AASP/NJ Leaders Meet with NJDOBI on Consumer Safety, Proper Repairs

by Alana Quartuccio

AASP/NJ has taken its mission to advocate for consumer safety and proper repairs all the way to Trenton.

Last month, members of the AASP/NJ Board sat down with New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (NJDOBI) Acting Commissioner Susan Ochs and her team at the State House to engage in constructive dialogue about the growing concerns affecting Garden State consumers following automobile accidents.

“They were very interested in what we had to say,” relays AASP/NJ President Ken Miller. “It was a really great opportunity to talk about the increasing number of issues involving insurers and the reimbursement of policyholders for repairs necessary to restore damaged vehicles to their pre-accident condition. As vehicle technology continues to evolve, consumers deserve assurance that repairs are based on safety and proper repair procedures as required by the manufacturer – not solely on cost considerations.”

Miller was joined by AASP/NJ Legislative Committee Chairman Dean Massimini, Sr., AASP/NJ Collision Chairman Jerry McNee and Board member Dennis Cataldo, Jr.

This was not the first trip AASP/NJ has taken to Trenton — the association has had prior interactions with NJDOBI spanning decades — but all Board members involved agreed that it was definitely the best exchange the two parties have had to date.

“We are so grateful for the time that Acting Commissioner Ochs gave to us,” states Massimini. “We had a fruitful discussion about the many issues currently plaguing the auto body industry. They were extremely welcoming and appeared to be very receptive to our concerns. It was great to have a seat at the table and be heard. We had a meeting a few years ago but this was by far the most interactive. They truly seemed concerned and interested in what we had to say.”

“It was a great meeting and we agreed to continue to have conversations about what is happening in the industry,” reports Cataldo. “It seems that the department will rely on AASP/NJ as a source of information going forward.”

On behalf of NJDOBI, Dawn Thomas, a department spokesperson, “The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance values hearing perspectives from the industry. Engaging in open dialogue with all stakeholders is a crucial part of our mission to protect consumers and fulfill our regulatory responsibilities.”

AASP/NJ formally presented their three biggest talking points to DOBI which set the foundation for the meeting:

Consumer Safety & Proper Repairs

AASP/NJ is receiving a growing number of complaints from member repair facilities regarding insurers refusing to negotiate or reimburse for repair procedures necessary to perform safe and proper repairs. In many cases, insurers cite Section 64 of the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act as justification for limiting reimbursement. Despite being referenced frequently, Section 64 has not been updated since 1998 and no longer applies to today’s complex vehicles; additionally, the traditional formula of “paint per hour” has become similarly obsolete in the face of technological advancements over the years.

As vehicles become increasingly complex, with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), cameras, radar sensors, sophisticated electronics, and specialized materials, the consequences of omitting manufacturer-required procedures can directly impact vehicle safety, crashworthiness, and consumer protection.

Our concern is simple: New Jersey consumers should not be placed in a position where cost-saving measures result in repairs that do not fully restore their vehicles to pre-accident condition.

Removal of the Right to Appraisal (RTA)

Historically, the Right to Appraisal has provided consumers with an independent method of resolving disputes regarding the amount of loss and the cost of repairs. Most New Jersey automobile insurance policies have traditionally contained this important consumer protection.

AASP/NJ is concerned that some of the insurers most frequently involved in reimbursement disputes have removed the appraisal provision from their policies, leaving consumers with fewer options when disagreements arise regarding proper repairs.

This raises an important question: Is it fair to New Jersey consumers to lose access to an independent dispute-resolution process while repair complexity continues to increase?

Policy Language, and Who is the Repair Professional

AASP/NJ has concerns regarding certain provisions in auto policies such as “determined by us,” insurer discretion over repair decisions, and how policy language has the potential to adversely impact consumers’ rights to safe and proper repairs. Our members are also reporting back to us increased challenges regarding consumers’ perception of who is qualified to determine proper repair procedures on their vehicle: a trained collision repair professional following manufacturer standards, an OEM-certified repair facility, or an insurance company representative making payment decisions. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with the Department at a later date toward a deeper mutual understanding between parties.

Possibly the biggest takeaway from the discussion was the lack of consumer complaints coming into the Department. AASP/NJ recently launched an initiative encouraging Garden State repair facilities and their

customers to share the complaints they send to NJDOBI with the association for the purpose of collecting and documenting the experiences to ensure consumer voices are being heard.

“One of their concerns is that there are not enough complaints filed with the state,” McNee explains. “There are millions of insurance claims filed in New Jersey every year, yet they are only seeing a small percentage of the issues from the complaints that do come in. How can they view it as a problem that way?”

“Complaints may be few and far between, but how many people will have to get injured in order to figure out what a reasonable amount of complaints is? There is clearly a problem on the horizon,” offers Massimini. “The shops that are following OEM procedures and fixing cars the right way are not the majority, and that’s concerning.”

Complaints are crucial to making change. As an effort to continue the conversation with NJDOBI,     AASP/NJ will continue to compile complaints sent to the department. Shops are asked to have their customers forward submitted complaints to the following email complaints@aaspnj.com regarding insurer practices and interactions that may negatively impact consumers and the quality, safety or timeliness of repairs.

The association urges collision repair facilities to share this request with customers who have encountered claim delays, repair restrictions, steering, reimbursement disputes, parts-related concerns or other insurance-related challenges.

Conversation also centered on proposed legislation in the state Assembly and Senate that would mandate the inclusion of the Appraisal Clause in all automobile insurance policies. Last summer, Sen. Paul Moriarty (D-District 4) filed Senate Bill 4534 that would mandate every insurance policy include the appraisal clause. Last November, Rep. Dan Hutchinson (D-District 4) and Rep. Cody Miller (D-District 4) filed a companion bill in the form of Assembly Bill 6106.

“We were very pleased to have the opportunity to bring these issues to their attention,” adds Massimini. “We didn’t expect to have anything resolved immediately, we were just happy to have a seat at the table. They really seemed open to ongoing communications and we look forward to continuing to work with the NJDOBI team.”

“I believe NJDOBI has a better understanding of the issues now,” McNee believes. “Acting Commissioner Ochs and her staff really seem to be taking our issues more seriously.”

“I really don’t think it could have gone any better,” Miller agrees.

Stay tuned to New Jersey Automotive for further updates on AASP/NJ and DOBI’s interaction.

Want more? Check out the July 2026 issue of New Jersey Automotive!