OPINION:
The hellscape for independent automotive repairers described by Stephen Moore in “Congress can help auto repair shops keep America running” (Web, Oct. 6) is, let’s just say, not accurate.
The REPAIR Act is necessary, he writes, because the auto industry has “flexed” and “push[ed] independent mechanics and parts suppliers out into the cold, leaving them unable to access the thousands of bits of information involved in fixing cars and trucks.”
I’ve been in the auto business for 25 years. This doesn’t ring a bell.
Automakers support right to repair. Always have.
Check my work with independent auto repairers or collision experts across the country. They will tell you they have no problem getting exactly what they need to properly repair vehicles.
Automakers make that information — repair instructions, tools and diagnostic codes — easily available to dealers and independent repairers. More than 75% of post-warranty vehicle work happens at independent shops.
By the way, this includes today’s vehicles that increasingly rely on software and high-tech computing power.
Everything you need to know about the REPAIR Act you can understand by looking at who is backing it: big-box parts retailers and insurance companies that want more of a say in how you repair your vehicle.
JOHN BOZZELLA
President and CEO, Alliance for Automotive Innovation
Washington
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