According to a new national poll, more than 83% of Americans support the REPAIR Act (H.R 1566, S. 1379), which would create a national vehicle right-to-repair law, ensuring consumers’ right to choose how and where they fix their vehicles; 77% support the SMART Act, which would amend patent laws to give consumers more vehicle repair choices.
Access to the data that vehicles collect is required for an increasing number of repairs, even for common parts, such as windshields. Automakers want to restrict access to that data so consumers will be forced to use automaker parts and automaker-affiliated dealerships for repairs, where prices are higher and choices are fewer.
The REPAIR Act would ensure that vehicle owners and the independent repair shops they chose would have access to the data needed to fix their cars and trucks. The SMART Act would enact patent reforms that would allow aftermarket manufacturers to produce parts that are equivalent to and less expensive than automaker parts, increasing consumer choice and lowering prices.
According to the poll conducted by The Tarrance Group, and commissioned by the CAR Coalition, support for vehicle right to repair is strongly bipartisan, with 84% of Republicans and 82% of Democrats supporting the REPAIR Act.
Other key findings from the survey: