On Tuesday, associations representing independent auto repairers, collision repair experts and automakers signed an agreement on automotive right to repair. In response, MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers President Paul McCarthy said in a letter to MEMA members that the agreement “falls short of all the protections necessary to ensure consumer choice now and into the future.”

In the agreement, the Automotive Service Association (ASA), the Society of Collision Repair Specialists and Alliance for Automotive Innovation affirmed a 2014 national agreement on automotive right-to-repair, agreeing that “independent repair facilities shall have access to the same diagnostic and repair information that auto manufacturers make available to authorized dealer networks.” You can read more about the agreement here.

The group also penned a letter to Congress outlining their agreement, saying: “This commitment was created with our mutual and valued customers in mind: vehicle owners. It affirms that consumers deserve access to safe and proper repairs throughout a vehicle’s lifecycle, [and] it is built to last because it anticipates changes in automotive technologies and market evolutions.”

McCarthy added in his remarks that MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, as a key stakeholder in protecting consumers’ rights and an essential part of the value chain, must be a part of the conversation around an appropriate 50-state solution. He touted federal The REPAIR Act, which has gained bipartisan support this legislative session, as a solution that creates a repair ecosystem that puts consumers at the center.

He added that federal legislation must include:

• All vehicles in operation, light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty;
• Access to telematics and data beyond that available just through the OBDII port;
• An enforcement mechanism;
• The ability for independent repair shops, using bi-directional communication, to update vehicles and parts to the latest software;
• The three pillars of repair: telematics, repair and maintenance information, and parts integration;
• Addressing the risk of repair monopolies;
• Language to protect consumers’ access to both light duty and heavy-duty vehicle repair and maintenance through all iterations of vehicle technology on the road today and to come.

McCarthy added, “MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers welcomes the opportunity to work with industry associations and Congress, as well as the Auto Care Association and SEMA, to align on a federal solution that reflects the principles of consumer choice and a free market, includes the expertise of the supplier community, has a mechanism for real enforcement, and prioritizes consumers, their safety, and their economy – and the innovative industry we serve.”