A Quick Guide to Right to Repair

Consider this scenario … you’re driving to work one morning in your rural community and notice your check engine light comes on. What do you do? In most cases, you’ll follow one of these two options: either visit your local trusted repair shop down the road who you know will give you a fair quote for the work, or, if you’re a skilled DIYer, handle the repair on your own. Now, what if those options weren’t a possibility and you were forced to go to the dealership instead? The price for repair could be considerably higher and this dealership is not a mile or two away, but potentially an hour or longer trip.

This very real possibility is what we’re fighting against by passing The REPAIR (Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair) Act. The simple fact is vehicle owners should have the ability to choose where they want their vehicles repaired. It comes down to consumer choice. Keep reading to learn why this right is at stake and what you can do to help.

What's the Issue?

In this increasingly digital age, and as car technology continues to evolve, access to vehicle data has become exponentially more important to be able to diagnose issues and perform repairs. New vehicles with telematics (aka wireless transmission of data) will send their data directly to the manufacturer, where they control who has access and at what cost they want to share the data.

According to repairact.com, 95% of new vehicles sold globally will have wirelessly-transmitted connectivity by 2030.

Thinking about our original scenario, say maybe your vehicle is one that is equipped with telematics. The data necessary to diagnose the issue is now sitting with the dealership and unavailable to you or your local repair shop because they have refused to share it. According to repairact.com, on average, drivers spend 36% more on repair costs at the dealership than they would at an independent service shop.

There are four key reasons why we need to protect our right to repair:

1. We need to keep affordable repair options available.
2. Not only do we need affordable repair options, but we need them to be accessible. There are many Americans who do not have easy access to dealerships and can’t afford to take time away from work to drive the hours it could take to reach one.
3. If forced to visit a dealership for costly repairs, drivers may choose to delay maintenance and as a result, put their safety at risk.
4. Drivers deserve to choose where they want their vehicle serviced.

Still confused? #PEAKSquad Ambassador Alex Taylor breaks it down here:

And more from #PEAKSquad Ambassador Emily Reeves here:

So, what needs to be done to protect drivers’ right to choose?

REPAIR Act & How to Help

First introduced to Congress in February of 2023, H.R. 906 the REPAIR Act, as described in the bill summary on Congress.gov, “requires a motor vehicle manufacturer to provide to a vehicle's owner certain direct, real-time, in-vehicle data generated by the operation of the vehicle that is related to diagnostics, repair, service, wear, and calibration or recalibration of parts and systems of the vehicle.”

The Auto Care Association, CAR Coalition, and Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), put together a nice summary document detailing the ways in which the REPAIR Act would resolve the issue at hand. Here are the rapid-fire points:

• Preserving Consumer Choice: The right to choose where to have a vehicle repaired.
• Providing Access to Critical Repair Tools and Information: All tools and information for repairs must be made available at a fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory price.
• Ensuring Cybersecurity and Transparency: Consumers’ vehicle data will remain secure and be made transparent to the owner.
• Enforcement: Consumers and independent repairers would be able to file complaints with the FTC.
• Ensuring Industry and Consumer Engagement: The FTC would need to establish a Fair Competition After Vehicles Are Sold Advisory Committee with all impacted stakeholders involved.
• Report to Congress: A biennial report would need to be submitted to Congress by the FTC with a summary of any activity related to the Act.
• Maintaining Consumer Choice in the Future: The Act would be reviewed every three years to determine if it needs updates to match new vehicle technology.

It’s so easy to help spread the word about the REPAIR Act! As easy as filling out a few fields and clicking a button, in fact. Auto Care Association, MEMA, SEMA, and CAR Coalition have put together a letter writing campaign to urge Congress to put vehicle owners’ interests first by supporting right to repair. To date, over 60,000 letters have been sent to Congress. It takes 30 seconds, and the message is already pre-populated for you.

Send a message to your local legislator now: https://www.repairact.com/.

Don’t forget to spread the word about #RighttoRepair and #RepairAct on social media! It’s critical to our industry that we protect American’s right to repair. Now’s the time to speak up and get involved.

For more information on Right to Repair, here are some great resources:

• https://www.autocare.org/government-relations/current-issues/access-to-and-control-of-vehicle-data
• https://www.repairact.com/