Guest commentary: Automakers admit their parts aren’t perfect, revealing their hypocrisy on aftermarket parts

What We Do

The CAR Coalition is an organization of independent auto parts makers, insurers, retailers and groups working to make sure consumers have the right to choose how and where they get their vehicles fixed.

Automakers want to steer vehicle owners to their own, higher-priced repair shops and prevent consumers from accessing their vehicle data, which are often needed for repairs.

We say this is wrong.

The CAR Coalition is supporting two bills in Congress – the REPAIR Act and the SMART Act – that would create national laws that would give consumers the right to have access to their vehicle data and the ability to use independent repair shops and aftermarket parts.

LEARN MORE ABOUT US

What You Can Do

A national right-to-repair law won’t happen without your support. Here are two things you can do today:

Email your Member of Congress to tell them to support the REPAIR Act and SMART Act. You can do that with one click of the button below.

EMAIL YOUR MEMBER
Share your auto-repair story with us. Has an independent repair shop said they can’t fix your car because of automaker restrictions? Can’t access your car’s data? Let us hear about it. Click below to tell us your story.

SHARE YOUR STORY

Fox News interviews Tim Winkeler, owner of VIP Tires in Service in Portland, Maine, on the need for right-to-repair legislation.

Greg Southwick, General Manager of Falcon Collision and Customs in Grantsville, Utah, explains why consumers need a national vehicle right-to-repair law.

WHAT THE REPAIR ACT (H.R. 906) WILL DO

Guarantees vehicle owners can get the parts, tools and information they need to choose aftermarket parts.
Requires automakers to give consumers the critical information, software and tools they need to fix their vehicles.
Requires automakers to give consumers access to their vehicle data needed for repair and maintenance.
Requires NHTSA and the FTC to propose new rules to guarantee consumer access to vehicle data and provide cybersecurity.

Click to Learn More

OUR ALLIES IN
THE FIGHT

The CAR Coalition is proud to partner with Car Repair Choice and My Parts Choice. Both groups support the passage of the REPAIR Act and SMART Act. Check them out by clicking below.

WHAT THE SMART ACT (H.R. 1707) WILL DO

Reduce automaker patents on collision repair parts from 14 to 2.5 years.
Allow aftermarket parts makers to make and test parts during the newly defined patent period.
Allow aftermarket parts makers to sell a collision repair part after 2.5-year patent lifespan is over.
Would not prevent automakers from enforcing patents against other automakers during 14-year patent lifespan.

Click to Learn More

REPAIR ACT SPONSORS

Lead Sponsor,
Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL)

SPONSOR
TRACKER

57

total number, sponsor
and co-sponsors

Cosponsors

Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV)

Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN)

Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI)

Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL)

Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA)

Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO)

Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA)

Rep. Jerry Carl (R-AL)

Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO)

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL)

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)

Rep. Eric Crawford (R-AR)

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH)

Rep. Donald G. Davis (D-NC)

Rep. Christopher Deluzio (D-PA)

Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL)

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL)

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-
Perez (D-WA)

Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR At Large)

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX)

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI)

Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA)

Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-NC)

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA)

Rep. Ann Kuster (D-NH)

Rep. Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY)

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL)

Rep. Jim Moylan (R-GU)

Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO)

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-At Large)

Rep. Zachary Nunn (R-IA)

Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA)

Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK)

Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO)

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)

Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL)

Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)

Rep. John W. Rose (R-TN)

Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC)

Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL)

Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA)

Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ)

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY)

Rep. Gregory Steube (R-FL)

Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA)

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)

Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI)

Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY)

Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA)

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI)

Rep. David Valadao (R-CA)

Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM)

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI)

SMART ACT SPONSORS

Lead Sponsor,
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)

SPONSOR
TRACKER

12

total number, sponsor
and co-sponsors

Cosponsors

Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia (D-Tex.)

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.)

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez (D-Wash.)

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ)

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.)

Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio)

Rep. Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY)

Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.)

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.)

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL)

Rep. James McGovern (D-MA)

Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO)

CAR COALITION BLOG

Shop Owner: Right-To-Repair Legislation Needed To Put Vehicle Owners, Not Car Companies, In The Driver’s Seat

Sara Baxter

Palm Beach (Fla.) County Commissioner Sara Baxter (left), who owns independent repair shop Foreign Auto Specialists in West Palm Beach with her husband, Brian, urges Congress to pass the SMART Act and REPAIR Act, which would create a national vehicle right-to-repair law that would lower consumer cost and increase choice.

She writes: “Vehicle owners need a federal right-to-repair law that will ensure they can choose where and how they get their car repaired, that will prevent automakers from holding patents on common parts for unreasonably long periods — which would allow aftermarket parts makers to compete — and that would give car owners more control over access to their car’s data and software needed to fix problems. This will spur competition, keep repair prices down and end automakers’ increasing control over your car and its data.”

