“This pact masquerades as pro-consumer but, in reality, does nothing to expand consumer choices and give a vehicle owner access to repair data,” says CAR Coalition Executive Director Justin Rzepka
Washington, D.C.—The CAR Coalition, a growing group of independent automotive parts, management and repair companies, associations, and insurers committed to preserving consumer choice and affordable vehicle repair, has questioned the impetus behind a new Right-to-Repair Pact between organizations affiliated with the auto manufacturers and reiterated its support for pro-consumer legislation, the bipartisan SMART (H.R. 1707) and REPAIR (H.R. 906) Acts. A statement from CAR Coalition Executive Director Justin Rzepka follows:
“While it is welcome news that the auto manufacturing industry acknowledges that ‘consumers deserve access to safe and proper repairs throughout a vehicle’s lifecycle,’ today’s letter from the Automotive Service Association, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, and Society of Collision Repair Specialists, is nothing more than lip service and regurgitated platitudes.
“This pact masquerades as pro-consumer but, in reality, does nothing to expand consumer choices and give a vehicle owner access to repair data. The letter states that the organizations listed have recommitted themselves to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from 2014 about patent abuse and data access.
“However, they were not original signatories of that MOU and they did not contact actual signers of the MOU for their input.
“Additionally, any new agreement touted in the letter is entirely unenforceable and nothing more than window dressing. This letter and agreement should be seen for what they really are — an attempt to prevent Congress from advancing consumer-focused legislation like the SMART and REPAIR Acts that would break the monopoly on auto parts and protect consumers’ rights to repair options and data access.
“The CAR Coalition remains committed to pursuing these bipartisan bills in order to put consumers, not auto manufacturers, in the driver’s seat when it comes to vehicle repair.”
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