GREENSBORO, N.C. — When your check engine light comes on, you might not know what’s wrong, but your automaker does—and it doesn’t have to share that information with you.
Wireless technology allows automakers to be the gatekeeper of your car’s information. There’s a bill in Congress that will change that. A few states already have similar laws. It’s known as the “right to repair.”
Right To Repair is supported by organizations like Consumer Reports. It gives customers information about their vehicles. That way, consumers have a choice on where to go for repairs.
Leaders with the Auto Care Association say having options saves money.
“Through our research and surveys we have conducted, the cost of repair is, on average, 36% less in the independent aftermarket rather than the dealership,” said Bill Hanvey, President and CEO of the Auto Care Association.
The National Automobile Dealers Association opposes the right to repair. In a statement on its website, it says aftermarket companies, like repair shops, “gain access to automakers’ proprietary information,” which it says can create “new privacy, vehicle security, and safety risks.”
"The security issue is kind of a red herring. Repairs shops just need the data required to fix your car; they’re not rewriting the car’s software. What’s really dangerous is people driving unrepaired cars because they can’t afford to take them to the manufacturer," said Justin Brookman, Consumer Reports.
NADA says necessary information to repair vehicles is already available, but service techs tell Consumer Reports it’s not enough and is confusing.
The right-to-repair issue goes beyond cars. You can run into the same problems when trying to fix your electronics. PIRG has a list of all the states that have introduced some sort of Right To Repair legislation. Some 30 states have done something in 2023. In NC, the legislation only covers medical devices.