Neighborhood Repair Shops in Jeopardy Without “Right to Repair” Legislation

Passage of “Right to Repair” Also Protects Vehicle Ownership Rights

BETHESDA, MD – January 11, 2008 – A failure by Congress to enact the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (HR 2694), will threaten the economic well being of hundreds of thousands of small, independently owned repair shops throughout the country, according to Paul Fiore, executive vice president of the Service Station Dealers of America (SSDA).

%quot;Millions of car owners trust independent repair shops to provide affordable and competitive automotive repair service. In order for these shops to stay in business, they must have access to the tools, software, safety alerts and repair information necessary to diagnose and repair all vehicle systems on modern automobiles,” said Fiore. “Passage of the Right to Repair Act will ensure the future health of a competitive automotive repair industry. Our members, many of which have been in the same family for generations, view it as critical to their long-term survival and are very excited about the growing Congressional support.”

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 Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (HR 2694) was introduced in Congress to ensure that car owners and their trusted repair shops have the same access to safety alerts and repair information as the franchised new car dealer network.

"The fact is that American motorists need the more than 200,000 independent repair shops located in every town across the country to keep them on the road,” said Kathleen Schmatz, president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). “There aren’t enough new car dealerships in all the right places to keep every motor vehicle serviced, repaired and operating safely. Right to Repair levels the competitive playing field and ensures that car owners can conveniently and affordably of have their vehicle serviced at the repair shop of their choice, whether it’s their neighborhood repair shop or a franchised new car dealer.”

A complete list of Congressional co-sponsors and a copy of the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (HR 2694) can be found by visiting www.righttorepair.org.

About Right to Repair:

The Right to Repair Act, which was introduced by Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), would require car companies to make the same service information and tools capabilities available to independent repair shops that they provide their to their franchised dealer networks. The legislation further provides car companies with strong protections for their trade secrets unless that information is provided to the franchised new car dealers. The bill clarifies the responsibilities of the Federal Trade Commission in enforcing the bill’s requirements. For more information about the Right to Repair Act, visit www.righttorepair.org.