais, President, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association, [phone], [email protected], www.cvma.ca; Dale Finch, Executive Vice President, National Automotive Trades Association, [phone], [email protected], www.natacanada.ca