Toronto, Ontario -- The large majority of Americans support enshrining the right to repair federal law, a new survey commissioned by the CAR Coalition has found.
Conducted by the Tarrance Group between June 8 and 10, the poll found that 83 percent of respondents back a bill that would guarantee U.S. independent repair shops and consumers access to vehicle data and diagnostic tools. Another 77 percent support the SMART Act, which would lower barriers to aftermarket parts production.
The survey, which polled 1,000 vehicle owners and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, showed broad bipartisan support. About 84 percent of Republicans and 82 percent of Democrats said they supported the REPAIR Act.
Roughly 98 percent of respondents said they believe consumers should be allowed to choose where their vehicles are repaired. About 89 percent said they want access to their own vehicle data. Also, 78 percent said independent shops should be able to access that data to perform repairs, while 72 percent said automakers should not be allowed to restrict access.
CAR Coalition executive director Justin Rzepka said the results show Americans believe they, not automakers, should control their repair choices and data.
“The numbers don’t lie -- vehicle owners believe they should be in the driver’s seat when it comes to repairing their own vehicles and accessing their vehicle data, not the auto manufacturers," he said. "As bipartisan support for a national vehicle right-to-repair law continues to grow, we applaud our champions in the House and Senate for supporting the REPAIR Act and look forward to returning consumers’ the right to repair their own vehicles once and for all."
Canadian polling points to similar trends. A study published by the Automotive Industries Association of Canada earlier this year found that 94 percent of Canadians believe they should be able to have their vehicles serviced at any shop, and 83 percent support laws requiring automakers to share diagnostic data with independents.
