CAR Coalition Joins Consumer Groups in Letter to Congress on Vehicle Data

July 2, 2020

The CAR Coalition is urging Congress to protect consumers choices in auto repair by allowing them to easily and transparently control their vehicle data.
The Honorable Frank Pallone The Honorable Greg Walden Chairman Ranking Member House Committee on Energy and Commerce House Committee on Energy and Commerce 2125 Rayburn House Office Building 2322 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Walden:

We write to you representing a diverse group of interests aligned in our request that you oppose efforts by car companies to maintain monopoly control of consumer-generated car data and use this data to benefit their own repair business. Specifically, in a letter sent by the “Alliance for Automotive Innovation,” car companies are requesting that Congress impose a “limited five-year preemption regarding access to telematics data.” This self-serving request by car companies should be rejected by Congress.

The implication in the Alliance’s letter that consumer control over their own data must come at the expense of vehicle safety, consumer privacy or cybersecurity standards ignores the facts. Many of the undersigned organizations have been at the forefront of these discussions in the past, advocating for pro-consumer protection laws. The goals, as stated above, can be achieved simultaneously through smart legislative policy and we stand ready to support you in this endeavor.

We are increasingly concerned that manufacturer limits on competition in the car parts and repair marketplace are adding pressure to already record highs for consumer collision repair costs. In uncertain economic times, the added expense of repairs can directly impact quality of life for millions of Americans who rely on a drivable car to get to a job, to school, to the doctor, or to buy groceries.

Individually and collectively, we call on Congress to hold hearings looking at the many factors contributing to the rising cost of auto repair and to put forward legislative solutions that protect consumer choice around repair, and give consumers more control over their data, including the data generated by their cars.

Sincerely, the undersigned,

American Economic Liberties Project

American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA)

Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA)

Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA)

Consumer Access to Repair (CAR)

Coalition Digital Right to Repair Coalition

EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation)

 

Click to read the letter: Download Letter to Congress