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During the first year of new vehicle ownership, the consumer is likely to rely upon the new car dealer for repair as part of a service and warranty agreement. After the first year, automotive service and repair more and more involves the convenience of aftermarket professionals. In 1990, the median number of different parts stocked by the typical parts distributor warehouse was 68,500 to service a vehicle population with an average age of 7.8 years. This vehicle population is expected to grow to 200,000,000 by the year 2001, and the part numbers necessary for repair will grow to over 148,000. Automotive aftermarket technicians need service repair information for each part stocked. Unlike the information flow to new-car dealerships, the information flow to automotive aftermarket technicians is uncoordinated. There is no single source of supply. For the industry to provide quality repair service, information will have to more closely follow the part.