Auto repair shops say they face 'inconvenience and delay' without right to repair

CLARKSBURG, Md. (TNND) — Doug Grills just celebrated 27 years of co-owning an auto repair business outside the nation's capital. During that time, he's witnessed his industry undergo a technological transformation. "Years ago, you used to open up the hood of a car, and it was basically a carburetor and the engine block," Grills said. Now, it looks more like a collection of small computers. Grills and his staff welcome the changes, though; they enjoy learning the latest innovations. The problem, he said, is when automakers block mechanics like him from actually working on these cars, forcing drivers to get their vehicle repaired at a dealership instead. "There was one time, years ago, there was a windshield replacement where the vehicle wouldn't start after the windshield had been replaced," Grills said, because the car detected an unauthorized repair. Doug Grills just celebrated 27 years of co-owning an auto repair business outside the nation's capital. During that time, he's witnessed his industry undergo a technological transformation. (TNND) These roadblocks — which can also pop up when trying to do other simple jobs like replacing headlights, mirrors or brake pads — are behind a push for "right to repair" laws, like the bipartisan Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act, that aim to compel automakers to give independent repair shops the same product information and access to tools and parts that they do dealerships. The REPAIR Act advanced out of committee in February, and a narrower version is currently tied to a larger highway funding bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. In Albuquerque, brothers Dustin and Nolan Brown employ nearly 50 workers at their shop, Brown's Automotive Experts. Like Grills, they often hit a wall when doing basic repairs like changing a tire, which need access to the vehicle's internal computer. The brothers said it results in wasted time, resources, and money. "Options that are available to individuals that live in the smaller communities around our metropolitan hub here are extremely limited. You have to have the choices in order to keep as many cars safe on the road as possible. Consumers can't wait weeks and months to get their car fixed," Nolan Brown said. Opponents of the right to repair push, which include many automakers, have argued these laws would infringe on intellectual property, discourage innovation, compromise consumer data and jeopardize product safety. Often, they assert there isn't a problem in the first place. Earlier this year, Hilary Cain, the senior vice president of policy for the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade association whose members include Ford, Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Nissan and dozens more, told the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, 'The good news is that automakers already provide independent repairers with all the information, instruction, tools and codes necessary to properly fix a vehicle.' Grills shook his head at these kinds of denials. He said the proof of the problem is in the prices. "It can be much, much more costly to deal with the dealership," Grills said. According to AAA, dealerships often charge more than independent shops "due to factory-trained technicians, use of specialized diagnostic equipment, brand-specific expertise and higher overhead costs, such as franchise fees and facility expenses." Grills said he and his business partners are always looking to expand to new locations but are hindered by this issue. 'It's totally inefficient, and it creates real, you know, some bottlenecks in our process that we could certainly avoid if we had free and open access to the information we need," Grills said. According to the Department of Labor, costs of vehicle maintenance and repairs have risen more than 7% over the past years — those bottlenecks Grills mentioned haven't helped. Auto repair professionals aren't the only ones advocating for change. Other industries are pushing for the right to repair farming equipment, motorized wheelchairs, computers and more. The issue has even gotten the attention of President Donald Trump. While speaking about the issue in June, he said, 'They don't want people to fix their car. I said, 'that's strange.'" Page 2