U.S. auto industry discusses right-to-repair policy with Trump

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U.S. auto right-to-repair talks

Highlights

Trump meets with GM CEO Mary Barra, Ford's Andrew Frick, auto industry leaders, and Senator Bernie Moreno to discuss right-to-repair policy amid ongoing disputes.
U.S. House committee advances legislation to codify repair access memorandums and empower the Federal Trade Commission with enforcement authority for post-warranty vehicle repairs.
Automakers argue existing agreements suffice, but independent repair shops and lawmakers seek broader legislation, citing $200 billion U.S. auto service market and concerns over data access and repair costs.

Washington meeting centers on repair access rules

As reported by Reuters, Trump says he meets with General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Ford Motor executive Andrew Frick, senior officials from the National Automobile Dealers Association and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, and Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, a former auto dealer.

Ford confirms it takes part in the meeting, while the two industry groups decline to comment and GM does not respond to a request for comment. Trump says automakers do not want people to fix their own cars and describes that position as unusual.

The dispute has continued for years between automakers and independent repair shops over access to tools, instructions and vehicle data needed to service newer models. The U.S. auto service market is worth about $200 billion a year.

Competing proposals split automakers, dealers and repair shops

Legislation approved by a U.S. House of Representatives committee last week would put existing industry memorandums of understanding into law and give the Federal Trade Commission authority to enforce them. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents nearly all major automakers, backs that approach and says 75% of post-warranty repair work already happens at independent shops.

The group says automakers committed in 2014 to making repair instructions, tools and diagnostic codes available to dealers and independent repairers. But many lawmakers and independent shops argue that broader legislation is still needed to ensure vehicle owners can access and share diagnostic, repair, calibration and recalibration data.

Supporters of tougher rules say limits on data access let automakers raise prices and force independent shops to spend heavily on repair software. The dealers group opposes that legislation, arguing it could help aftermarket manufacturers reverse engineer parts and make knockoffs, while also giving insurers more influence over repair decisions.

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