Senators introduce bipartisan legislation to expand car repair options

U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) have introduced the REPAIR Act, legislation that would expand car owners’ options for automobile repairs. The REPAIR Act ensures vehicle owners, independent repair shops, and aftermarket manufacturers have secure access to vehicle repair and maintenance data, which is critical to the independent aftermarket industry’s ability to provide safe, dependable, and affordable repairs for consumers.

“Big corporations have a history of gatekeeping basic information that belongs to car owners, effectively forcing consumers to pay a fixed price whenever their car is in the shop,” said Senator Hawley. “The bipartisan REPAIR Act would end corporations’ control over diagnostics and service information and give consumers the right to repair their own equipment at a price most feasible for them.”

“Vehicle owners deserve to have options when it comes to safe, dependable, and affordable auto repairs,” said Senator Luján. “Giving vehicle owners, independent repair shops, and aftermarket manufacturers access to vehicle repair and maintenance data is critical to improving repair options. I’m proud to partner with Senator Hawley on this legislation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to support car owners and repair shops.”

As vehicle technology becomes more complex, safely repairing automobiles requires access to data, software, compatible replacement components, training, and sophisticated diagnostic tools. The REPAIR Act guarantees the rights of vehicle owners and their designated repair facilities to repair their vehicles while maintaining the same cybersecurity standards, intellectual property protections, and vehicle safety standards that the manufacturers use with their dealerships.

To protect consumers, the REPAIR Act:

• Prevents automakers from deploying barriers that limit the ability of a motor vehicle owner (or their designee) from accessing their vehicle’s data;

• Prevents automakers from deploying barriers to an aftermarket parts manufacturer, a motor vehicle equipment manufacturer, a remanufacturer, a diagnostic tool manufacturer, or a motor vehicle repair facility (including their distributors and service providers), to access critical repair information, tools, and parts;

• Requires motor vehicle manufacturers to make vehicle data available to consumers (or their designees);

• Requires motor vehicle manufacturers to make “Critical Repair Information, Tools, and Parts” available to motor vehicle owners (and their designees), aftermarket parts manufacturers, remanufacturers, diagnostic tool manufacturers, and motor vehicle repair facilities (including their distributors and service providers); and

• Ensures that Over-the-Air (OtA) updates do not render aftermarket parts inoperable; and
Prohibits automakers from mandating the use of any particular brand or manufacturer of tools, parts, or other motor vehicle equipment.