For generations, owning a car meant having choices. If something broke, drivers could take it to a local mechanic, a trusted neighborhood garage, or the dealership. Competition helped keep prices in check, and millions of small repair shops across America built businesses serving customers who wanted affordable alternatives.
But as vehicles have become rolling computers filled with software, sensors, wireless systems, and proprietary electronics, many independent repair shops say that freedom is quietly disappearing. Increasingly, mechanics are finding themselves locked out of basic diagnostics, denied software tools, and blocked from the vehicle data needed to fix cars that customers already own.
Supporters of the growing right-to-repair movement argue that this is not about safety or quality. They say it is about control, competition, and whether automakers should be allowed to create a digital monopoly over repairs.
The Data Independent Shops Cannot Access
Modern vehicles rely heavily on electronics and software to monitor everything from engine performance to braking systems, maintenance schedules, and wireless diagnostics. Even relatively routine repairs increasingly require access to specialized digital information and software.
Independent repair shops say the biggest problem is access to vehicle diagnostic information, telematics data, calibration systems, and proprietary software interfaces that automakers often control. In many cases, mechanics need digital access simply to determine what is wrong with a vehicle before repairs can even begin.
The issue extends beyond diagnostics. Shops report difficulty obtaining calibration tools, diagnostic codes, repair procedures, and wireless mechanical data transmitted by increasingly connected vehicles. Some repairs involving ordinary parts, including windshields, may require access to vehicle software and collected data to complete repairs properly.
According to reporting on right-to-repair legislation, one out of every four independent repair shops says it lacks access to electronic tools needed to service customer vehicles. Meanwhile, two out of five shops report greater difficulty obtaining parts from dealers.
As vehicles become more software-driven, automakers increasingly control access through subscription-based repair portals, proprietary scan tools, and manufacturer-controlled repair systems. Independent mechanics argue that if they cannot diagnose a problem, they cannot fix it.
How Independent Shops Are Losing Ground
The consequences are already showing up in repair garages nationwide.
Nearly two-thirds of independent repair businesses report difficulty performing repairs that used to be routine because they cannot access required data or software. Over the past five years, almost 30 percent say they have seen a decline in the number of vehicles they can service. More than half say they are forced about once a week to send customers to dealerships because they cannot access the necessary information to complete repairs.
That matters because independent shops historically handle about 80 percent of out-of-warranty repairs in America. Dealerships, meanwhile, are estimated to cost customers about 36 percent more for similar repair work.
To critics of automaker restrictions, this looks less like innovation and more like monopoly power dressed up in software.
“Automakers want to restrict access to that data so consumers will be forced to use automaker parts and automaker-affiliated dealerships for repairs, where prices are higher and choices are fewer,” the CAR Coalition stated in a news release supporting repair legislation.
Why Automakers Want Control
Publicly, automakers say they support customer choice and already provide repair information through approved systems. Industry groups argue that vehicle data is available through manufacturer agreements and subscription portals.
Yet critics argue those systems are precisely the problem.
Instead of open access, many automakers route repairs through proprietary platforms such as subscription-based technical information systems, manufacturer-specific software, and dealership-centered repair networks. Supporters of right to repair argue this creates an uneven playing field where independent shops face barriers that dealerships do not.
The financial incentives are obvious. Automakers make money on parts, diagnostics, software subscriptions, and dealer service networks. Dealerships benefit because customers who cannot get repairs completed elsewhere are pushed toward higher-priced service departments. Aftermarket parts, according to repair advocates, can cost up to 50 percent less than OEM parts while meeting the same quality and safety standards.
For critics, this resembles an old monopoly strategy updated for the digital age. In the past, manufacturers could restrict repairs through patented components or specialty parts. Today, supporters of repair rights argue, companies are simply replacing mechanical barriers with digital walls and passwords.
How Many Americans Could Be Affected
This issue is not limited to mechanics.
By 2035, an estimated 155 million vehicle owners could face reduced repair options and higher costs as cars become increasingly electronic. Analysts estimate those drivers may pay roughly and additionall $200 annually for repairs, totaling more than $30 billion in additional costs nationwide. Rural communities may feel the impact most because they often have fewer repair choices to begin with.
The economic consequences extend beyond repair bills. About 4 million manufacturing jobs tied to the aftermarket parts industry are considered at risk if independent repair businesses continue losing market share. By 2035, the 350,000 businesses in that sector are projected to see their share of automotive parts sales decline from 55 percent to 35 percent.
Rare Bipartisan Support for Right to Repair
At a time when Washington agrees on almost nothing, vehicle repair rights have become a rare point of bipartisan agreement.
Lawmakers from both parties support the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act, better known as the REPAIR Act. The legislation would require automakers to provide independent repair facilities with access to diagnostic codes, calibration tools, and essential repair information needed to maintain and fix vehicles. Supporters say a national standard would prevent a confusing patchwork of state rules and restore competition to the repair market.
“The need for federal auto repair protections has never been stronger,” said Ian Musselman of LKQ Corporation, arguing that independent repair access is becoming more urgent as vehicle technology grows more complex.
Public opinion strongly favors the idea. According to a national poll commissioned by the CAR Coalition, more than 85 percent of Americans support the REPAIR Act, including 82 percent of Republicans and 80 percent of Democrats. Nearly every respondent, 99 percent, said being able to choose where to repair their car was important, while 88 percent said owners should have access to their own vehicle data. Seventy-eight percent said independent repair shops should have access to vehicle data, and 68 percent said automakers should be barred from restricting access.
As Justin Rzepka, executive director of the CAR Coalition, put it: “Car owners believe they, not automakers, should be in control when it comes to choosing who repairs their vehicle and accessing the data and parts needed to do so.”
For millions of Americans, the right-to-repair debate boils down to a simple question: when you buy a car, do you really own it, or are you only renting access to the software that makes it run?
