Opinion pieces shed light on who does and doesn’t support REPAIR Act
Recent opinion pieces published across the U.S. give insight into how different voices view the REPAIR Act, from automakers and independent repairers to the CEOs of auto parts retailers.
Earlier this month, The Washington Times published a letter to the editor penned by John Bozzella, Alliance for Automotive Innovation president and CEO, titled “Don’t fall for the REPAIR Act.”
Bozzella responds to a piece the newspaper published titled “Congress can help auto repair shops keep America running.” The piece describes a hellscape for independent automotive repairers and claims the auto industry has left them unable to access thousands of bits of information needed to fix vehicles.
“I’ve been in the auto business for 25 years,” Bozzella writes. “This doesn’t ring a bell.”
He calls the piece written by Stephen Moore inaccurate.
“Automakers support right to repair,” Bozzella says. “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.”
Repair instructions, tools, and diagnostic codes are made easily available to dealers and independent repairers, Bozzella says.
“More than 75% of post-warranty vehicle work happens at independent shops, Bozzella writes. “By the way, this includes today’s vehicles that increasingly rely on software and high-tech computing power.”
Bozzella says that to understand the REPAIR Act, readers should look at who is backing it. He adds that this includes big-box parts retailers and insurance companies that want more of a say in how a vehicle is repaired.
The Carolina Journal ran a piece by Kyle Bradshaw, K&M Collision director of fixed operations, on Tuesday titled “Independent mechanics aren’t locked out of fixing your vehicle.”
“Across social media, ads and op-eds are claiming that automakers are shutting out small repair shops like mine,” Bradshaw writes. “They say we can’t get the tools, data, or information needed to fix your car. That simply isn’t true.”
Bradshaw explains he leads the shop his parents started decades ago in North Carolina.
“I’ve spent my career repairing vehicles the right way — using automaker repair procedures, automaker tools, and genuine parts to make sure families get back on the road safely,” Bradshaw writes. “Alongside my brothers and our team of professionals, I’ve repaired thousands of vehicles, from everyday family cars to high-performance luxury brands.”
He adds that he has never lacked the information, diagnostic access, or repair procedures needed to restore a vehicle.
“My business has access to what’s required,” Bradshaw, Carolinas Collision Association president, says. “So do other businesses like mine in North Carolina, South Carolina, and across the country. I know this because of my years as a member of, and leader in, my state association that represents independent repair businesses.”
The REPAIR Act is driven by the aftermarket replacement parts groups and insurance companies that stand to profit from controlling how vehicles are repaired, he says.
“The REPAIR Act would force automakers to hand over broad access to your vehicle and your vehicle-generated data — far beyond what’s needed for safe repairs,” Bradshaw says. “That opens the door for insurers and other corporations to use your personal driving data for targeted advertising or even adjusting your insurance rates. That’s not about repair — it’s about control and profit.”
According to Bradshaw, the act would “empower” insurers to push consumers toward cheap, imitation or foreign-made replacement parts instead of the OEM parts that they more often request.
“I’ve had way too many tough conversations with customers when insurers refused to cover original manufacturer parts, or when they deny critical steps in the repair process that are necessary to properly restore vehicle safety,” Bradshaw says. “This leaves families to pay out-of-pocket if they want their vehicle restored to pre-accident safety standards.”
The REPAIR ACT reduces consumers’ ability to have choice, he writes.
“Let me be clear: I’m not against fair competition. Independent repairers like me thrive on earning customer trust through quality work and safe outcomes,” Bradshaw says. “But consumers deserve the right to choose how their vehicle is repaired — without being pressured into unsafe parts or having their private driving data sold.”
He writes that the true right to repair safeguards personal information and guarantees families can choose whether their car is repaired with genuine or imitation parts.
“The REPAIR Act might sound good in a headline, but in practice it prioritizes corporate profits over consumer safety and privacy,” Bradshaw says. “As someone who works on the front lines of collision repair every day, this bill doesn’t solve a problem — it creates new ones.”
The Carolina Journal also published an opinion piece by Kurk Wilks, the president and CEO of Mann+Hummel, a global auto parts supplier headquartered in Ludwigsburg, Germany. The piece, published in August, claims automakers are “leveraging vehicle data to exclude independent repair shops and aftermarket parts manufacturers from accessing the diagnostic information.”
“As aftermarket manufacturers, we’ve spent decades building the parts that independent repair shops rely on,” Wilks writes. “However, that system breaks down when carmakers use proprietary software and locked diagnostic systems to block access to the data needed to produce, test, and deliver high-quality replacement parts. Without that access, we can’t build the parts shops need, leading to higher prices, longer wait times, and fewer choices for North Carolina drivers.”
An article published in Real Clear Policy earlier this month supports Wilks’s opinions. “High Costs, Hard Choices: Why Congress Must Pass the REPAIR Act” was written by Sean Kennedy, CEO of Go-Parts, a national auto parts retailer and distributor.
Kennedy points to limited competition in the auto parts market as the cause of the rising cost of collision repairs. He provides a study completed by the CAR Coalition, Empire Auto Parts, CAPA, Depo, Parts Authority, YCC, Empire, and Pam’s Auto.
“This forces consumers into dealership repair networks that charge inflated prices,” the piece says. “Independent repair shops, once a refuge for budget-conscious drivers, are increasingly unable to compete because they lack access to the parts and diagnostic tools needed to fix modern vehicles. The result is a limited-choice system where prices are artificially high, and consumers have few alternatives.”
He writes that the issue is not just economic but social.
“When lower-income families can’t afford to fix their cars, they lose access to jobs, education, and healthcare,” the piece says. “Public transit is not a viable alternative in many parts of the country, and ride-sharing services are often too expensive or unavailable.”
The REPAIR Act is the solution, he says. The act would require automakers to share repair data and tools with independent shops and consumers and allow access to lower-cost aftermarket parts, he adds.
Last month, Justin Lewis, owner of Accurate Auto Body in Redmond, Washington, penned an opinion piece for DC Journal that explores the REPAIR Act.
My family and I have run an independent auto repair business for more than 30 years. At my shop in Redmond, Wash., I’ve worked on every make and model out there.
Our business focuses on collision repair, but that includes everything from AC service and alignments to structural repairs and ADAS diagnostic work.
We’ve put cars back together after every type of damage, from scratches and dents to major collisions, and those vehicles leave our shop repaired correctly, as the customer authorized, using the right tools and with all the safety sensors and systems restored and calibrated.
And in those three-plus decades, I’ve never had an issue getting exactly what I needed to properly repair a vehicle for my customer. That’s just not a problem that exists.
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