1 Thing We're Talking About: GAO report examines right-to-repair issue

The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report on potential impacts that changing technologies would have on the right-to-repair issue.

The GAO studied whether the wireless transfer of vehicle health and repair data by manufacturers could give dealership service and parts departments an advantage over independent repair facilities that don't have access to that data — leaving consumers with fewer repair choices, squashing competition and increasing prices.

Most automakers have been operating under a 2014 voluntary nationwide right-to-repair agreement. The 2014 memorandum of understanding, which came about after Massachusetts passed an automotive right-to-repair law in 2013, gave shops in all states the same access to diagnostic and repair information that automakers make available to their authorized dealership networks.

Automakers and a segment of independent repairers say a new pact signed in July reaffirms their commitment to right to repair, potentially shelving the need for federal legislation. But some right-to-repair advocates and aftermarket industry groups aren't convinced.

It is opposed by MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Group and the CAR Coalition, a group that includes AutoZone and Allstate. It also lacks support from the Auto Care Association, a major trade group that represents companies throughout the aftermarket supply chain and one of the original signatories of the 2014 deal.

Some of the stakeholders GAO interviewed for its report, as well as complaints the Federal Trade Commission received, suggested independent shops may face limitations accessing necessary vehicle data.

And with more electric vehicles on the road, advanced technologies may make repairs more complex and expensive because of the equipment, additional knowledge and other investments required. This may put independent shops that can't afford the needed upgrades at a disadvantage.

Also, some independent repair shops the GAO spoke with said the use of telematics systems to send data between vehicles and automakers could give dealerships a competitive advantage. But both manufacturers and independent shops the GAO interviewed agreed telematics data is not currently needed to make repairs.

The GAO said the FTC is trying to better understand the right-to-repair issue so it can possibly consider new ways to categorize consumer complaints to better illustrate how much it impacts vehicle owners.

For its report, the GAO completed a literature review, researched relevant publications, examined FTC complaints and spoke with more than 50 representatives from the auto industry, including manufacturers, independent repair facilities and others.

"This new report from the GAO is more evidence that repair options for vehicle owners are being limited by auto manufacturers," said Justin Rzepka, executive director of the CAR Coalition. "It's beyond time for the Congress to address this issue and ensure that Americans can choose where and who repairs their vehicles. If they want to go to an independent repair shop, they should be able to do so.

"The bipartisan SMART and REPAIR Acts are specifically focused on righting this wrong."