Trump talks right to repair during oval office event

President Donald Trump commented on the automotive right to repair during an Oval Office event last week, following a meeting he had with automotive executives. 

“We had the auto industry in yesterday,” Trump said during the June 4 event. “They don’t want people to fix their car. I said, ‘That’s strange. I’ve never heard of that.’ They have a thing where nobody’s allowed to fix their car.”

He went on to say that the auto industry has a bill that “prohibits” people from fixing cars. 

“There’s a move to stop people from fixing their car,” Trump said. “I didn’t understand it.” 

Reuters reports that Trump met with General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Ford senior executive Andrew Frick, and ‌top officials of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators), along with Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, a former auto dealer. The details of the meeting have not been widely publicized. 

The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed H.R. 7389, “The Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026 last month. The bill included the proposed REPAIR Act. 

Several facets of earlier versions of the REPAIR Act are essentially stripped in the amended act which passed 48-1 by the committee on May 21. It was reworked to codify the 2014 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between auto manufacturers and the aftermarket to ensure repairers have access to repair information and tools, narrowing the focus of prior REPAIR Act proposals. 

The Reuters article, which was widely picked up by other media outlets, states that the auto industry has “sparred with independent repair shops and other groups for years over the ability to repair new vehicles.” 

Auto Innovators supported the bill in a published letter after its passage and also told Reuters following Trump’s meeting that it supported the legislation. 

Reuters adds, “Many lawmakers and independent repair shops say more is ​needed and want Congress ​to pass separate ⁠legislation to ensure vehicle owners have access and can share information necessary for repairs, including diagnostic data. Proposed legislation would require vehicle manufacturers ​to give owners and independent repair shops access to vehicle ​data related ⁠to diagnostics, repair, calibration, and recalibration.

What Reuters does not clarify is who the businesses are behind the organizations requesting more data access.

For example, The Consumer Access to Repair (CAR) Coalition’s website shows it is made up of independent auto parts makers, insurers and retailers, featuring member companies ABPA, CAPA, Allstate, LKQ, American Property Casualty Insurance Association, AutoZone, Farmers Insurance, PartsTrader, and others.

While the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), which represents collision repair businesses across the U.S., the vast majority of which are independent operators, has criticized that the voices lobbying for more data access do not often represent actual repair businesses, or possess a full understanding of the actual challenges facing independent repair businesses.

“Independent collision repairers already have access to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) repair information and instructions, diagnostic tools, and training resources,” Aaron Schulenburg, SCRS executive director, said in a prepared statement. “The primary obstacles to safe and proper repairs are not access-related, but rather economic and systemic pressures that incentivize cost-cutting at the expense of OEM-required repair procedures.”

He adds that smaller businesses are not interested in being responsible or liable for protecting large amounts of sensitive information such as location, biometrics, in-cabin and surround-view observation, driving behavior, personal contacts, and more.

“Our industry’s small businesses are already under pressure from technology companies who have interest in accessing and monetizing repair and claim-related data for commercial exploitation,” Schulenburg said. “Greater access to more information that isn’t necessary for repair does not help repair businesses.”

Schulenburg adds that SCRS instead supports the Safety as First Emphasis (SAFE) Repair Act proposal, which he describes as a collaborative legislative framework developed jointly between repairers and Auto Innovators. 

“This proposal reflects extensive industry engagement and is narrowly focused on protecting consumer safety while preserving competition and consumer choice,” Schulenburg said. “The SAFE Repair Act proposal safeguards continued access to necessary information and tools while reinforcing the importance of performing repairs in a manner consistent with manufacturer requirements.”

SCRS members regularly report pressure to deviate from OEM repair instructions, omit required procedures, or substitute parts for cheaper alternatives that do not provide the same fit and finish, meet the same specifications, or protect consumer investments, Schulenburg says. 

“From a consumer perspective, the issue is straightforward: vehicle owners expect their cars to be repaired safely, correctly, and in accordance with manufacturer standards,” the statement says. “The SAFE Repair Act supports that expectation by protecting consumer choice and reinforcing accountability in the repair process.”

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Photo of President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on June 4, 2026. (YouTube screenshot)