Across social media, ads and op-eds are claiming that automakers are shutting out small repair shops like mine. They say we can’t get the tools, data, or information needed to fix your car.
That simply isn’t true.
I know because I live this every day.
I help lead K & M Collision in Hickory, North Carolina, a family business my parents started decades ago. I’ve spent my career repairing vehicles the right way — using automaker repair procedures, automaker tools, and genuine parts to make sure families get back on the road safely.
Alongside my brothers and our team of professionals, I’ve repaired thousands of vehicles, from everyday family cars to high-performance luxury brands.
In all those years, I’ve never lacked the information, diagnostic access, or repair procedures needed to restore a vehicle. Even local dealers rely on our expertise for specialized collision repairs.
My business has access to what’s required. So do other businesses like mine in North Carolina, South Carolina, and across the country. I know this because of my years as a member of, and leader in, my state association that represents independent repair businesses.
So why the push for the so-called “REPAIR Act” in Washington?
It’s not about helping small shops. It’s being driven by big aftermarket parts chains and insurance companies that stand to profit from controlling how your car is repaired.
The REPAIR Act would force automakers to hand over broad access to your vehicle and your vehicle-generated data — far beyond what’s needed for safe repairs. That opens the door for insurers and other corporations to use your personal driving data for targeted advertising or even adjusting your insurance rates.
That’s not about repair — it’s about control and profit.
Worse, the REPAIR Act would empower insurers to push shops toward cheap, imitation, or foreign-made parts instead of the factory-certified parts most consumers actually want — which is to have their vehicle made “just like it was” using the same parts, and the engineer provided documents on how to perform those procedures.
I’ve had way too many tough conversations with customers when insurers refused to cover original manufacturer parts, or when they deny critical steps in the repair process that are necessary to properly restore vehicle safety. This leaves families to pay out-of-pocket if they want their vehicle restored to pre-accident safety standards.
That’s the No. 1 difficulty we have in fixing the vehicle correctly. It’s the pressure our customers are put under when they have to assume the financial burden of repair after expecting proper repairs to be covered by their insurance policy.
The REPAIR Act gives insurers even more leverage to dictate those choices.
Let me be clear: I’m not against fair competition. Independent repairers like me thrive on earning customer trust through quality work and safe outcomes.
But consumers deserve the right to choose how their vehicle is repaired — without being pressured into unsafe parts or having their private driving data sold.
If lawmakers truly want to protect consumers, the path is simple: Treat dealers and independents equally, safeguard personal information, and guarantee families can choose whether their car is repaired with genuine or imitation parts.
That’s true right to repair — but it’s not what this bill delivers.
The REPAIR Act might sound good in a headline, but in practice it prioritizes corporate profits over consumer safety and privacy. As someone who works on the front lines of collision repair every day, this bill doesn’t solve a problem — it creates new ones.
