IGNITION POINT
Let User Experience Drive Design
Sometimes, what we present to prospective customers just doesn't turn their cranks. Even the best of designs can misfire, especially if user experience was not factored in up front in the process. When it comes to design ... Read More

TOOLS & PARTS
Navigating the Patent Maze
Part of the design and development of any innovative automotive product or procedure is ensuring adequate patent protection is in place before launch. Manufacturers need to develop a patent protocol before it costs them millions ... Read More

CARCHITECTURE
Future Gazing
Making the right decisions for tomorrow often means keeping as many options open today as possible. For automakers, this is the work of futurologists. Don’t confuse them with fortune tellers, psychics or soothsayers — it is much more rational, less dramatic and never as vague ... Read More

VOICES
ASE Certification is a Matter of Common Sense
Although the real-world value of ASE certification continues to be an ongoing debate, I found myself signing up for still another series of ASE recertification tests this year. For me, there's never been any question of the value of ASE testing ... Read More

NOTICE — OCT. 10, 2010 NASTF GENERAL MEETING
The next NASTF General Meeting will be held on Sunday, October 10, 2010 at 1:30 pm at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas NV during ASA's Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW). For more details and an agenda can be ... Read Here

SERVICE INFORMATION
BMW Calms the Storm
When new technology that delivers or receives service information is launched, bugs and glitches can occur. BMW AG is responding to a number of Service Information Reqiuests filed with the NASTF since it's April 2010 rollout ... Read More

EDUCATION & TRAINING
Flesh On The Bones
It's one thing to notice declining enrollment in training classes, especially in tough economic times. But when someone told John Edelen, I-CAR president and CEO, that "I-CAR training isn't relevant anymore," it sparked an avalanche of changes ... Read More

MULTIMEDIA
Eye on Design
Besides having a physical appearance that draws interest, vehicles must also appeal to the emotions and senses of the people who buy and drive them. Have a look at a video collage that demonstrates some of the unique ways that automakers make this happen ... View the Video Collage

THIS IS YOUR NASTF
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers Supports the NASTF
Henry Ford would recognize the complexity of today's cars and trucks, but the automotive industry remains a single body — suppliers, automakers, dealers, aftermarket suppliers, and independent repair shops — working together ... Read More

JUST THE FAQs
How can I locate and read the reports for the Service Information Requests (SIRs) that have been formally filed with the NASTF? ... Any SIR can be viewed by clicking here. Once the webpage opens, simply locate and click on the SIR Track# that interests you.