REPAIR Act Unanimously Approved by Congressional Subcommittee

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.

What You Can Do

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

  1. 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
  2. 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.

Auto enthusiast and  YouTuber Rich Benoit of “Rich Rebuilds” explains to his 1.4 million subscribers why they should support a national 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.

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.

REPAIR ACT SPONSORS

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

SPONSOR
TRACKER

51

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. 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. Donald G. Davis (D-NC)

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH)

Rep. Christopher Deluzio (D-PA)

Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA)

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. 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. Joe Neguse (D-CO)

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

Rep. Zachary Nunn (R-IA)

Rep. Jim Moylan (R-GU)

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. John Rutherford (R-FL)

Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA)

Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ)

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. David Valadao (R-CA)

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI)

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

White House Convenes Right to Repair Experts, including Car Coalition Member

 

The issue of right to repair was once again front and center this week as the White House convened policy and industry experts convened to discuss the impact of repair restrictions on consumers. The Biden administration has been focused on right to repair issues since 2021 when it issued a report calling on Congress to address repair restrictions, including for automobiles.

Since then, two bipartisan pieces of legislation aimed at expanding right to repair options for vehicle owners have been introduced in Congress. The CAR Coalition strongly supports these bills, the SMART (H.R. 1707) and REPAIR (H.R. 906) Acts, which are part of a growing trend of pro-consumer right to repair measures pending in Congress.

One of the featured experts in the White House discussion was Don Jones, a Senior Vice President in the Claims organization at Allstate, a CAR Coalition member. In his remarks, he thanked the Biden administration and the U.S. Congress for their consistent focus on unfair repair restrictions and consumer rights. He offered that the Allstate Claims team is on the front lines working with customers every day when disaster hits – whether that be a storm or auto accident – and explained why Allstate and the CAR Coalition are focused on finding solutions that help consumers. Jones said, “That’s why Allstate and our partners at the CAR Coalition support the SMART Act.

The Truth About Car Parts

A Cost Comparison

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.

Spiraling Cost to Repair

(Dept. of Labor Consumer Price Index)