New Jersey State Senate Introduces S-2553, Pro-Consumer 'Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act,' Companion Bill to A-931

Bill Shows Legislators' Desire to Help Motorists & Small Business, States CARE

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 27, 2007; "Thanks to the bipartisan leadership of Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny (D-Hoboken) and Senator Joseph Kyrillos (R-Middletown), New Jersey's motoring consumers have an even greater chance of having The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act passed. The senators have jointly co-sponsored The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act, S-2553, the companion bill to the New Jersey Assembly's A-931," stated David Parde, president, The Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE).

"New Jersey's motoring consumers and over 7,000 small aftermarket locations are fortunate to have a state legislature that is moving forward to seek relief from the growing monopoly that will prohibit consumers from the right to have their vehicles repaired at their shop of choice," continued Parde. "The question is, WHO OWNS YOUR VEHICLE -- THE VEHICLE OWNER OR THE CAR COMPANIES? We say consumers own their vehicles."

Vehicles that are 1994 and newer (and some earlier models) are equipped with computers that control the vital systems, among them: air bags, brakes, batteries, tire pressure, oil, radio and sound systems, climate control, pollution controls, transmission, fuel injection, ignition system and ignition keys, steering mechanisms and more. The only sure way for motorists to have these systems and their "entire" vehicle repaired and parts replaced is to return to the car dealerships.

"This has created a potential for safety hazards for those who need immediate repairs but may not live near the appropriate car dealership, may be traveling without any car dealerships nearby, hurts low and fixed income motorists, has the potential to hurt the environment (the more vehicles that can be repaired at the maximum number of locations the cleaner the cars thus the cleaner the air), and strangles America's competitive free markets," continued Parde.

Fighting the pro-consumer Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act are the New Jersey car dealerships and car companies who would benefit from a monopoly, and the Automotive Service Association (ASA) who has relatively few members in New Jersey and who has sided with the car companies against their fellow aftermarket repair shops and motoring consumers on The Right to Repair Act.

The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act does NOT restrict motorists from choosing where to have their vehicles repaired. The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act will allow motorists to completely own their vehicle by having the ability to choose where, how and by whom to have their vehicles repaired, whose parts they wish to purchase, even work on their vehicles themselves.

Senate Cosponsors Kenny and Kyrillos join Assemblypersons Reed Gusciora (D-Trenton) and Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-Camden) in their pro-consumer legislation to help all of New Jersey's motoring consumers.

Numerous groups support passage of The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act, among them: American Automobile Association (AAA); National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB); Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP-NJ); RetireSafe (which represents nearly 10,000 New Jersey seniors); National Grange and 60s Plus Seniors.

The national Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act is expected to be reintroduced into the 110th U.S. Congress. The Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE) represents companies in the automotive aftermarket, among them: NAPA, Midas, CARQUEST, AutoZone, Advance Auto, Jiffy Lube and O'Reilly's Auto Parts.