Results of a recent nationwide survey have underscored the obstacles presented to repair shops by limited access to repair data, prompting the Auto Care Association (ACA) to reaffirm its calls for passage of the REPAIR Act.
In a recent press release, ACA shared the results of a survey conducted by Hanover Research, which included responses from 407 individuals who work at independent repair shops, collected between February 1 through 14, 2024.
According to the results, 84% of independent repair shops consider access to vehicle repair data as the biggest challenge facing their business, outranking technician recruitment and inflation.
Additionally, 63% are having trouble completing routine repairs on a daily or weekly basis, with 51% of shops being forced to send up to five vehicles per month to a dealer as a result of limited vehicle data access.
The limited access to repair data afforded to repair shops is estimated to cost them $3.1 billion annually. Following the release of the survey results, ACA CEO and President Bill Hanvey is renewing calls of support for the REPAIR Act (H.R. 906), a federal piece of right-to-repair legislation with 50 bipartisan co-sponsors.
“Without change, local repair shops will be forced to turn away more and more business, leaving car owners with no choice but to foot outsized bills at the dealership,” stated Hanvey. “The REPAIR Act is critically needed to protect America’s vibrant network of local, independent repair shops that offer trusted service, convenience, and choice to millions of American drivers during the car repair process.”
