Auto Care Association has joined other global association leaders to support the critical global right to repair movement by signing the new right to repair position statement. The statement enumerates the core beliefs of the movement and the objectives and intended outcomes of right to repair legislation. Importantly, the document sets forth 10 best practice principles to developing a framework for right to repair legislation that any supporting country can use and adapt them to their needs.

Globally, the automotive aftermarket keeps 1.52 billon vehicles on the road while contributing $1.8 trillion to the global economy. After vehicles exit their warranty period, independent repair shops perform 70% of repairs. This vibrant industry and the consumer choice that it creates is being threatened by automotive manufacturers that block access to wirelessly transmitted vehicle repair and maintenance data.

The vehicle service and repair industry is an essential service which includes manufacturing of garage equipment and replacement parts, distribution networks and service and repair shops.

Around the world, we are responsible for keeping over a billion vehicles on the road in safe condition. Independent auto repair shops are in every jurisdiction and constituency worldwide.

These independent shops ensure that motorists in every community, including small and remote, have reasonable and timely access to essential vehicle services. Across the globe, consumers are facing a significant threat to their right to repair their vehicles at the auto repair shop of their choice.

Vehicles are increasingly becoming like cellphones, connected wirelessly at all times. These connected vehicles collect thousands of data points on the health of vehicle systems.

The automakers then transmit these data to themselves wirelessly, obstructing access to it by independent repair shops. Without access to these data, there are significant risks to the automotive aftermarket including:

• independent auto repair shops cannot service a vehicle, and it becomes more difficult to ensure vehicles are operating as efficiently and safely as possible;
• consumers will lose the right to repair their vehicle at the auto repair shop of their choice, and we expect the problem to continue to grow;
• reduction in competition for service and repair of vehicles, thus risking shop closures, compromising hundreds of thousands of jobs, and limiting access for consumers to an affordable repair market;
• and governments may not meet their electric vehicle adoption goals because there will not be enough service and repair options for such vehicles.
• For a truly open, fair, and competitive automotive aftermarket, consumers need to be protected by legislation that reflects the new reality of vehicles.