Dear Editor:
Millions of car owners in New York trust neighborhood repair shops to provide affordable and competitive automotive repair service. Unfortunately, car manufacturers are making it difficult for independent repair shops to obtain the technical information needed to repair today’s vehicles. As technology becomes more sophisticated, the situation will become worse.
Thousands of neighborhood small businesses in New York that repair automobiles will be forced out of business without the technical and safety information available only from the car companies. Withholding information will eventually prevent both car owners and highly skilled technicians from being able to make the simplest repairs to vehicles, and that’s the makings of a disaster for consumers unless something is done.
Manufacturers use these tactics to prevent you from bringing your car to a repair shop of your choice, and force you to patronize the manufacturer’s dealer. Consumers will lose their choice to have repairs made more conveniently, and less expensively.
Congress is now considering the Motor Vehicle Owner’s Right to Repair Act (HR 2694). This legislation will make it illegal for vehicle manufacturers to withhold technical information from car owners and repair shops. After all, shouldn’t car owners choose where they have their vehicle repaired and not the manufacturers?
If Congress fails to pass the Right to Repair Act, then over 12.4 million cars on the road today in New York will no longer be able to choose from more than 12,000 independent repair shops in New York for service, but will instead be forced to one of the 1,214 manufacturer’s car dealers for necessary repairs.
Please ask your elected officials to support the Right to Repair Act by visiting www.righttorepair.org to send a letter to each of your congressional representatives, urging them to add their names to the growing list of co-sponsors.
Sincerely,
Ralph Bombardiere
New York State Association of Service Stations & Repair Shops
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