BOSTON (Feb. 18, 2009)- It's early in the legislative session on Beacon Hill, but the Right to Repair bill filed for the 2009 legislative session already has 46 lawmakers signed on as co-sponsors on legislation that would protect car owners by requiring auto manufacturers to provide independent repairers unrestricted access to the diagnostic and repair codes to repair all vehicles.

A complete listing of legislators who are sponsoring Right to Repair in Massachusetts is attached.

The unusually large number of legislative sponsors for a single piece of legislation signals growing concern in Massachusetts that the continued demise of the auto industry will be felt even among owners of out-of-warranty cars. The 'Check Engine Soon' dashboard warning light has become symbolic of the control car manufacturers wield over your car even after the warranty has expired. Independent repair shops in Massachusetts frequently have to turn away customers when manufacturers restrict access to computerized codes needed to repair that vehicle and turn off that warning light. From tire pressure to brakes, consumers are at the mercy of the car companies and the technology in their own vehicles.

"This issue is about economic justice as well as consumer safety," said Ernie Corrigan, spokesman for the Massachusetts Right to Repair Coalition which represents independent repairers and car owners. There are nearly five million registered vehicles in Massachusetts. Among the members in the coalition are the American Automobile Association (AAA) of Southern New England, the New England Service Station and Automotive Repair Association, the Massachusetts Auto Body Association, the Massachusetts Independent Automobile Dealers' Association; the New England Tire and Service Association; the National Federation of Independent Business; and the Massachusetts Retailers' Association; the Consumer Electronics' Association.

"The economic issue is the threat that this practice by the auto manufacturers poses to the repair industry in Massachusetts that accounts for one in ten jobs here and $6 billion in economic activity," said Corrigan. "The threat to consumers is that they may become collateral damage in the demise of an auto industry that cannot compete on a level playing field and instead holds these consumers hostage by withholding repair information on their cars."