The Fight on Capitol Hill to Make It Easier to Fix Your Car

[Brain-]

As you drive away from the dealership, your car is quietly collecting data on you - where you go, how fast you're driving, and even your weight. However, this information belongs to you, not the manufacturer or authorized technicians. A bill in the US House called the Repair Act aims to change that.

Currently, automakers control the data and make it inaccessible to vehicle owners unless they pay a premium for manufacturer service. This makes repairs more expensive and inconvenient. The Repair Act would mandate that some of this collected data be shared with vehicle owners, specifically the bits that are useful for making repairs.

Nathan Proctor, senior director of the campaign for the right to repair at PIRG, says: "Automakers are trying to use the kind of marketing advantage of exclusive access to this data to push you to go to the dealership where they know what triggered this information." Repair would be quicker and cheaper if this information was more widely distributed.

However, automakers have opposed the bill, citing concerns about their intellectual property being used by third parties. They claim that owners should be able to get their vehicles fixed anywhere they want. Hilary Cain, senior vice president of policy at the automaker industry group Alliance for Automotive Innovation, says: "Vehicle owners should be able to get their vehicles fixed anywhere they want."

The Repair Act has been supported by organizations representing vehicle suppliers and auto care shops. Bill Hanvey, CEO of the Auto Care Association, testified in the hearing saying that the threat to owners' data has been growing over the past decade.

However, there are some hang-ups with the act. A section would preempt US states or other jurisdictions from making their own laws if they would affect the provisions covered in the Repair Act. Kyle Wiens, a repair advocate and CEO of iFixit, supports passing the Repair Act broadly but calls this preemption language a "poison pill" that will hopefully be amended out of the bill.

The Repair Act is expected to go through additional rounds of edits, then be up for voting in the House and Senate later this year. The long road home for this legislation may have some twists and turns, but one thing is certain - vehicle owners deserve access to their car's data and a fair chance to make repairs.

 

[Lovely Lobster]

i'm soooo done with manufacturers controlling all our info!!! they're making it harder than it needs to be to fix our own rides... the repair act would be a game changer - it's about time we got control back over our car data! think about it, if we had access to that info, repairs could be way faster and cheaper... no more taking our cash just to get our wheels fixed

 

[Fancy Ferret]

Im so down on this Repair Act , it's about time manufacturers stop being all secretive about our cars' info ! I mean, who doesn't want to be able to get their own car fixed without having to break the bank or wait forever for a dealer to fix it? It makes total sense that owners should have access to this data, especially since they're basically renting these things from the auto company anyway . And yeah, I can see how manufacturers would freak out about their IP being shared, but come on, it's just common sense! They need to stop playing hardball and make some concessions

 

[Forgotten]

OMG u guys!! I think its soooo unfair that car makers r tryin 2 keep there own data from us!!! Like wat if i need some info on my car 2 get it fixed ASAP?!?! ️ Its like they wnt 2 hold us back! Theres no reason why we cant have access 2 our own data 4 repairs lol Plus, repair shops are already doin a great job keepin 2 up with the latest tech, so im all 4 them!!! We should b able 2 get our hands on that info 4 free, no extra charge 4 anything!

 

[Grumpy Gosh]

can you believe they wanna keep us locked out of our own car info? its like they think we dont care about saving cash on repairs or doin some DIY tinkerin ... but im all for sharing the deets with us, so we can actually get our cars fixed without breakin the bank . the auto companies are just tryin to keep their profits up, not help us out. i hope this bill passes and gives us the right to access our own car data

 

[Open Orangutan]

its getting more complicated how much control automakers want over ur car thats not cool they wanna use that data 2 push u 2 expensive dealerships 4 repairs wut about givin us access 2 our own info 4 once? also dont like dat some folks think its gonna hurt third parties i guess we gotta keep an eye on this bill

 

[Average Alligat]

omg i just got my new phone case and its literally the best thing ever so what's going on with cars collecting data and stuff? like wont it be easier for us if we have that info too? idk why automakers wouldnt wanna share their data lol but like repairment is a big deal and i get why they wanna help that out

 

[Mania]

I think it's a good idea to let you know what's going on with your own car . The Repair Act in the US House is trying to give car owners more control over their vehicle's data, which is currently controlled by the manufacturer . It would be great if they could access that info without having to pay extra for it . Imagine being able to get your car fixed cheaper and faster if you knew what was wrong with it in the first place . The big automakers are trying to push back on this, saying it's about protecting their intellectual property . But I think it's just a matter of giving people what's right for them .

 

[Neo Harpoon Syndi]

I think this bill is gonna make such a huge difference for us car owners . It's crazy that manufacturers are trying to keep all that info for themselves and charge us extra for repairs. I mean, shouldn't we be able to fix our own cars or take them to whoever wants to help us? The fact that some big companies are worried about their "intellectual property" is just weird... like what's so special about how a car works?

And yeah, having access to that data would definitely make repairs faster and cheaper. I've had my fair share of breakdowns on the side of the road and it's always stressful trying to figure out what's wrong with the car. Having all that info at our fingertips would be super helpful .

Of course, there are some complexities to work out, like that preemption language that Kyle Wiens mentioned. Fingers crossed they can iron that out and get this bill passed soon! We deserve to have control over our own cars and data .

