FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE          November 10, 2008                              Contact: Ernie Corrigan           617-875-1229

“Jack the Mechanic” prevails in N.J. ‘Right to Repair’ campaign

Massachusetts effort gears up for legislative action after election

BOSTON - Move over, Joe the Plumber. “Jack the Mechanic” is getting his own notice in political circles.

In the wake of recent support by the New Jersey Assembly for Right to Repair legislation that requires auto manufacturers to share diagnostic repair information and codes with independent auto repairers so that consumers have a real choice over where to have their cars repaired.

The New Jersey effort follows recent success in Massachusetts where similar legislation advanced through legislative committees and was reported out favorably to the House where it is now on the calendar for possible action this session. The Massachusetts bill will be re-filed for the 2009 session if it doesn’t prevail during this current session.

New Jersey state Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, who sponsored the Right to the Repair bill in that state and successfully carried it to victory in the Assembly (House), invoked “Jack the Plumber during the recent debate on the Motor Vehicle Right to Repair Act in Trenton. “We’ve heard a lot about Joe the Plumber – this is about Jack the Mechanic,” Gusciora said. “Jack the Mechanic has been put out of business because a code or a PIN number is needed to work on it (customer’s car) and the owner has to take it back to the dealer.”

Similar legislation has widespread support in Massachusetts and is being pushed by a coalition of independent repairers who are increasingly stymied by car manufacturers when they go looking for computerized diagnostic codes to repair late model cars. Despite claims by manufacturers that those codes are routinely and promptly available, repairers surveyed this year reported widespread problems in getting those codes and ultimately lose customers over it. Service is often as easy as turning off a ‘check engine’ light that warns of imminent engine or system failure, but mechanics need to correct codes to perform that service.

“Jack the Mechanic is still alive and well in Massachusetts,” said Ernie Corrigan, spokesman for the independent automotive repair industry in Massachusetts. “But our Jack is going to lose his customers and his business without legislation that puts him on a level playing field with dealer mechanics.

A survey this past spring in Consumer Reports found that consumers prefer independent repairers to dealer shops on price, quality and reliability.

The Massachusetts Right to Repair legislation is currently on the House calendar awaiting possible action. It will be re-filed for the 2009 session which begins in January.

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