In the News

May 12, 2023

The REPAIR Act is now up to 15 co-sponsors after the addition of Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) on May 11. 

April 25, 2023

Eight New Bipartisan Sponsors Sign On to Right to Repair Legislation for Vehicles

April 21, 2023

Massachusetts AG changes course in case over repair telematics law Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell will enforce a November 2020 ballot measure to extend the state’s automobile right to repair law to include access to vehicle telematics data after terminating a non-enforcement stipulation of the Law put in place by former AG Maura Healy in December 2020.  “The remaining claims to be decided in this case are the Alliance’s preemption claims under the federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act (“MVSA”) and the federal Clean Air Act (“CAA”),” Campbell wrote in her April 14 brief. “The test for preemption is whether there is ‘no set of circumstances’ under which a party can comply with state law without violating federal law. Incredibly, the Alliance’s brief mentions neither the MVSA nor the CAA. It instead ruminates on purported ‘problems’ with the Data Access Law and difficulties its members will face in achieving ‘compliance’ with it. …Such concerns — even if they found support in the record, which they do not — fail to not support preemption.”

Colorado Ag Equipment bill was transferred to the desk of Governor Jared Polis this week. He is expected to sign it into law before the end of the month.

During an April 18 congressional hearing on the Budget of the Federal Trade Commission, REPAIR Act Sponsor Dr. Neal Dunn (R-FL) raised his bill and the importance of addressing motor vehicle repair restrictions. Additionally, Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA) asked the FTC about their plans to address right to repair for automobiles. Additionally, FTC Chair Khan and Commissioner Bedoya both mentioned the recent work on repair by the Commission during their testimony.

April 14, 2023

Momentum continues to build on Right to Repair. This week, a witness from the FTC testified before a California Senate Subcommittee on repair restrictions. In the written testimony, FTC highlighted the automotive aftermarket’s ability to repair complex vehicles.

Also in the states, the Colorado legislature passed an agriculture right to repair bill for tractors, sending the bill to the Governor for signature.

March 31, 2023

A bi-partisan coalition of twenty-eight state attorneys general wrote to the Senate Commerce and the House Energy and Commerce Committees this week urging passage of federal repair access legislation.  The letter can be found here. This letter is a demonstration of the continued support for consumers’ rights to access to repair information.

March 24, 2023

European Commission Releases Proposed Rules on Repair – This week, the European Commission released the “Rules Promoting the Repair of Goods.” The European Right to Repair Coalition was critical of the proposal, finding that it was a step forward but does not make “repairability an affordable reality.” The proposal does not address vehicles. 

Trouble for Tesla? Reuters Article on Repairability of Damaged EV Battery Packs finds that Tesla batteries in particular, with other OEMs are highlighted, are difficult to repair after a collision, leading to low-mileage vehicles being scrapped after a crash. Tesla facing two class action suits from customers claiming they’ve been forced to pay unfair prices for car repair and face unnecessarily long waits because of company’s anti-consumer practices. 

Tuesday, March 21 was National Agriculture Day. President Biden highlighted farm equipment right to repair in a proclamation. “We are working to secure the so-called “right to repair” so farmers can fix their own machinery and tractors, rather than being required to send them back to the manufacturer.”   

March 17, 2023

In February, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a study on the repair of ADAS systems, the need for “Affordable and accessible centralized databases with repair and calibration specifications and instructions from the manufacturers would be a start to addressing industry-wide challenges.” MEMA has spoken with IIHS about the study.