The REPAIR Act Just United 43 Lawmakers Across Party Lines. The bill, formally known as H.R. 1566, would force automakers to hand over the diagnostic data and repair tools that independent mechanics and vehicle owners need to fix modern cars and trucks. It advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade by voice vote — meaning no member present objected.

Why it matters: Today’s vehicles are essentially rolling computers. They generate streams of wireless data about engine performance, sensor calibration, and system diagnostics. Automakers increasingly transmit that data back to their own servers and share it with their authorized dealerships — while locking out independent repair shops and consumers. The REPAIR Act would require manufacturers to give independent shops and vehicle owners the same access to that data, on the same terms, that they already provide to their own dealer networks.

What the REPAIR Act Would Do

The right to repair legislation targets a specific structural problem: as vehicles have become more software-dependent, manufacturers have gained the ability to act as gatekeepers over the information required to service them.

Under the bill, automakers would be prohibited from using technological or legal barriers to block vehicle owners, independent repair facilities, aftermarket parts manufacturers, and diagnostic tool makers from accessing vehicle-generated data and critical repair information. That includes data transmitted through physical diagnostic ports and through wireless telematics systems.

The bill also includes data privacy guardrails. Vehicle-generated data accessed under the law could only be used for repair-related purposes. Vehicle owners would have the right to request deletion of their data within 72 hours. And the legislation would bar the sale or transfer of that data without the owner’s consent.

Additionally, the REPAIR Act would establish a "Fair Competition After Vehicles Are Sold Advisory Committee" at the Federal Trade Commission, tasked with monitoring competition in the automotive aftermarket and issuing annual reports to Congress. The FTC would be the primary enforcement body, treating violations as unfair or deceptive trade practices.

One notable provision: Section 8 includes a federal preemption clause, meaning the law would supersede state-level right-to-repair statutes on the same subject — replacing the current patchwork with a single national standard.

Who It Impacts

The bill’s reach extends well beyond gearheads and hobbyist mechanics.

According to U.S. PIRG, the current system creates a "two-tiered repair environment" that funnels consumers toward more expensive dealership service centers. Independent auto repair shops — which handle the majority of aftermarket vehicle repairs in the country — face mounting difficulty accessing the same diagnostic data that dealerships receive automatically.

The stakes are particularly high in rural America, where the nearest authorized dealership may be hours away and local independent shops are often the only realistic option for vehicle maintenance.

The National Federation of Independent Business endorsed the bill, arguing that independent repair shops need a level playing field to survive. Insurance companies — including Allstate, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, and Hartford — also have a stake, since competitive repair markets translate to lower claims costs. FedEx, which maintains large vehicle fleets, is among the corporate interests tracking the legislation. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is also listed among organizations engaged on the bill.

Why Both Parties Signed On

The REPAIR Act cosponsors span the ideological spectrum, from Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) to Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL-17), from Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-1) to Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6). That breadth is not accidental — the bill sits at an intersection where conservative free-market principles and progressive consumer protection instincts converge.

For Republicans, the framing is straightforward: manufacturers should not be able to use proprietary software locks to create monopoly control over vehicle repair. Many of the GOP cosponsors represent rural districts where independent shops are economic lifelines. Reps. Rick Crawford (R-AR-1), Troy Downing (R-MT), Jack Bergman (R-MI-1), and Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2) all represent areas where dealership access is limited and local repair businesses are central to the community.

For Democrats, the bill addresses corporate consolidation and consumer data rights — themes that resonate with the party’s base. Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-3), and Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10) have all focused on working-family economic issues in their broader legislative portfolios.

A national poll cited by the CAR Coalition reported that more than 83 percent of Americans support the legislation — a figure that cuts across partisan lines.

What Cosponsors Are Saying

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-3), a former auto shop owner and one of the bill’s original introducers, has been among the most vocal advocates. In a statement at the bill’s reintroduction, she said: "Americans are tired of lip service about lowering prices or respecting the trades." She also testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the issue and has introduced separate right-to-repair legislation covering electronics.

The bill’s lead sponsor, Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL-2), released a statement titled "Congressman Dunn Puts Vehicle Owners in the Driver’s Seat," framing the legislation as a consumer empowerment measure.

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH-8) and Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2) were also among the four original introducers, according to the MEMA announcement, signaling early cross-party commitment at the leadership level.

The CAR Coalition praised the "bipartisan, unanimous approval" at the subcommittee markup, and Auto Care Association president Bill Hanvey stated at the hearing: "The need for the Repair Act is critical and real… [today’s vehicles are] essentially computers on wheels that produce data that manufacturers then gate off to block consumers from accessing."

The Opposition

The bill is not without detractors. The National Automobile Dealers Association has urged opposition, arguing that repair information is already available and that the bill is really about giving third parties access to consumer data and enabling reverse-engineering of OEM parts. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents major automakers, has also raised concerns about the legislation’s scope.

What’s Next

The Trump administration has not said anything yet about the REPAIR Act. But the bill has cleared the subcommittee and now awaits action by the full House Energy and Commerce Committee. With 43 cosponsors, 200 lobbying disclosure filings tied to the legislation, and engagement from 46 organizations ranging from Tesla to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the REPAIR Act has generated one of the more active lobbying environments of the 119th Congress.

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