💼 CCC sells to private equity for $6.1B

Good morning, and welcome back. Halloween is a week out, so expect a few costume sightings at the counter. Hope the week has been a good one.

— Alex M, Editor

CCC agreed to be acquired by a group led by private equity firm GTCR, along with Elliott Investment Management. The deal puts the company’s value at about $6.1 billion.

CCC connects more than 35,000 businesses, including insurers, repair shops, automakers, and parts suppliers. The buyers say they plan to put more money into AI tools. Until the deal closes, CCC keeps running as an independent public company.

Why it matters: CCC ONE sits at the center of how many collision shops write estimates and work with insurers. A change in ownership does not change anything on day one. Over time, though, private equity owners tend to look hard at pricing, product bundles, and contract terms.

For some shops, this may be a good moment to know what your current CCC agreement says and when it renews. CCC also just added a new calibration feature inside the estimate, covered in the quick hits below. How tools like that get priced under new owners is the part worth watching.

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Toyota is recalling 105,794 Land Cruiser Hybrid SUVs from 2024 through 2027. A fuel line connection near the tank can come apart and leak gasoline. Toyota’s testing found a loose line could leak several gallons before the engine shuts off.

Toyota has not pinned down why it happens. What it does know is that the line can come apart when the clip holding the connection gets pushed up out of place. When the clip stayed fully seated, the connection held in every test Toyota ran.

Toyota has 23 field reports and 64 warranty claims tied to the issue. Dealers will inspect the connection, add a clamp, and replace the fuel tube if needed. The repair is free, and owners get notices in mid-December.

Why it matters: These SUVs are new enough that the fix belongs to the dealer. Still, a customer who smells fuel may come to you first. A quick recall check before you put it on the lift can point them to the free repair.

It is also worth knowing for anyone working under one of these trucks. Toyota says a lifted clip is what lets the line separate. Techs doing nearby work may want to give that connection a look before the truck leaves the bay.

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A new company called ADAS View plans to release a free iPhone and iPad app to help collision shops find ADAS components on a vehicle. Founder Andrew Bathe has 26 years in the industry, with nearly six focused on diagnostics and ADAS. He says he built it around the daily work of figuring out what is on the car and what may have been affected.

The app pulls three sources into one inspection:

From there, a tech can review and correct the findings, decode the VIN, and build a report to share. The app can also create a separate supplement report for damage found during teardown.

Why it matters: Missing a required calibration is one of the most common and costly mistakes in collision work right now. A free tool that helps flag what to look for could help smaller shops that do not pay for an estimate-review service. The supplement report could also help when you need to show an insurer why a calibration got added after teardown.

The company is clear that the AI can miss or mislabel parts, and that the app does not replace OEM procedures. For some shops, it may work best as a second set of eyes rather than the final word. It also joins a growing list of tools, from CCC to startups, all trying to solve the same calibration problem.

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📐 CCC added Calibration Guidelines to CCC ONE, pulling calibration recommendations from providers like asTech, Opus, and REVV into the estimate at no extra cost from CCC, though shops need a contract with a participating provider.

🛻 Ford is recalling 102,159 trucks, mostly 2025 to 2026 Super Duty pickups, because analog speedometers and tachometers can stick or show the wrong reading, and dealers will replace the cluster.

🎓 NAPA pledged $75,000 in scholarships for students at Universal Technical Institute’s new Atlanta campus, which trains automotive and diesel techs alongside other trades.

⚙️ Stellantis is recalling 8,329 2026 Ram 2500 trucks because a steering column control module can reset and knock out electronic stability control, with dealers replacing the module for free.

💺 Volvo is recalling 9,930 EX30 and EX30CC EVs because a head restraint cushion may come loose in a crash, and dealers will reinforce it with adhesive.

🏢 Crash Champions opened a new location in Spring Hill, Florida, giving it more than 60 shops in the state and more than 650 nationwide.

One question for you: How does your shop figure out when a car needs a calibration? Does the estimator catch it, does the tech spot it during the repair, does a scan flag it, or do you rely on an outside tool? Whether you write the estimates or work the bay, hit reply and tell us.

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