The Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act of 2001

[sheadee240]

info about the legislation to help us keep the right to service our own cars or use private shops, instead of only Factory dealership service ripoff centers

Follow the link to e-mail your state legislator, so that Automobile manufacturers cannot withhold info re our OBD-II vehicles from the public and independent repair shops.

If we don't fight the Manufacturers this will eventually lead to a decrease in the supply of aftermarket parts and an increased price as well as skyrocketing service prices (dealer only service, is the goal of the Automobile manufacturers. Click on the link, and follow the links after that. This is no joke. If the manufacturers want to increase margins they should produce competitively priced aftermarket parts, not try to force us to use dealers for service!

This is a sample letter, smushed together with my letter to my legislator.

10/23/02

The Honorable :United State House of RepresentativesWashington, DC 20515

Dear Representative $^$#@:

I am writing to urge your support for the “Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act of 2001” (HR 2735) introduced by Reps. Joe Barton and Edolphus Towns. This legislation is vital for any car owner in America who exercises the right to choose which repair facility can perform repairs and maintenance on their vehicles.

Any 1996 or newer vehicle sold in the US contains an advance computer that monitors or controls virtually every function of the vehicle including critical systems such as brakes, steering, air bags, ignition, lubrication and emission controls. These computers can be read by what is referred to in the automotive industry as generic scan tool (GST) in independent repair shops or by car owners. The GST displays a code, which has a corresponding description in the service manual. Unfortunately, All of the descriptions of the codes are not accessible to the public, or even to independent repair shops. Car owners and independent shops must have full access to the service information, parts and tools necessary to accurately diagnose, repair, or re-program these systems. And yet, despite statements to the contrary, vehicle manufacturers are making it increasingly difficult for vehicle owners and the independent aftermarket to gain access to these high-tech tools and information. HR.2735 will ensure that car owners and repair facilities have the ability to properly diagnose and repair vehicles now and in the future. At the same time, the bill prevents the release of trade secrets or other proprietary information that is not provided to franchised, car company dealerships. Most importantly, HR.2735 specifies an iron-clad enforcement mechanism through the FTC that ensures all parties live up to their obligations to the motoring public. This critical feature is notably absent from every one of the car companies’ paper promises.

Consumer surveys have consistently shown that 70 percent of car owners prefer independent repair shops based on price, convenience and trust. Eliminating competition and consumer choice will lead to small business failures and inevitably, higher repair prices. Vehicle safety, performance and environmental compliance will also be seriously jeopardized. Please keep American vehicle maintenance the most efficient and affordable in the world by joining a growing number of your fellow Representatives in co-sponsoring H.R. 2735. On behalf of my employees, vendors and customers, thank you for your support.

I have personally encountered this issue in attempting to service my 1997 Nissan 240sx. Up until now I have completed all repairs and maintenance on my own vehicle, using a combination of OEM and aftermarket parts. My computer has generated an error code, which does not have any corresponding information in the Factory Service Manual. I contacted two different Nissan customer service representatives at two different telephone numbers 310/771-3111 and 800/647-7261, and they both told me that this information was not available to the public, and that they only gave this information to Service Technicians at Nissan dealerships. I refuse to pay a dealership to "diagnose" a problem that I am fully capable of diagnosing, only because Manufacturers are attempting to create a monopoly on the service of 1996 and newer vehicles. I will continue to drive with whatever potentially dangerous or hazardous malfunction exists in my car, until all automobile manufacturers are forced to release this information to the public.

If this legislation is not passed it will be detrimental to automobile owners, independent service shop owners and employees, aftermarket companies, auto parts stores, and ultimately the environment, as an increasing amount of vehicles will be poorly maintained as a result of the higher prices that customers will need to pay for routine maintenance. Thank you for supporting this issue, which has already put the future of thousands of jobs in the automobile industry at stake, as well as potentially costing Americans millions of dollars to buy information that is rightfully theirs as the automobile owner.

Sincerely,

[AZhitman]

WELL DONE!!! Good to see people exercising their Constitutional rights.