Senators Warned: Car Manufacturers' Monopoly On Repairs Hurts Small Independent Mechanics And May Cause Safety Hazards

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Senate hearing witnesses outlined the unfairness and potential danger to millions of drivers inherent in the monopoly auto dealers and manufacturers have on repairs and maintenance of automobiles built after 1995. More than 150 independent mechanics were in attendance.

Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN) introduced legislation to end the unfair monopoly big car manufacturers maintain over certain repair information that result in car owners often being forced to pay more and travel long distances for auto repairs. "The Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act" is the companion to HR 2735, introduced by Reps. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Edolphus Towns (D-NY) in August 2001.

At a hearing in the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Foreign Commerce and Tourism of the Senate Commerce Committee, John Vallely President of North McLean AutoCare Center in Elgin, Illinois, representing NAPA (member of the Coalition for Auto Repair Equality) joined several other witnesses in providing examples of how small, independent mechanics have turned away customers who came to them for car repairs, forcing customers to pay as much as 20% more for auto repairs at the dealers. Mr. Vallely testified that, "Motorists who are driving vehicles that are in immediate need of a repair on safety or emissions related systems such as brakes, air bags, steering, and engine performance issues but live in towns where car dealerships are not present, or motorists on vacation with their families in areas without car dealerships, could compromise their safety and that of others by attempting to drive an unsafe vehicle."

Cost increases hit low, fixed and middle-income consumers the hardest as more and more cars built after the mid-1990's make their way into the used car market and onto the nation's roads.

As part of the 1990 Clean Air Act, Congress mandated that vehicles built after 1994 be equipped with a computer system to monitor vehicle emissions. As vehicles have advanced, so have the computer systems installed which now control vital systems such as brakes, ignition, ignition keys, air bags, steering mechanisms and climate control. This law had the unintended consequence of making the vehicle manufacturer the gatekeeper on who can repair or produce replacement parts for the vehicle.

The Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE) is a national organization representing companies in the automotive aftermarket, among them: NAPA, Midas, CARQUEST, AutoZone, Advance Auto, Jiffy Lube, O'Reilly's Auto Parts, CSK Auto, Inc., (parent company of Checker, Schuck's, Kragen). The Automotive Aftermarket employs 5 million people in 495,000 businesses across the U.S. For more information, go to http://www.CareAuto.org .