Industry and independents clash over right-to-repair and vehicle data access
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Summary
Industry witnesses and independent repair advocates debated the Repair Act's scope at a House subcommittee hearing, with automakers stressing IP and security protections and repair groups warning of restricted consumer choices and rural impacts.
Lawmakers and witnesses at a House subcommittee hearing on Jan. 14 debated competing visions for right‑to‑repair legislation and who should control modern vehicle data.
Bill Hamby, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association, told the committee that independent shops perform the majority of out‑of‑warranty repairs and that vehicle owners increasingly face restrictions because manufacturers control telematics data: “It may be your car, but currently, it's the manufacturer's data to do with it whatever they choose.” Hamby framed the Repair Act as a measure to preserve consumer choice, affordability and rural repair access.
Hillary Kane, senior vice president of policy at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said automakers support repair access but cautioned the committee about intellectual‑property and trade‑secret risks. Kane said the Repair Act “is complicated because it does two things at the same time” — it expands independent repair access while also creating conditions for aftermarket manufacturers to make competing parts, and she said some IP protections in the draft “may fall short.”
Committee members pressed witnesses on technical safeguards. Hamby said the current Repair Act draft designs access via the same cryptographic and technological protections used by OEMs and dealers and limits data to repair and maintenance purposes. Lawmakers asked that safeguards prevent misuse of sensitive location or driver‑behavior data by insurers or rental companies.
Witnesses and members agreed that telematics and software complexity require both policy and technical solutions, but they differed on where to draw lines between consumer access and protecting proprietary information. The committee did not vote; staff will collect further materials and members will submit follow‑up questions.