“As our states’ chief consumer protection and antitrust enforcers, we write to respectfully request that you redouble your efforts in the 118th Congress to pass expansive Right-to-Repair legislation targeted at automobiles, agricultural equipment, and digital electronic equipment to protect our consumers and farmers across the nation.” – Attorneys General in Letter to Congressional Leaders
A group of 28 bipartisan attorneys general – from Maine to Alaska – is signaling unprecedented support for consumers’ right to repair the items they purchase – including automobiles, tractors, smartphones and more.
In a letter to leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the attorneys general point to bipartisan right to repair measures, like the recently reintroduced Save Money on Auto Repair Transportation (SMART) Act and Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act, as critical solutions to original equipment manufacturers’ (OEMs) anticompetitive practices.
By restricting access to aftermarket parts and limiting vehicle data access, automakers are contributing to rising car repair costs for consumers:
“Some [repair] restrictions may even allow OEMs to monopolize certain repair markets and/or raise prices with impunity. For example, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of repairing a vehicle—an industry with more robust independent repair than many others—has increased by more than 66% since 2000.”
Citing research from the CAR Coalition, the letter notes that 78% of American voters overwhelmingly support right to repair legislation, like the SMART and REPAIR Acts, and 92% agree that consumers should be able to choose between automaker-branded and aftermarket car parts when making repairs.
?Consumers – not OEMs – should be able to choose how they repair the products they purchase. Bipartisan measures, like the SMART and REPAIR Acts, are critical to restoring Americans’ right to repair their cars.
Tell Congress to pass these bills today!
The U.S. International Trade Commission has determined that tariffs on OTR tires manufactured in India will remain.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has determined that tariffs on OTR tires manufactured in India will remain.
The determination was made on April 7.