What Is an OEM Position Statement?
An OEM position statement is an official document published by a vehicle manufacturer - Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda, BMW, and others - that defines how their vehicles must be repaired. These aren't suggestions. They are the manufacturer's formal declaration of what is required to restore the vehicle to pre-loss condition safely and correctly.
Position statements cover a wide range of procedures: when diagnostic scans are required, how structural repairs must be performed, which parts must be replaced rather than repaired, whether aluminum welding is acceptable, what ADAS calibration triggers apply after certain repairs, and much more. Together, they represent the most authoritative source of repair standards that exists for any given vehicle.
There are currently more than 700 OEM position statements published across major manufacturers - and the number grows every year as vehicles become more complex. A shop that doesn't reference these documents is repairing modern vehicles in the dark.
Why OEM Position Statements Exist
These documents exist for a simple reason: vehicle manufacturers are responsible for the safety performance of their vehicles. When an airbag deploys incorrectly because the sensor bracket wasn't properly replaced, when a lane-departure system fails to engage after a collision because the camera wasn't recalibrated, when a structural repair cracks under load because a non-OEM procedure was used - the manufacturer is liable, and the vehicle owner is at risk.
Position statements are the manufacturer's formal answer to the question: "What must be done to this vehicle to make it right again?" They are backed by engineering data, crash test performance, and the manufacturer's own vehicle design specifications. They are not written for the insurance industry. They are written for the repair industry - and for the vehicle owners who depend on correct repairs.
This matters for your shop because it establishes the standard of care. If a position statement says a pre- and post-repair scan is required, and you don't perform one, you have not repaired the vehicle to the manufacturer's standard. If an insurer doesn't pay for that scan and you absorb the cost, you've subsidized an insurer's refusal to pay for a documented requirement.
The Most Important OEM Position Statement Categories
Not all position statements carry equal weight in day-to-day disputes. These are the categories that come up most often - and where the stakes are highest.
Diagnostic Scans
Most major manufacturers now require both a pre-repair scan and a post-repair scan on any vehicle that has been in a collision. This is not ambiguous. Ford, GM, FCA/Stellantis, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai/Kia, Volvo, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi/VW, and others have all published explicit position statements requiring scans. Some require specific OEM scan tools, not generic aftermarket tools.
Insurers routinely dispute scan charges. The position statement is your documentation that the scan is not optional - it is a manufacturer-required procedure. Without it, the repair does not meet the manufacturer's own standard.
Structural Repair Procedures
High-strength steel, ultra-high-strength steel, and aluminum-intensive body structures require specific repair procedures that differ from traditional steel repair. Many manufacturers prohibit sectioning in certain areas, require specific welding procedures, restrict heat application, and mandate replacement of structural components rather than repair in certain collision zones.
These procedures are documented in OEM repair procedures, which are cross-referenced in position statements. A shop that repairs a high-strength steel structural component using a general welding procedure - because an insurer won't pay for the OEM procedure - has not performed a safe repair. The position statement documents what was required.
Parts Requirements
Most OEM position statements specify when OEM parts are required - airbag components, safety-critical fasteners, structural panels in specific zones, and other parts where aftermarket or reconditioned alternatives are not acceptable. Some manufacturers have blanket statements prohibiting the use of reconditioned airbag modules. Others specify OEM-only for structural components in primary and secondary safety zones.
ADAS Calibration
Advanced driver assistance systems - lane keeping, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring - require calibration when certain repairs are performed. The triggers vary by manufacturer and system, but position statements document them explicitly. A front bumper replacement may require forward camera recalibration. A wheel alignment may trigger radar calibration on some vehicles. These requirements exist because a miscalibrated ADAS system is worse than a disabled one - it provides false confidence.
Why Insurers Push Back
The conflict between OEM requirements and insurer payment decisions is not accidental. Insurers pay for repairs, not for the manufacturer's ideal. Their incentive is to minimize payment on each claim. OEM position statements represent the manufacturer's standard - which is often more expensive than the insurer wants to pay.
The most common insurer tactics when facing an OEM position statement:
- "That's a recommendation, not a requirement." This is the most common reframing. Position statements that use the word "recommends" are cited as optional. But in context, the manufacturer's "recommendation" is the standard of care - the absence of which constitutes a deviation from safe repair practice.
