Massachusetts Legislature Runs Out of Time on Right to Repair Act Vote, But Leaves Door Open for Passage, States CARE

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 1, 2008 -- Following a favorable report out of the Massachusetts Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee, The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act was placed on the House calendar for a floor vote. Due to the extreme number of bills and issues before the Legislature, including the state budget, the Right to Repair Act (H 4892) was not voted on by the close of session on July 31, 2008.

"The Legislature worked hard to vote on as many bills as possible, but they just simply ran out of time on several issues, including The Right to Repair Act," stated Sandy Bass-Cors, Executive Director, The Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE). "Thanks to the enthusiastic work of the Massachusetts automotive aftermarket, led by the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Massachusetts (AASP-MA), Right to Repair continues to be well received by a majority of legislators in Massachusetts," continued Bass-Cors.

The Boston Herald wrote in its May 22, 2008, editorial endorsing The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act, "there is much credible evidence that automakers and importers are holding back data." The editorial concluded, "It (Right to Repair Act) deserves a favorable recommendation -- not just for the benefit of the independent shops but also for their customers."

The May 2008, issue of Consumer Reports released its findings of a study among consumers who were asked to give their opinion about where they prefer to have their cars repaired. By a wide margin, consumers prefer independent repair shops where they feel they are more likely to get better service, a better price and with more reliability and convenience.

"The next few months will be crucial for Massachusetts's motoring consumers and automotive aftermarket repair shops who continue to need and want a competitive, affordable, quality option in their vehicle repairs," concluded Bass-Cors.

The Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE) represents companies in the automotive aftermarket, among them: NAPA, Midas, CARQUEST, AutoZone, Advance Auto and EZ Lube. There are five million employees working in the aftermarket in over 495,000 nationwide locations.