NJ Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee Passes Pro-Consumer, Pro-Competition 'Right To Repair Act,' States Care

Car Companies Throw Monkey Wrench at Consumers by saying Right to Repair Is Not a Consumer Issue.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New Jersey's motoring consumers were granted "car repair" relief when three out of five Assemblypersons in the Consumer Affairs Committee today voted to pass The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act, A-803. The Right to Repair Act, as it is known, is sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Trenton).

The legislation allows motorists to choose where, how and by whom to have their vehicles repaired, even work on their vehicles themselves. Vehicles are equipped with computers that control the repair and service information on vital systems such as, but not limited to: air bags, brakes, steering mechanisms, tire pressure, oil changes, electronics, check engine lights, transmissions and fuel injection.

"The only way for motorists to have these systems and their 'entire' vehicle repaired and parts replaced is to return to the new car dealerships. This has created a safety hazard for those who need immediate repairs but may not be near the appropriate new car dealership or any new car dealership, hurts low and fixed income motorists, hurts fuel efficiency, the environment and the economy.

"During an economic down-turn, consumers should be able to have their vehicles completely serviced at the shops of their choice. Affordability and quality should be an option, not an expensive 'pipe dream,'" stated Sandy Bass-Cors, Executive Director for the Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE).

Bill sponsor Reed Gusciora and the Members of the Consumer Affairs Committee have been concerned that higher gasoline prices and the inability for motoring consumers to have their vehicles repaired quickly and affordably at the shop of their choice, especially during an economic down-turn, will have a negative impact on their wallets, fuel efficiency, the safety of their vehicles, the environment and the economy -- unless the Right to Repair Act passes.

Three of the five Consumer Affairs Assemblypersons voted for motoring consumers: Nila Cruz-Perez, Consumer Affairs Committee Chairwoman (D-Camden); Valerie Vainieri-Huttle (D-Englewood); and bill sponsor Reed Gusciora (D-Trenton). Voting in opposition to the pro-consumer bill were: Jon Bramnick, Consumer Affairs Committee Vice Chairman (R-Westfield); and Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Westwood).

Numerous New Jersey aftermarket shop owners testifying in favor of the Right to Repair Act stated that they are losing business and customers due to the inability to completely repair vehicles. Shops explained that often after investing thousands of dollars in diagnostic tools (for each car maker), they find out after the fact that the needed repair information is missing and often out of date.

Aaron Lowe, Vice President, Government Affairs, for the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, testified that the Right to Repair Act goes back to the Clean Air Act when vehicles began to be computerized. He reiterated that, contrary to what the car companies claim, all of the repair information is not available to the vehicles' owners or the independent shops.

Jim Appleton, head of the New Jersey Car Dealers Association (NJCDA); along with spokespeople from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM); the International Association of Automobile Manufacturers (IAAM); and the Automotive Service Association (ASA), stated that this legislation is not about consumer choice.

A spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers that this isn't the time to pass the Right to Repair Act, when car companies are having economic hard times.

"Why should motoring consumers be penalized by being forced back to the new car dealerships for repairs, even after their vehicles are out of warranty, especially when the car manufacturers helped create much of their economic problems by ignoring the needs of consumers?

"CARE and the seven thousand New Jersey aftermarket locations thank Chairwoman Cruz-Perez, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora for sponsoring and voting for the bill, and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri-Huttle for taking a stand in favor of consumers," concluded Bass-Cors.

CARE represents companies in the automotive aftermarket, among them: NAPA, Midas, CARQUEST, AutoZone, Advance Auto, O'Reilly's Auto Parts and EZ Lube. Five million people are employed nationwide in the automotive aftermarket in over 495,000 locations, including "mom and pop" shops.