A Cost Comparison

Front bumper cover w/headlamp washer

Part Sold by Automaker

$1005.00

Alternative Part

$632.00

You Save:

$373.00

Front bumper cover LIMITED

Part Sold by Automaker

$507.00

Alternative Part

$373.50

You Save:

$133.50

Rear bumper cover w/Parking Sensor

Part Sold by Automaker

$547.00

Alternative Part

$439.60

You Save:

$107.41

Rear bumper cover w/o Parking Sensor

Part Sold by Automaker

$502.00

Alternative Part

$404.50

You Save:

$97.50

Rear bumper cover w/Parking Sensor

Part Sold by Automaker

$554.00

Alternative Part

$418.50

You Save:

$135.50

Rear bumper cover w/o Parking Sensor

Part Sold by Automaker

$332.00

Alternative Part

$263.50

You Save:

$68.51

Rear bumper cover w/Parking Sensor

Part Sold by Automaker

$440.00

Alternative Part

$354.50

You Save:

$85.50

Grille assy LIMITED

Part Sold by Automaker

$472.00

Alternative Part

$353.09

You Save:

$118.92

Grille assy

Part Sold by Automaker

$407.00

Alternative Part

$265.98

You Save:

$141.03

Hood panel assy al

Part Sold by Automaker

$820.00

Alternative Part

$569.00

You Save:

$251.00

Hood panel assy al

Part Sold by Automaker

$849.00

Alternative Part

$698.15

You Save:

$150.85

Hood panel assy

Part Sold by Automaker

$940.00

Alternative Part

$565.00

You Save:

$375.00

LT Front fender assy

Part Sold by Automaker

$357.00

Alternative Part

$242.17

You Save:

$114.83

LT Front fender assy

Part Sold by Automaker

$234.00

Alternative Part

$190.27

You Save:

$43.74

RT Front fender assy

Part Sold by Automaker

$357.00

Alternative Part

$242.17

You Save:

$114.83

RT Front fender assy

Part Sold by Automaker

$234.00

Alternative Part

$182.68

You Save:

$51.33

LT Headlamp assy composite al

Part Sold by Automaker

$299.00

Alternative Part

$201.50

You Save:

$97.50

RT Headlamp assy composite al

Part Sold by Automaker

$299.00

Alternative Part

$190.75

You Save:

$108.25

Front bumper cover XLS/XLS Sport

Part Sold by Automaker

$435.87

Alternative Part

$313.50

You Save:

$122.37

Front bumper cover prime

Part Sold by Automaker

$585.63

Alternative Part

$438.00

You Save:

$147.63

Front bumper valance spoiler

Part Sold by Automaker

$136.40

Alternative Part

$116.00

You Save:

$20.40

Front bumper valance spoiler

Part Sold by Automaker

$136.40

Alternative Part

$89.50

You Save:

$46.90

Grille assy w/XLT model=w/o ironman package

Part Sold by Automaker

$378.63

Alternative Part

$277.48

You Save:

$101.16

Grille assy eddie bauer mode

Part Sold by Automaker

$408.70

Alternative Part

$343.05

You Save:

$65.65

Hood panel assy al

Part Sold by Automaker

$883.66

Alternative Part

$672.16

You Save:

$211.50

Hood panel assy al

Part Sold by Automaker

$1049.63

Alternative Part

$861.38

You Save:

$188.25

LT Front fender assy base mode

Part Sold by Automaker

$391.53

Alternative Part

$281.80

You Save:

$109.73

LT Front fender assy GT

Part Sold by Automaker

$358.72

Alternative Part

$275.50

You Save:

$83.22

LT Front fender assy al

Part Sold by Automaker

$387.34

Alternative Part

$320.50

You Save:

$66.84

RT Front fender assy base mode

Part Sold by Automaker

$415.13

Alternative Part

$281.50

You Save:

$133.63

RT Front fender assy GT

Part Sold by Automaker

$359.19

Alternative Part

$252.50

You Save:

$106.69

Rear gate shell Styleside

Part Sold by Automaker

$884.25

Alternative Part

$551.00

You Save:

$333.25

Equal on Safety: Watch Crash-Test Video of an Independently Made Bumper vs. a Factory Bumper

Many independently produced parts are certified by a third party to demonstrate their quality and comparability to the automaker branded part. As an example, the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) provides comprehensive standards for aftermarket part certifications. Here are CAPA front bumper crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the industry gold standard for vehicle safety testing. Two 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 pickups were put through a series of crash tests; one of the pickups was fitted with an independently made bumper fitting the requirements of CAPA, a CAR Coalition member. Results for both pickups were nearly identical, as the video shows.