Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) is pushing the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act — or REPAIR Act — which would ensure that vehicle owners have access to their own data, often restricted by automakers making it difficult to go elsewhere for repairs.
Speaking to Breitbart News Saturday, Dunn and host Matthew Boyle discussed the fact that an individual’s vehicle is collecting a variety of data, some of which is needed for auto repairs later down the line. One of the main issues here — aside from privacy concerns — is that automakers often hoard the data, ultimately steering people toward the dealership for repairs rather than a cheaper third-party.
“What they’re trying to do is monopolize the repair on any automobile, truck, or motorcycle that they make and they do this under the guise of, ‘Oh, these cars, new cars are so complicated. Only we know how to fix our cars,’ which is absolute bunk. And there’s a huge market in America for third party parts and repairs,” Dunn explained, noting that many repairs are not ultimately completed in the dealerships.
“Now they actually license those dealerships and sell them equipment to add parts, by the way, original parts, so that you know that the cost goes up on every repair. And of course, the dealerships don’t have the wherewithal, firstly, to provide all repairs that are needed. And it’s also, I think, sort of a trick to kind of get people to buy more new cars, trucks, and motorcycles,” by bringing people periodically back into the dealership.
To explain what the REPAIR Act would do, Dunn asked listeners to imagine that they are driving a foreign car or something like a Tesla, breaking down in the middle of nowhere.
“Who the heck is going to fix your car? You think Tesla has a dealership out there? No, they don’t, and then neither does BMW or Mercury… So yeah, we need, we need the right to do that,” he said, adding, “We have answered every concern that the OEMs [Original Equipment Manufacturer] have about their intellectual property on autonomous vehicle controls and all this stuff.”
“They have no room to complain about… [it] is very, very monopolistic,” the congressman said. “It’s anti-American.”
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He put it in further perspective, noting that repairs at dealerships are generally at least 36 percent higher.
“That’s the lowest number that’s in publication. To be honest, I suspect from my own personal experiences that it’s much, much more than that,” he said. “You know, they hoard this, protect this data,” he said, noting that he recently had a key fob replaced on a vehicle he owns, which cost him over $1,000.
“I had a key fob replaced on a car I own, an American made, you know, a little Buick, and just to keep up this car that cost me brand new, cost me $13,500 and to replace a key fob was over 1000 and took six trips,” Dunn revealed.
Breitbart News Saturday airs on SiriusXM Patriot 125 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
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