Texas Independent Automotive Association supports the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (HR 2694) and strongly urges Congress to pass the legislation ensuring that the public and their trusted independent automotive repair and collision shops have the same access to safety alerts and repair information as the franchised new car dealer network.
"Allowing the same access to this technical information ensures that car owners can obtain the same level of expertise at the shop of their choice," said Lee Roberts, TIAA executive director. "We support the stance already taken by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), the Tire Industry Association (TIA) and other organizations that recognize the importance of passing this legislation."
Because vehicles are becoming increasingly sophisticated with virtually every system either monitored or controlled by computers, servicing these vehicle systems to keep them in safe working condition requires ready access to complete and accurate information from the car companies.
The legislative intent of the Right to Repair Act is to offer protections for motor vehicle owners by making it illegal for vehicle manufacturers to withhold information necessary to diagnose, service or repair motor vehicles.
The Right to Repair Act would ensure that automakers share this information, but also provide car companies with strong protections for their trade secrets unless that information is provided to franchised new car dealers.The bill also clarifies the responsibilities of the Federal Trade Commission in enforcing the law’s requirements.
Other prominent national automotive associations argue that information is already available for independent automotive owners at a fair price and thus the aftermarket parts distributors are attempting to gain access to information for their own profit motives. However, TIAA leadership believes its members are forced to pay top dollar for access to repair data because multiple automotive companies individually charge across the board for proprietary information, which makes it hard for independents to realize a high enough profit margin for services rendered when working on all makes and models.
H.R. 2694 represents the third attempt to pass Right to Repair legislation. Past bills were co-sponsored by more than 100 Congressmen, though momentum for this year’s bill has largely stalled due to upcoming elections.
TIAA encourages its members and all motorists to visit www.righttorepair.org and to send a letter to congressional representatives, urging them to support the Right to Repair Act (HR 2694).