Washington, D.C. — A coalition of auto repair advocacy groups has reached what they are calling a “landmark” agreement for North America’s right-to-repair movement on Tuesday, following the affirmation of a 2014 memorandum of understanding.
The Automotive Service Association (ASA), Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), and Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators) restated to Congress this week that “independent repair facilities shall have access to the same diagnostic and repair information that auto manufacturers make available to authorized dealer networks,” according to the memorandum of understanding.
In Tuesday’s letter to Congress, the coalition explained that “This commitment was created with our mutual and valued customers in mind: vehicle owners. It affirms that consumers deserve access to safe and proper repairs throughout a vehicle’s lifecycle [and] it is built to last because it anticipates changes in automotive technologies and market evolutions.”
The coalition laid out a number of specific requests in its letter, including that independent repair facilities be given the opportunity to purchase OEM diagnostic and repair information on fair and reasonable terms, and that the diagnostic information be accessible via a non-proprietary vehicle interface device.
The letter also stipulates that diagnostic and repair information not be restricted based on powertrain, thus preventing OEMs from being able to obscure information about advanced EV technology.
A sense of cooperation between independent repair facilities and OEMs is also reaffirmed in the letter, saying “…independent repairers and automakers are not at odds on automotive data access but rather in lockstep on this fundamental principle: consumers should have a choice when it comes to repair options and the ability to have their vehicle serviced in well-equipped shops by well-trained technicians anytime, anywhere, anyplace.”
The commitment came into effect upon the signing of all parties on Tuesday. Click here to view the coalition’s full letter to Congress.
