Good morning, and welcome back. Hard to believe November is just a few days away. Hope the week has been a steady one at the shop.

— Alex M, Editor

A new study funded by SEMA sizes up the specialty equipment industry. That means companies that make, distribute, sell, and install parts that upgrade or restore a vehicle. Think lift kits, wheels, tuners, lighting, audio, and classic car restoration.

The headline numbers:

The mix is shifting. Manufacturing jobs rose to about 118,000, up from 109,000 in the last study, while retail and distribution jobs fell. The report says that pattern lines up with tariffs, which make U.S.-made parts more competitive and squeeze businesses that sell imported ones.

Why it matters: Even if you never sell a lift kit, modified vehicles roll into your bays every week. A lifted truck, oversized wheels, a tuner, or an aftermarket bumper can change how a car drives, how it scans, and whether its ADAS sensors still line up. Knowing what was added before you start diagnosing can save real time.

For shops that do take on upgrade work, this is a big market with steady demand behind it. The tariff shift may also show up on your parts invoices, with U.S.-made upgrade parts gaining ground and imported ones getting pricier. That could change which brands you stock and how you quote the work.

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Toyota is recalling 228,367 Sienna Hybrid minivans from model years 2022 through 2026. In some frontal crashes, the second-row seat backs can come unlocked. A seat back that does not stay upright cannot hold the person sitting in it.

The recall only covers seven-passenger vans. Toyota found the problem during its own crash testing, not from field reports.

The fix depends on the van:

Why it matters: The Sienna is one of the most common family vans on the road, and the 2022s are already four years old. Plenty of them now come to independent shops for routine work. Families in these vans may not realize the seats are part of a recall.

For most vans, the fix is software, not new parts. That means it stays at the dealer. A quick recall check during a service visit can point the customer to the free repair.

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Shop software company Shopmonkey and performance parts distributor Turn 14 announced a partnership that puts Turn 14’s catalog inside Shopmonkey. Shops will be able to search parts, see real-time stock and pricing, and drop parts into an estimate without switching programs. Order tracking and invoices will sync back automatically.

The basics:

One shop owner described the current routine as opening a new tab, checking Turn 14, copying the part number into Shopmonkey, and building the line items by hand. With the integration, he said he could quote a job while the customer is still on the phone.

Why it matters: This fits a pattern we keep seeing. Parts catalogs, calibration tools, and payment options are all moving inside the software shops already use to write estimates. Fewer tabs means less time hunting and fewer typing errors on part numbers.

It also connects to the SEMA study above. Shops doing upgrade work are the main audience here. For those shops, the question may be how much quoting time this kind of setup could save each week.

Full story here

🏆 AAPEX named its 2026 Service & Repair Award winners, honoring a shop owner, a service advisor, and a technician from independent shops in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska.

🛻 Ford is recalling about 30,100 trucks, including 2026 Super Duty and 2026 to 2027 F-150 models, because the left tailgate cable can fail under heavy loads and let the tailgate drop.

🖥️ Lexus is recalling more than 63,300 NX SUVs from 2022 to 2024 because the instrument display can go partly blank at startup and hide warnings like oil pressure, with a free software fix.

🔋 Audi is recalling 9,048 Q4 e-tron EVs from 2024 and 2025 over a battery fire risk, and owners are told to charge no higher than 80% until a fix is ready.

🔧 Driving Force Collision Network bought Brothers Auto Body in Cromwell, Connecticut, its first shop in the state and ninth overall, focused on luxury and EV repairs.

⚙️ Diesel parts supplier Alliant Power acquired Family Machine, a Denver engine machining shop dating to 1968, to add capacity for remanufactured long blocks.

One question for you: Does your shop take on upgrade work like lift kits, wheels, lighting, or tuning, or do you stick to repair and maintenance? Whether you sell the work or install it, hit reply and tell us why.

Thanks for reading. Send us any feedback too. We read all of it.