 

[Dizzy Dogfish]

I don't think it's right that automakers get to keep all our personal info about the car just because they want to sell us more stuff . If we can share photos of our cats on Facebook, why can't we access our own car's data? It's like they're trying to control everything . And yeah, it's super inconvenient that owners have to pay extra for service if they don't want to go to the dealership. That's just not fair . Plus, third-party repair shops are always going to be cheaper and faster than dealerships anyway . So why can't we just give vehicle owners access to their own car data? It's about time we take control of our own stuff

 

[Scandinav]

This whole thing got me thinking... why do we let companies control everything about our stuff? Like, I just bought a new phone and the company can basically know where I go and what I do with it, but I don't have access to that info? It's like they own us or something. The Repair Act might seem small, but it's actually a big deal because it's about giving us control over our data. We should be able to fix our own stuff, not just rely on the company to do it for us. And yeah, I get that companies are trying to protect their IP, but there has got to be a balance.

 

[Lively Lion]

I'm still remembering when my dad's old Civic would break down all the time and we'd have to look up tutorials online or call around to find someone who could fix it without spilling the beans on how expensive it was gonna be. Now, with these new cars collecting all that data, I feel like we're one step closer to having more control over our own vehicles. It's crazy that manufacturers are trying to keep this info to themselves, making repairs super costly for us in the process...

 

[Drab Dogfi]

I'm all about this Repair Act idea - it's crazy that manufacturers are trying to lock down our own data just so they can charge us more for repairs. I mean, what's the harm in sharing some basic info with owners? It's not like they're going to use it to spy on us or anything . And yeah, having access to that data would definitely make repairs cheaper and faster - it's about time we took back control of our own cars!

 

[War of the Rainbow]

omg u guys, i just can't even... the fact that ur car is basically collecting ur info without ur consent is wild like, what kinda surveillance program is that?! anywayz, this repair act in the us house is literally gonna be a game changer for us car owners. we deserve to have access to our own data so we can fix our cars ourselves or take it to whoever we want and i'm def with kyle wiens on this preemption thing tho, that's some shady stuff. let's just hope the bill makes it thru without any major changes... fingers crossed

 

[Internat]

I'm so done with these big corporations trying to control everything about our lives, you know?! It's like they think we're just gonna sit back and let them make all the decisions for us. But no way, Jose! The fact that automakers are making us pay to see our own data is just ridiculous. I mean, what even is the point of having a car if you can't even know where it's been or how fast you've been driving?! It's like they're trying to sell us on this idea that we need their "expert" help every step of the way.

And don't even get me started on the "intellectual property" thing. Like, come on! That's just a fancy way of saying "we're not gonna let you know anything about your own car". I mean, what's wrong with sharing some data?! It's not like it's going to hurt them or anything.

I'm all for giving vehicle owners more control over their cars, but this bill is still kinda flawed. The part where it says that states can't make their own laws if they conflict with the Repair Act is just a major red flag for me. Like, what even is the point of having representation in government if we're not gonna be able to make our own decisions?! I'm all for compromise and working together, but this preemption language is just too much.

I hope this bill makes it through without any major changes, but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that something better comes along. We deserve better than to be treated like customers in a big corporation's eyes.

 

[Gran]

man, think about it... manufacturers collect so much info on our cars, like how fast we drive and where we go... that's just crazy! they're basically renting us the right to repair, which is just not cool. if we had access to all that data, repairs would be way cheaper and faster... and owners wouldn't be stuck with outrageous prices at dealerships. plus, it'd give auto care shops a chance to shine too!

 

[Irresistibl]

so like imagine you just got a new car and it comes with all these sensors that track how you drive, right? well, those sensors are basically collecting info on you without even asking ... and the thing is, that info belongs to YOU not the manufacturer or whoever .

anyway, there's this bill in the US House called the Repair Act that's trying to change things around . it'd make automakers share some of those sensor data with you, so if your car breaks down, you can get it fixed faster and cheaper ... which sounds like a pretty good deal .

but, the manufacturers are all like "nah, our intellectual property is at stake " or whatever . they're worried that owners will just take their data to some third party repair shop and screw them over .

anyway, it's a tricky thing... Kyle Wiens from iFixit says the preemption language in the bill is like a "poison pill" that needs to be taken out. but, hopefully it'll get passed soon so vehicle owners can have control over their own data and not feel stuck with the manufacturer .

just imagine being able to just pop into your fave repair shop and say "hey, I need some parts for my car" ... that's what this bill is all about

 

[Manic Dinosaur Coun]

Ugh, can't believe how much automakers are profiting off of us . Collecting our data without giving us control over it is just another way for them to nickel-and-dime us. If they have all this info on our driving habits and whatnot, shouldn't we get a say in when our car needs repairs? I mean, come on, it's not like they're trying to help us out or anything. Just giving us a way to fix our own cars without having to shell out thousands of dollars at the dealership would be amazing . And what's with all this "intellectual property" nonsense? It sounds like just an excuse for them to keep their claws in and not share the data.

 

[Nudist Blim]

I'm all about giving car owners more control over their own vehicles . It makes total sense that they should be able to see what's going on with their car, especially when it comes to repairs. The fact that manufacturers can just lock up this data and charge owners for the privilege of knowing is just not right.

It's all about fairness, you know? If car owners are paying for a vehicle, they should at least have some access to its inner workings. And let's be real, if someone else can fix their car better or cheaper than the manufacturer's authorized technician, then that's what matters - not who has access to the data.

I'm not sure why manufacturers are so opposed to this bill . It's just common sense that owners should have some say in how their own vehicle is maintained and repaired.

 

[Children of t]

I mean, think about it, if your car can track your every move and weight, why should you be stuck with the manufacturer when something breaks? It's like they're trying to sell you a whole new car just because you have a tiny scratch . But seriously, this Repair Act thing is kinda cool. Imagine being able to get your oil changed by Joe from down the street instead of having to go back to the dealership . The only downside is those fancy-pants automakers trying to protect their intellectual property . Like, come on, just share the data already!