"Right To Repair" Debate Returns To Congress
After several abortive attempts over the last several congresses, the “Right To Repair” Coalition for Auto Repair Equality has had a new bill introduced in the 112th Congress with the goal of
requiring that car companies provide full access at a reasonable cost to all service information, tools, computer codes and safety-related bulletins needed to repair motor vehicles.
The auto industry has long opposed such bills, which have been passed on the state level but have never been passed into federal law. Back in 2009, then-head of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers lobby group, Charles Territo, argued against Right To Repair legislation in a TTAC editorial, calling it “a solution in search of a problem.” More recently, the AAM opposed a Massachusetts Right To Repair bill on the grounds that it would increase Chinese piracy of auto parts. Needless to say, now that CARE has finagled HR 1449 into Congress with bipartisan sponsorship (from Todd Platts (R-PA) and Edolphus Towns (D-NY)), the debate is about to get fired up all over again.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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I have a CD player in my car that for no apparent reason has stopped working. After much reading in the forums and inquiry to the dealer, any replacement unit needs to match the car year and model and requires programming by the dealer. Cost $3000. Ludicrous!
Years ago Henry Ford said that he would give away his cars if he could have a monopoly on replacement parts. In the end, even Crazy Henry realized that type of business model was self defeating. By monopolizing parts/service, the auto manufacturers are destroying the resale value for their customers. Who is going to buy a Benz with 100K on the clock if it MUST go to the dealer for service? The kind of person who can afford the Benz dealer service is not going to want a used Benz with 100K. The demographic that would have normally purchased such a beast can't afford dealer service. As a result the car quickly becomes disposable. What will the original buyer think when he sees his $70K ride go to zero value after 5-6 years? Think he'll be back to cheerfully plunk down another $70-80K to repeat the process?
I've just had a horrible thought.... the manufacturers are terrified that the improved vehicle build quality of latter times will mean that we will keep them ever longer, diminishing their opportunity to sell us again. Ergo, they build technology into the vehicles that add little or nothing to the value of the vehicle but frighten us off keeping the car beyond the warranty period. Short-term leases rule! I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist but you can just see the top auto execs colluding industry wide on this. Screw the public. Screw the environment. It's all about the economy, stupid!
24 hours later and I'm still waiting for someone to sell me on the "free market" solution for this issue...