Without Legislation, Your Mechanic May Not be Yours to Choose

You have a good relationship with your mechanic. And you probably chose him for several reasons: price, convenience, know-how, and personal service. But very soon, if legislation isn’t put into place to protect you, you may have no choice but to go to a new-car dealership for your repairs.

There’s nothing wrong with taking your car to a dealership: they provide good service and have trained technicians as well. But if you go to a dealership for repairs, it should be because you want to — not because you have to.

Automakers Are Not Willing to Share Information About the Cars They Build

This is information that’s essential to repair the car you bought — and that may mean that you will end up paying more in the long run.

You Don’t Own all of Your Car

All cars, trucks and SUVs today use sophisticated computers to manage their systems — everything from the engine and transmission to the stereo, power door locks, safety equipment and even the tire pressure. When something malfunctions, the computers produce codes, which the mechanic accesses through specialized equipment to diagnose the problem. In some cases, the repair may also require brand-dedicated computer equipment, or model-specific tools.

But automakers are increasingly unwilling to share that information with outside repair shops. You may own your vehicle, but the automaker still holds the key to its computer software. If your repair shop doesn’t have access to these computer codes, vehicle schematics, or specialized tools, your trusted mechanic can’t diagnose or repair your car.

You May Have to Pay Twice

It's bad enough when your repair shop can't access your car's computer information on a routine visit, but what about in an emergency? If your car breaks down, you will have no choice but to visit or have your car towed to the automaker's authorized dealer, no matter how far away it is. If you're traveling, at your cottage, or away from home, this could turn a minor inconvenience into a major one, especially if you're stuck with a huge tow bill.

Even a flat tire can be very costly.

In the near future, all new cars will be fitted with tire pressure monitoring systems, which use tiny transmitters in the wheels to “read” the tire's air pressure. Any tire shop can fix or replace your flat tire, but if the automaker isn't willing to share the monitoring system information with that shop, you might still need to visit a new-car dealership, and possibly pay another repair bill, to have the system reset. If it isn't reset, your dashboard warning light will continue to flash, and nothing short of covering it with duct tape will turn it off and the system, which is designed to tell you if a tire is low on air, will no longer operate properly.

Repair Shops Aren't Asking for 'Something for Nothing’

Repair shops aren't asking for a free ride. They are willing to pay a reasonable amount for access to the computer software, and to specialized tools.

But that's not enough for the automakers. They are not willing to share your car's computer information, and they are not making your car's specialized tools available for purchase.

Simply stated, the automakers are taking away your ability to make a choice about who repairs your car.

Legislation is Already Underway in the U.S.

In the United States, legislation called the Right To Repair Act is being promoted to Congress, which will require automakers to make a car's software information and tools available to repair shops. In Canada, we need to protect consumers as well. There's no guarantee that the auto companies will make your car's information available, now or in the future, without legislation. And as cars become more and more complex, the need to protect your choice becomes that much more important.