OPINION POLL FINDS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT AMONG SERVICE CENTERS FOR LEGISLATION REQUIRING EQUAL ACCESS TO REPAIR INFORMATION

March 17, 2008

A new independent opinion poll conducted by KRC/Communications Research has found that fully 99 percent of independent automotive service and repair centers support pending legislation in the Massachusetts Legislature that would require car manufacturers to provide them the same access to accurate and timely repair information and tools as that being provided to new car dealers.

The poll was conducted for the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers from March 11-15, 2008, among 115 owners of independent automotive service and repair centers in Massachusetts.

“Support for corrective legislation was overwhelming among these independent service centers,” said Gerry Chervinsky, president of Newton-based KRC/Communications Research. “No matter how big the repair shop or the degree to which this affects them, we found universal support for the statement that they ought to have the same ability to repair vehicles as dealerships.”

As vehicles become more complex with virtually every system monitored or controlled by computers, the owners of those vehicles are discovering that car manufacturers and their dealers have a virtual monopoly on service when they deny independent service centers the repair information they need.

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 repair specifications and detailed data, but manufacturers have increasingly locked service providers out of information on safety alerts and repair information.

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.

The KRC poll also found that the vast majority of respondents, 73%, say that their independent automotive service and repair centers are unable to work on at least one car a month due to their inability to receive adequate repair information, software, or tools. The plurality, 24%, says that this lack of access causes them to turn away more than 5 cars per month. Only 17% of respondents say that they do not have to turn cars away for this reason.

Additionally, the lack of equal access hurts independent repair centers because of the number of unpaid hours spent researching diagnostic information on vehicles they ultimately cannot repair. Almost all respondents, 90%, say that their independent automotive service and repair center wastes at least one hour a month in this manner, while the majority, 53%, say they lose at least nine hours a month.

“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 the poll among independent service centers puts to rest the claim being made by manufacturers and their agents that there is no access problem. “This practice hurts the independents and it hurts the consumer,” said Morin. “The dealer technicians should compete like everyone else on quality and price.”

The “Right to Repair” bill:

• Reaffims 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:

• Affect the dealer’s warranty agreement with the vehicle manufacturers.
• Require manufacturers to disclose manufacturing processes or trade secrets unless that information is made available to new car dealers.

The margin of error for the overall sample is +/-9.0%, with higher margins of error associated with each individual subgroup. A summary of the survey and poll data is available upon request.

For More Information, contact Ernie Corrigan at 617-875-1229.