AIA Canada backs Manitoba ‘right to repair’ legislation
The Government of Manitoba has introduced right-to-repair legislation, which the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) says marks “an important step toward protecting consumers and supporting local businesses across the province.”
Bill 15, the “Consumer Protection Amendment Act,” would establish a sector-by-sector regulatory framework initially focused on ensuring access to repair information and parts.
According to an explanatory note attached to the bill, “A supplier of a consumer good designated in the regulations must make the parts, tools, software, and manuals necessary to repair the consumer good (the ‘means of repair’) available to the buyer.”
In the U.S., organizations representing the independent automotive repair industry, service professionals, collision repair experts, and most automakers have proposed a federal bill, the Safety as First Emphasis (SAFE) Repair Act, in response to the automotive “right to repair” debate sweeping the nation.
The coalition, comprised of the Automotive Service Association (ASA), Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), and Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators), have said the bill would continue to guarantee independent repair facilities the same ability to perform diagnostic and repair services as franchised auto dealers while bolstering consumers’ right to choose safe repairs that use the repair information made available by automakers.
AIA Canada says the Manitoba bill “strengthens consumer choice and reinforces the role of independent repair businesses.”
“While the legislation does not reference any specific industry, it lays out the groundwork for sector-specific regulations to be developed through future stakeholder engagement,” an AIA Canada press release states. “This deliberate and practical first step aligns with broader Right to Repair efforts underway in other jurisdictions and reflects growing recognition of the need for fair and competitive repair markets.
“The auto care sector plays a significant role in Manitoba’s economy, contributing more than $1.3 billion in economic impact and supporting 18,282 jobs across the province. Many of these businesses operate in rural and underserved communities, where access to affordable and timely vehicle repair is essential.”
It adds that independent repair facilities can help motorists save up to 30% on common repairs, or as much as $500 per visit, and for labor-intensive or complex repairs, savings can reach up to 80% with aftermarket parts.
“In rural communities, these savings can be the difference between affordable mobility and significant financial strain,” the release states.
The press release states that, according to an MNP report commissioned by AIA Canada and released in October 2025, on the “right to repair” that independent repair shops are unable to service modern vehicles because manufacturers control access to software and repair data, causing a substantial financial impact.
However, the report states that an unspecified number of shops that were interviewed reported “narrowing the range of services offered in response to the cost of accessing repair information.”
“As barriers to accessing information increase, more independent shops may choose to narrow the range of services they offer or exit the industry,” the report states. “This means that consumers in rural areas may not be able to access repair services locally and will incur additional costs to take their vehicles to the nearest dealership, including travel costs as well as time off work.
“The majority of shops interviewed reported longer repair times, ranging from one to two hours to one to two days. This is largely due to the added effort required to source information from fragmented platforms. Shops interviewed reported that when repairs take longer, it increases labour costs, and those costs are often passed on to the consumer.”
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