Hard drive: Car makers and shops split on repair data access legislation

Cars and trucks used to be simple enough that nearly anybody could work on them — all you needed were a few tools, most of your fingers and maybe a grease-smudged repair manual.

But cars got more complicated, and "shade tree mechanics" became an endangered species. Now, with vehicles more complex than ever before, even professional mechanics are having a hard time keeping up, but in this case the issue is information — or the lack thereof.

The problem, according to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, is that auto manufacturers restrict access to the software, computer codes and high-tech scanners necessary to do many types of repairs on newer foreign and domestic cars. These tools and information are often available only to dealerships, or when they are available to independent shops, are prohibitively expensive. So contends the AAIA, a lobbying group for auto parts stores and aftermarket manufacturers.

For years the organization has tried to get passed the Motor Vehicle Right to Repair Act, federal legislation supposedly aimed at forcing automakers to make information and tools more accessible to independent shops. Aaron Lowe, AAIA’s vice president of governmental affairs, says a Right to Repair bill is currently in the U.S. House, where it has 45 co-sponsors. There’s no Senate bill, yet, which needs to happen before Right to Repair goes anywhere.

Lowe calls it a "difficult battle" due to the substantial lobbying power of auto manufacturers and dealers. Repairs are a big source of revenue for dealerships, he says, especially with new car sales down. Car companies, meanwhile, make a lot of money selling Original Equipment Manufacturer parts to dealerships. As a result, it’s no surprise automakers and dealers oppose the legislation, Lowe says.

"Obviously they don’t want to give that part up," he says. "I don’t blame them."

Rob Braziel, chief legislative counsel for the Texas Automobile Dealers Associations, which opposes Right to Repair, says the legislation is most likely a Trojan horse that has nothing to do with independent mechanics’ access to information. He believes the reason the AAIA is pushing so hard for the law is that aftermarket parts makers want to get their hands on "proprietary information" on how car makers — Ford, GM, Mercedes, etc. — produce OEM parts.

Aftermarket companies spend a lot of money on "reverse engineering" — figuring out how original parts are made so they can make and sell their own versions through AutoZone, O’Reilly Auto Parts and other retailers. As vehicles have gotten more complex so have parts, which forces aftermarket companies to spend more on reverse engineering, Braziel says.

"If they get the blueprints for how that part is produced, then they don’t have that engineering expense," he says.

Beyond that, all software, computer codes and tools independent mechanics need to work on new cars are already made available, though it’s not free — not even to dealerships, Braziel says. He concedes it’s gotten more expensive for the independent garage owner to ply his trade, especially for shops that service multiple makes.

"That is going to get expensive for him, because he’s going to have to buy a different tool for each manufacturer possibly," he says. "There is a price to pay to be in the business; there’s no question."

The AAIA disputes claims that auto makers already provide access to all information and tools necessary, arguing that serious gaps exist in access, forcing independent shops to turn away 1.8 million customers nationwide and lose $5.8 million in service and parts sales each year.

Buster Armstrong, owner of Momentum Auto in Harlingen, knows well the price of doing business. His shop specializes in servicing BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes and other foreign makes. While information related to vehicle emissions systems is readily available, "auto manufacturers are real tight about letting out information," he says.

Armstrong says the issue is that most new cars have "Computer Area Network," which allows a car’s multiple computers to "talk to each other" and requires less wiring, which makes for lighter cars. The downside is the car requires more computer software and codes to service. For the independent shop without those things, it means turning away business. Armstrong says he’s had to spend tens of thousands of dollars on equipment and data to be able to keep servicing cars.

"The only way you can make it as an independent is you have to invest a lot of money in hardware and software, which is something we’ve had to do," he says. "The day of the screwdriver and the pliers, that’s long, long gone."

Justin Christopher, an automotive technician with Doctor Dave’s Auto in Brownsville, says a lot of new vehicles frequently require their computers to be reinitialized or "reflashed" after repairs. This requires a computer scanner that constantly has to be updated online. Each car company has its own scanner, and any glitch with the software leaves the mechanic with a car that won’t start after being repaired.

Christopher says that since 2001, car companies have gone more with computers that are meant to be reprogrammed rather than just replaced — making it more complicated for shops.

"You have to buy 10 different scan tools and pay money to keep them updated, and they cost $2,000 to $6,000 a piece" he says. "That’s easily $100,000 a year to keep up on software if you want to work on all different makes and models. A lot of them, I just have to send them to the dealership. It burns me, because a lot of things I just can’t do to vehicles. It’s a lot of work that we kind of have to turn away because we don’t have the capability to touch it."