Car Companies Throw Monkey Wrench at Consumers by saying Right to
Repair Is Not a Consumer Issue.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New Jersey's
motoring consumers were granted "car repair" relief when three out of five
Assemblypersons in the Consumer Affairs Committee today voted to pass The
Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act, A-803. The Right to Repair Act,
as it is known, is sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Trenton).
The legislation allows motorists to choose where, how and by whom to
have their vehicles repaired, even work on their vehicles themselves.
Vehicles are equipped with computers that control the repair and service
information on vital systems such as, but not limited to: air bags, brakes,
steering mechanisms, tire pressure, oil changes, electronics, check engine
lights, transmissions and fuel injection.
"The only way for motorists to have these systems and their 'entire'
vehicle repaired and parts replaced is to return to the new car
dealerships. This has created a safety hazard for those who need immediate
repairs but may not be near the appropriate new car dealership or any new
car dealership, hurts low and fixed income motorists, hurts fuel
efficiency, the environment and the economy.
"During an economic down-turn, consumers should be able to have their
vehicles completely serviced at the shops of their choice. Affordability
and quality should be an option, not an expensive 'pipe dream,'" stated
Sandy Bass-Cors, Executive Director for the Coalition for Auto Repair
Equality (CARE).
Bill sponsor Reed Gusciora and the Members of the Consumer Affairs
Committee have been concerned that higher gasoline prices and the inability
for motoring consumers to have their vehicles repaired quickly and
affordably at the shop of their choice, especially during an economic
down-turn, will have a negative impact on their wallets, fuel efficiency,
the safety of their vehicles, the environment and the economy--unless the
Right to Repair Act passes.
Three of the five Consumer Affairs Assemblypersons voted for motoring
consumers: Nila Cruz-Perez, Consumer Affairs Committee Chairwoman
(D-Camden); Valerie Vainieri-Huttle (D-Englewood); and bill sponsor Reed
Gusciora (D-Trenton). Voting in opposition to the pro-consumer bill were:
Jon Bramnick, Consumer Affairs Committee Vice Chairman (R-Westfield); and
Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Westwood).
Numerous New Jersey aftermarket shop owners testifying in favor of the
Right to Repair Act, stated that they are losing business and customers due
to the inability to completely repair vehicles. Shops explained that often
after investing thousands of dollars in diagnostic tools (for each car
maker), they find out after the fact that the needed repair information is
missing and often out of date.
Aaron Lowe, Vice President, Government Affairs, for the Automotive
Aftermarket Industry Association, testified that the Right to Repair Act
goes back to the Clean Air Act when vehicles began to be computerized. He
reiterated that, contrary to what the car companies claim, all of the
repair information is not available to the vehicles' owners or the
independent shops.
Jim Appleton, head of the New Jersey Car Dealers Association (NJCDA);
along with spokespeople from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
(AAM); the International Association of Automobile Manufacturers (IAAM);
and the Automotive Service Association (ASA), stated that this legislation
is not about consumer choice.
A spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers that this
isn't the time to pass the Right to Repair Act when car companies are
having economic hard times.
"Why should motoring consumers be penalized by being forced back to the
new car dealerships for repairs, even after their vehicles are out of
warranty, especially when the car manufacturers helped create much of their
economic problems by ignoring the needs of consumers?
"CARE and the seven thousand New Jersey aftermarket locations thank
Chairwoman Cruz-Perez, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora for sponsoring and voting
for the bill, and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri-Huttle for taking a stand
in favor of consumers," concluded Bass-Cors.
CARE represents companies in the automotive aftermarket, among them:
NAPA, Midas, CARQUEST, AutoZone, Advance Auto, O'Reilly's Auto Parts and EZ
Lube. Five million people are employed nationwide in the automotive
aftermarket in over 495,000 locations, including "mom and pop" shops.
SOURCE Coalition for Auto Repair Equality
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Related links:
http://www.careauto.org
CONTACT:
Sandy Bass-Cors of Coalition for Auto Repair
Equality, +1-800-229-5380, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. EST,
Sandy@careauto.org
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