Aftermarket trade groups sent a letter of appreciation to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on June 30 for findings of the recently released 54-page report titled 'Nixing the Fix: An FTC Report to Congress on Repair Restrictions." The report details the barriers consumers face when seeking independent repairs, including independent motor vehicle service facilities.
The aftermarket trade groups included the Auto Care Association, Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA), Service Station Dealers of American and Allied Trades (SSDA), Car Coalition (CAR), Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), and Tire Industry Association (TIA).
In the letter from the aftermarket groups, it states “the report accurately describes the extensive breadth of problems vehicle owners face and recognizes that the commission can take certain steps relatively quickly without further statutory authority.” The aftermarket trade groups also included a list of recommendations that the commission could undertake immediately as well as suggestions for more substantive actions that may require congressional action.
Recommendations included:
- Improve consumer education and compliance assurance with the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (MMWA), which prohibits the conditioning of warranties with the use of original equipment parts or service.
- Eliminate manufacturers’ marketing practices that discourage the use of non-original equipment parts or services.
- Develop better enforcement tools that the commission can undertake to better ensure compliance with MMWA.
- Advocate for new legal authority that would expand the scope of MMWA to include commercial vehicles.
- Obtain legislation that would provide vehicle owners with access to data transmitted by their vehicle and provide them the ability to have that data made available to the independent repair shops where they have their vehicle repaired.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
