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NEWS
US repairers gain access to manufacturer information
But a similar agreement for aftermarket workshops and car companies in Australia is yet to be forgedMany independent and aftermarket repairers bemoan the fact that factory-approved workshops get access to manufacturer technologies and tools, giving them an advantage when servicing newer and increasingly complex cars.
If this information were made readily available, the independents argue, it would be hugely beneficial for consumers by offering choice and, by extension, hopefully value.
Well, in theory at least. The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) is trying to level the playing field between aftermarket workshops and authorised dealers, but it looks like the Americans just beat us to it.
Aftermarket repairers in the USA have won a decisive victory in the “Right to Repair” debate, with the adoption of a national agreement by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Alliance), the Association of Global Automakers (Global), the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) and the Coalition for Automotive Repair Equality (CARE) that will protect consumer choice in the auto repair industry.
Car companies will make available to aftermarket workshops the same tools, software and repair information they make available to their authorised dealers. Furthermore, car companies will also begin maintaining their software and service information in an electronic database, accessible on a subscription based service.
Mitch Bainwol, President and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said that “accessible, efficient, accurate, and competitively-priced repair and service are paramount, and franchised dealers and the aftermarket play unique and important roles in the repair process.”
“This agreement will ensure vehicle owners will have competitive and quality choices in their repairs while strengthening the auto repair industry nationwide,” said Ray Pohlman, President of CARE.
It seems like a win-win situation Stateside then, but where are the Aussies positioned on the same issue?
In 2011, the Australian Government launched an inquiry into this very matter, calling for a uniform code of conduct between independent repairers and car manufacturers alike. In fact, the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) saw this as a direct endorsement of its “Choice of Repairer” campaign, which was launched in 2009.
Stuart Charity, AAAA Executive Director, said that “with each model cycle, modern vehicles are becoming increasingly complex and more reliant on computers and electronic systems. This makes access to the data required to service and repair them even more critical.”
And presumably a system like “Right to Repair” could only benefit consumers.
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Written byTung Nguyen
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