Every time you get behind the wheel, your car gathers data about you—where you go, how fast you’re driving, how hard you brake, and even your weight. However, this information usually isn’t accessible to vehicle owners. Instead, it’s kept behind secure restrictions that only allow manufacturers or authorized technicians to access it. Automakers can also use these digital barriers to prevent owners from performing repairs or modifications, such as replacing their own brake pads, without incurring high service fees at dealerships.
The Repair Act, a pending piece of legislation discussed during a recent subcommittee hearing at the US House of Representatives, aims to change that by requiring some of this data to be shared with vehicle owners. Specifically, it focuses on information valuable for repairs. “Automakers are leveraging exclusive access to this data to push owners towards dealerships, where they have control over the information,” says Nathan Proctor, senior director of the campaign for the right to repair at PIRG. “If this information were more widely distributed, repairs could be quicker, cheaper, and more convenient, but that’s not the case.”
The hearing held by the US House’s Committee on Energy and Commerce, titled “Examining Legislative Options to Strengthen Motor Vehicle Safety, Ensure Consumer Choice and Affordability, and Cement US Automotive Leadership,” tackled issues like improving road safety, regulating autonomous vehicles, and preventing catalytic converter theft. The atmosphere became heated during discussions about the Repair Act.
This House bill, introduced in early 2025 by Representatives Neal Dunn of Florida and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, would require automakers to provide vehicle owners and third-party repair shops access to telemetry—the data gathered by modern vehicles. It has garnered support from organizations representing vehicle suppliers and auto care shops alike.
Bill Hanvey, CEO of the Auto Care Association, who has long advocated for sharing vehicle owner data, testified, emphasizing the growing threat to owners’ data over the past decade. “The need for the Repair Act is critical and real,” Hanvey stated, referring to today’s vehicles as “computers on wheels” that manufacturers unnecessarily restrict access to. “Make no mistake about it, automakers unilaterally control the data; it’s not really yours. It may be your car, but it’s the manufacturer’s data to handle as they please.”
Vehicle manufacturers and dealerships oppose the Repair Act, expressing concerns about protecting their intellectual property. They argue that they have already made significant efforts to make their data and tools accessible. If a car needs fixing, they believe it’s not hard to find someone authorized to access the necessary information.
“Vehicle owners should be able to get their vehicles fixed anywhere they want,” said Hilary Cain, senior vice president of policy at the automaker industry group Alliance for Automotive Innovation, during her testimony. “The good news is that automakers already provide independent repair shops with the information, instructions, tools, and codes needed to fix vehicles properly and safely.” Cain added that automakers do support a comprehensive federal right-to-repair law but one that also protects company intellectual property and doesn’t obligate them to provide aftermarket parts manufacturers or auto parts retailers with unnecessary data for diagnostics or repairs.
