Ford Backed Group, Partners Reveal Safe Repair Act Proposal

For years now, the Ford-backed lobby group Alliance for Automotive Innovation has been fighting a right to repair law revision in Massachusetts requiring that cars sold in the state come equipped with a standardized open access data platform that would allow mechanics and independent repair shops to access that data for diagnostics and repairs with only owner permission, as opposed to manufacturer permission. It wound up losing that battle in court earlier this month, and now, it’s shifting gears by proposing something a bit different.

AAI – along with the Automotive Service Association (ASA) and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) – has come up with what’s known as the Safety as First Emphasis (SAFE) Repair Act, which guarantees that independent repair shops can continue to have the same ability to perform diagnostic and repair services as franchised auto dealers – the driving force behind right to repair laws. It builds upon the REPAIR act of 2023 and aims to ensure that “independent repair facilities shall have access to the same diagnostic and repair information that auto manufacturers make available to authorized dealer networks.”

“While existing frameworks have created a thriving and competitive repair marketplace, we understand the desire for a federal legislative solution that addresses evolving consumer expectations and technological advancements,” AAI wrote in its letter, which was sent to members of Congress. That’s why our three organizations have come together to propose a new path forward – one that builds on existing protections while introducing additional measures to prioritize consumer safety and choice.”

While the REPAIR act already contained provisions designed to ensure that independent repair shops retain access to information needed to work on newer vehicles, the SAFE Repair Act takes things a bit further. It guarantees that those consumers can also receive the same repairs produced by vehicle engineers to ensure a vehicle’s safety systems remain functioning as intended, have the same recall and safety protections, and are protected from unsafe and improper repairs, too.