If you buy a car, you should own your car. But today, automakers are increasingly using software, repair data, and diagnostic tools to lock drivers into dealership-only repair networks, driving up costs and squeezing out local mechanics.
Florida Congressman Neal Dunn wants to put a stop to this
His bill is called the REPAIR Act. Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act.
The Florida Rep says the bill has bipartisan support that would protect consumers, lower prices, and restore common Sense.
Supporters of the bill say if you own your car, you should own its data too. Your vehicle belongs to you, not the automaker. No corporation should be able to tell you who can fix your truck or where you have to spend your money.
Independent repair shops are, on average, 36% cheaper than dealerships. The REPAIR Act restores competition so families can choose the mechanic they trust instead of the one the manufacturer forces on them.
Data from Congressman Dunn’s office says Americans will pay the price if the REPAIR Act isn’t passed, and consumers are projected to face an additional $34 billion in repair costs every year.
“Nobody would tolerate Apple telling you where you have to charge your phone. Americans shouldn’t tolerate automakers telling them where they have to fix their truck. That’s not consumer choice, that’s corporate control,” said Bill Herle, State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
Today’s automakers are increasingly using software, repair data, and diagnostic tools to lock drivers into dealership-only repair networks which are driving up costs and squeezing out local mechanics.
Congressman Dunn says the REPAIR Act gets to the root of the problem. It restores competition, expands consumer choice, improves service, and lowers prices, by not allowing corporations to lock out their competitors.
The economic side shows there are more than 82,500 family-owned repair shops employing over 345,000 individuals whose jobs could be affected.
