The Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act (HR 906) was reintroduced in Congress on Feb. 25 by U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL).
The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Warren Davidson (R-OH) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), with support from 12 additional members.
First introduced by Dunn in February 2023, the bill stalled in a U.S. House committee in October 2024 after it failed to receive the necessary markup to advance to the House floor.
The revised bill “guarantees the rights of owners and their designated repair facilities to maintain and repair their vehicles while maintaining the same cybersecurity standards, intellectual property protections, and vehicle safety standards that the manufacturers use with their dealerships,” said Lisa Foshee, senior vice president of government affairs and general counsel at the Auto Care Association, in an email to Autobody News.
Proponents, including the Auto Care Association, MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, CAR (Consumer Access to Repair) Coalition and Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN), say the REPAIR Act would prevent automakers from monopolizing repair information and services while ensuring access to vehicle repair data remains secure from cybersecurity risks.
In April 2024, the Auto Care Association released results of a nationwide survey conducted by Hanover Research. More than 60% of independent repair facilities that responded to the survey said they experienced difficulties with routine repairs due to OEM barriers. More than 50% of those facilities said they send up to five cars per month to a dealership due to data restrictions, incurring further cost and inconvenience to drivers.
“American consumers deserve full control over their vehicle repair and maintenance data to ensure they can find the best service for their vehicle at a reasonable price,” Dunn said in a statement. “Unfortunately, vehicle manufacturers are standing in the way of American consumers accessing their own data to use the repair shop of their choosing, limiting consumer choice.”
“Americans want a car repair market that guarantees choice and protects accessible, affordable and safe vehicle repairs,” said Justin Rzepka, executive director of the CAR Coalition, in a statement emailed to Autobody News. “We commend Rep. Neal Dunn and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez for their leadership in upholding consumer rights and promoting a free and fair car repair market.”
SAFE Repair Act
A week before the REPAIR Act was reintroduced, the SAFE Repair Act was proposed in a letter to Congress by the Automotive Service Association (ASA), Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and Alliance for Automotive Innovation. The bill is looking for sponsors in the U.S. House and Senate to formally introduce it.
The SAFE Repair Act builds upon a 2023 agreement between those same organizations that granted independent repair shops the same diagnostic and repair information available to authorized dealership networks.
The proposed legislation would codify these provisions while adding further safeguards for consumers, including the right to use OEM repair procedures, parts and tools; extending the same recall and safety protections to consumers who choose non-OEM parts; and supporting periodic safety inspection and post-collision inspection programs.
The organizations that proposed the SAFE Repair Act have been critical of the REPAIR Act, saying its backers are more focused on the part of the bill that would prohibit automakers from impairing a non-OEM parts manufacturer from producing or selling compatible aftermarket parts.
“What you have is a lot of groups who don’t necessarily represent collision repair businesses, saying they are speaking for collision repair businesses, representing a viewpoint that doesn’t match what [our members] are experiencing in their business,” SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg said at a CIC meeting in July 2024, adding that he doesn’t hear shops complaining they can’t access automaker procedures – he hears they are getting pushback from insurers related to following and being paid for those procedures.
Foshee said the proposal of the SAFE Repair Act proves automakers admit congressional action is needed to ensure consumer choice in quality, affordable vehicle repairs.
“The automakers’ announcement is a tactic to delay and defeat pro-consumer right to repair legislation,” Foshee said. “Today, automakers are collecting terabytes of data from their vehicles wirelessly and storing it in their cloud servers. Automakers then unilaterally decide to whom they allow to access this data and under what terms and conditions -- all without input from vehicle owners.
“The [SAFE Repair Act] does nothing to change the model,” Foshee added. “The REPAIR Act, on the other hand, protects vehicle owners and their right to choose where and how to repair their vehicles.
Rental Car Companies, Other Organizations Form New Right to Repair Coalition
Also on Feb. 25, the formation of the American Vehicle Owners Alliance (AVOA) was announced, to “advocate for policies protecting consumers’ property rights, fostering competition, and preventing unnecessary and burdensome restrictions on owner’s access to vehicle-generated data.”
The eight founding members include the American Car Rental Association, the National Consumers League, the National Association of Fleet Administrators, Enterprise Mobility, the Truck Renting and Leasing Association, Safelite, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, and Hertz.
The newly formed coalition also has the support of U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO).
In a news release, AVOA said it will work with Congress and the Trump administration to ensure vehicle owners own and manage their vehicles’ data. This ownership model increases cybersecurity, upholds privacy, protects consumers, reinforces the fundamental understanding of property rights, and makes vehicles and drivers safer.
AVOA did not voice support for either the REPAIR or SAFE Repair acts.
"We are looking for solutions that ensure vehicle owners have access to and control of all their vehicle data. We will work with Congress to support legislation that accomplishes this objective,” said AVOA Executive Director Richard Ward in a statement emailed to Autobody News.
Abby Andrews