- "We don't pay for that on every vehicle." Blanket policies that exclude certain procedures - regardless of what the OEM requires for that specific vehicle - are used to deny documented requirements.
- "That's not in our labor guide." Third-party labor guides are not OEM repair documentation. When they conflict with OEM procedures, the OEM procedure governs the correct repair - not the labor guide.
- "We'll pay for one scan, not two." Pre- and post-repair scans serve different functions and both are required by most OEMs. Paying for one does not satisfy the documented requirement for both.
The position statement doesn't negotiate. It defines what is required to repair the vehicle correctly. When an insurer refuses to pay for a documented requirement, they are asking the shop to absorb the cost of that requirement - or to not perform it and deliver a substandard repair. Neither is acceptable.
The Manufacturers With the Strongest Position Statement Programs
| Manufacturer | Key Position Statement Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford / Lincoln | Scans, aluminum repair, structural sectioning restrictions, ADAS calibration, Mach-E / F-150 Lightning specific procedures |
| GM / Chevrolet / Cadillac | Pre/post scans, high-strength steel repair, EV battery system procedures, ADAS calibration triggers |
| Toyota / Lexus | Scans required on all collision-involved vehicles, safety system calibration, structural repair restrictions |
| Honda / Acura | Honda Sensing calibration requirements, scan requirements, aluminum body panel procedures |
| BMW / MINI | OEM parts requirements, scan requirements, carbon fiber repair, ADAS and active safety calibration |
| Mercedes-Benz | Scan requirements, structural repair restrictions, approved repair methods documentation |
| Tesla | Mandatory use of approved body shop network, specific structural and battery repair procedures, scan requirements |
How to Use Position Statements in Disputes
Citing a position statement verbally rarely ends a dispute. You need to make it impossible to ignore - which means documentation that attaches the actual statement to the specific repair decision.
Documentation approach that works
- Retrieve the current position statement. OEM position statements are updated. Always reference the current version. Most manufacturers publish them through OEM repair procedure portals (ALLDATA, OEM1Stop, etc.) or directly on their body repair websites. Print or save the specific statement that applies to the procedure being disputed.
- Attach it to the estimate line. When you add a procedure that an insurer is likely to dispute, include the position statement reference in the estimate line note. "Per [Manufacturer] Position Statement dated [date] - scan required on all collision-involved vehicles." This documents the basis for the charge before the dispute begins.
- Include it in your supplement request. When submitting a supplement for a disputed procedure, attach the relevant pages of the OEM position statement. Highlight the specific language that applies. Make the adjuster's only option to explicitly reject a documented OEM requirement.
- Document in your repair file. The position statement should be in the repair file for every vehicle where OEM-required procedures were performed. If a dispute escalates or a vehicle owner asks why a procedure was performed, the documentation is already there.
- Know the difference between "position statement" and "repair procedure." Position statements are policy documents - they state what is required. OEM repair procedures are technical documents - they explain how to perform the repair. Both belong in your documentation when a dispute involves a specific procedure. The position statement says "you must do this." The repair procedure says "here is how to do it correctly."
Where to Find OEM Position Statements
The primary sources for current position statements:
- ALLDATA Collision. Aggregates OEM repair procedures and position statements across most major manufacturers in one subscription. The most commonly used source in production shops.
- OEM1Stop (I-CAR). Provides access to OEM position statements organized by manufacturer. Free access to many documents.
- Manufacturer direct portals. Ford's Body Repair website, GM's Service Information, Toyota's Technical Information System, and others publish procedures directly. Useful for verifying current versions.
- CIC (Collision Industry Conference) position statements. CIC publishes its own position statements on industry-wide issues. These are not OEM statements, but they carry weight in dispute documentation as a consensus industry position.
The Bottom Line
OEM position statements are the most authoritative documentation available for what a correct repair requires. They are published by the organization with the deepest knowledge of how the vehicle was built, how it performs in crashes, and what must be done to restore it safely.
When an insurer refuses to pay for a procedure that an OEM position statement requires, they are not making a technical judgment. They are making a payment decision. Those are different things. Your job is to document clearly, attach the statement to the record, and not absorb costs that belong to the insurer.
The shops that win these disputes most consistently are not the ones with the most aggressive approach. They are the ones with the best documentation. Build that documentation habit, keep your position statement library current, and make sure every supplement request leaves the other party no ambiguity about what the manufacturer requires.