TULSA, Okla. — When your check-engine light comes on, you might not know what’s wrong, but your automaker does—and it doesn’t have to share that information with you.
Wireless technology allows automakers to be the gatekeeper of your car’s information. There’s a bill in Congress that will change that. A few states already have similar laws. It’s known as the “right to repair.” Consumer Reports explains.
Right to repair is supported by organizations like Consumer Reports. It gives customers information about their vehicle. That way, consumers have a choice on where to go for repairs. Leaders with the Auto Care Association say having options saves money.
The president and CEO of the Auto Care Association says, “Through our research and surveys we have conducted, the cost of repair is, on average, 36 percent less in the independent aftermarket rather than the dealership.”
The National Automobile Dealers Association opposes the right to repair. In a statement on its website, it says aftermarket companies, like repair shops, “gain access to automakers’ proprietary information,” which it says can create “new privacy, vehicle security and safety risks.”
The security issue is kind of a red herring. Repairs shops just need the data required to fix your car; they’re not rewriting the car’s software. What’s really dangerous is people driving unrepaired cars because they can’t afford to take them to the manufacturer.
NADA says necessary information to repair vehicles is already available, but service techs tell Consumer Reports it’s not enough and is confusing.
The right-to-repair issue goes beyond cars. You can run into the same problems when trying to fix your electronics. To read more about that, head to the Consumer Reports website.
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