‘Smart car’ computer technology is driving car owners back to dealers for repairs that often cost 25% more

Massachusetts’ “Right to Repair” legislation gives consumers a real choice by giving independent service centers access to vehicle repair information

But now those independent auto service providers are fighting back with legislation that would require manufacturers to offer them the same information and specialized tools they are now providing dealers. The Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act has been filed in the Massachusetts Legislature and similar legislation has been filed in other states as well as in Congress. Independent service centers have always had access to repair information, but manufacturers have increasingly locked service providers out of critical safety alerts as well as information and software necessary to use on-board computers in order to complete repairs.

The cost to consumers when they can only have their car repaired at the dealership is estimated to be at least 25 percent higher just with labor charges alone, according to a study comparing dealer repair tags with those of an independent service center. Consumers are also forced to purchase more expensive manufacturer’s equipment instead of comparable high-quality replacement parts.

“This practice could not be more anti-consumer,” said state Representative Vincent A. Pedone, D-Worcester, the chief sponsor of H296, which would require dealers and their representatives to provide the information for those repairs. “I can understand why manufacturers might want to protect proprietary information, but these cars belong to the owner of the car and that owner has the right to get it repaired wherever they choose. There are hundreds of business and thousands of employees at work in our independent service centers and they deserve to be protected every bit as much as these dealers.”

Stan Morin, who heads the Massachusetts chapter for the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers and is the general business manager for New England Tire in Attleboro, MA, said that what had always been a free flow of information from the vehicle manufacturer to service providers has now become impeded. “We now have situations where independent service technicians are paying for the information but only getting part of what they need to know and that leaves our customers in limbo,” said Morin. “Consumers want the best possible service at the best possible price, but they are losing their right to choose where to have their car repaired almost as though the dealer owned that car. The dealer technicians should compete like everyone else on quality and price.”

The “Right to Repair” bill:

• Reaffirms the owner’s right to repair their motor vehicle and keep their passengers safe.
• Permits vehicle owners to patronize the repair shop of their choice to service and maintain their vehicles, whether it’s their neighborhood repair shop or a franchised new car dealership, leveling the competitive playing field.
• Promotes consumer safety by allowing vehicle owners and their chosen automotive technicians access to the same information, bulletins and tools available to franchised dealers to repair and maintain late model computer controlled vehicle systems.

The “Right to Repair” bill does not require manufacturers to disclose manufacturing processes or trade secrets. It mandates that information that manufacturers are making available through their dealer network also be made available to independent service providers.

“This legislation merely seeks to restore a system that has been in place since the invention of the automobile,” said Pedone. “What has changed is the computerization of cars, but using those systems to lock consumers out of their right to choose where they want to have their car repaired is a misuse of this technology and certainly not in the consumer’s best interest.”