July 12, 2023
Although it is not news to vehicle owners, major news outlets are now reporting on a phenomenon impacting families across the country – the rising cost of auto repair. According to Axios, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, costs for vehicle repair continue to rise and don’t show any signs of coming down soon. The reasons for the increased cost vary from technician shortages to supply chain issues to inflation. The bottom line is that consumers need relief, and the CAR Coalition is fighting to deliver it.
The New York Times report states, “The average cost of making damaged cars good as new has soared 36 percent since 2018, and may top $5,000 by the end of this year, according to Mitchell, a company that provides data and software to insurance companies and auto repair businesses.” And Axios noted that, “Multiple shortages — a lack of mechanics, parts and new vehicles — combined with higher prices on all types of goods have hiked repair costs, experts say.”
As Americans struggle with rising costs, they are keeping their vehicles longer and seeking repair options when needed. Unfortunately, these rising costs are being driven in part by outdated federal policies that restrict consumer choices in the vehicle repair market. The CAR Coalition is working with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to ensure expanded options and lower costs in the vehicle repair market. The Coalition is advocating for the SMART (H.R. 1707) and REPAIR (H.R. 906) Acts in the U.S. House of Representatives. The SMART Act is focused on ensuring greater parts availability by reducing the length of patents on certain parts. The REPAIR Act ensures vehicle owners have access to their vehicle data so they can decide where to take their vehicle for repair.
Taken together, these measures put vehicle owners, not auto manufacturers in the driver’s seat when it comes to vehicle repair. To learn more about how you can support the SMART and REPAIR Acts by contacting your Member of Congress, please visit carcoaltion.com.