Consumer Reports Supports 'Right to Repair Act,' as Vehicle Repairs

Become More Expensive and Inconvenient for Motoring Consumers

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 18, 2009; Right to Repair legislation received vocal support from the consumer rights community as Consumer Reports publicized its support for HR 2057, currently before the House Energy and Commerce committee.

"Consumer Reports agrees, in principle, with the Right to Repair Act, as it restricts its scope to "repair" which would increase repair options for car owners," Liza Barth stated in her May 15, 2009 blog post on ConsumerReports.org.

Barth continued, explaining the current necessity for Right to Repair legislation:

This legislation comes at an interesting time for consumers and automakers. A "Cash for Clunkers" proposal currently being considered in Washington could cause the demand for servicing old cars to be reduced, thus further impacting the smaller shops. Also, many dealerships are closing, giving consumers have fewer choices as to where to get their vehicles serviced. This bill would allow more flexibility in choosing a place to service your car and could save you money.

A recent Consumer Reports survey found that people are more satisfied with service from an independent shop than those who went to a dealer. We also found it helps to shop around for car maintenance. Prices can vary greatly between dealerships and independent shops. The Coalition for Auto Repair Equality President Ray Pohlman commented that Right to Repair ensures that independent repair shops have the same access as the new car dealers to the tools and information to work on highly computerized late model vehicles, especially the hybrid models that Congress is currently promoting as well as cars that are now coming out of warranty.

"We are pleased that Consumer Union recognized that this legislation is important to preserving competition for U.S. car owners, ensuring that they can obtain affordable and convenient repairs at the location of their choice, ensuring safer vehicles on our roads," said Pohlman.

The full post from ConsumerReports.org can be viewed at http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/05/right-to-repair-act-back-in-congress.html

About Right to Repair:

The U.S. aftermarket employs five million people nationwide in over 495,000 locations, including "mom and pop" parts and maintenance shops. The Right to Repair Act in the U.S. Congress can be followed at www.righttorepair.org.