REPAIR Act

Key Points

• This bill, introduced in the Senate by Mr. Lujan and Mr. Hawley, aims to protect a consumer's right to fix their own car or take it to an independent repair shop. It would require car makers to share the same data, software, and tools with owners and independent mechanics that they currently provide to their own dealerships.
• Car owners would have more freedom to use cheaper 'aftermarket' or recycled parts instead of being forced to buy expensive brand-name parts. The bill prevents manufacturers from using software updates to intentionally break off-brand parts or using digital locks to block independent repairs.
• As modern cars become more high-tech, they generate massive amounts of wireless data. This policy ensures that car owners—not just the manufacturers—own that data and can choose to share it with the repair shop of their choice at a fair and reasonable cost.
• The bill would create a new advisory committee to watch for barriers that make repairs difficult and would set up a system for the Federal Trade Commission to handle consumer complaints. It also requires car makers to clearly tell buyers about their repair rights when they purchase or lease a vehicle.
• While the goal is to lower repair costs through competition, the bill also requires the government to set new security standards. These rules would ensure that sharing vehicle data with independent shops is done safely to prevent hacking or privacy risks.