BOSTON, Mass. – Nearly 100 men and women who work in the automotive aftermarket industry, including professional technicians from repair shops from around Massachusetts, converged on the Massachusetts Statehouse on Tuesday to call for passage of the Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act (HB 296). The repairers told their legislators they continue to be shut out on critical information despite the small fortune they are now paying for tools, software and diagnostic information. The lock-out problem is particularly acute on late model vehicles that are beyond the warranty but new enough that they are indecipherable without the correct codes and precise scanning tools, according to those involved.

HR 296, introduced by Rep. Vincent Pedone (D-Worcester), and state Senator Mark Montigny (D-Dartmouth), requires that car companies provide independent shops with access to the same information and tools that they provide their new car dealer franchises. The bill provides protections for car company “trade secrets” and would ensure that independent aftermarket service providers compete on an equal footing with the their new car dealer competition.

“The manufacturers keep telling people there is no problem, yet 100 hardworking individuals left their businesses and stores for most of the day because the problem is persistent and growing,” said Stan Morin, the general manager for New England Tire in Massachusetts and the national Treasurer for the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP), which is pushing for passage of the bill in Massachusetts. “People prefer their neighborhood mechanics to the dealer mechanics, but our members are getting pushed out of their garages by these major car manufacturers because they can’t compete on a level-playing field.”

The rally was held at a critical time since HB 296 is scheduled to be reported out of the Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure next week.