Bipartisan federal legislation that would compel automakers to share diagnostic data and repair software with independent shops on equal terms with franchised dealers advanced in Congress in 2025, marking the first sustained push for a nationwide automotive right-to-repair standard.
Background
The REPAIR Act - formally the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act (H.R. 1566 / S. 1379) - was introduced in the House by Representatives Neal Dunn (R-FL), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Warren Davidson (R-OH), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), alongside 12 additional bipartisan members. The legislation has accumulated 44 bipartisan sponsors in the House and eight in the Senate, a significant expansion from a prior iteration that existed only in the House.
The bill would protect consumers' rights to repair their vehicles while ensuring the continued safe operation of the country's 292 million registered passenger and commercial motor vehicles - 70% of which are currently maintained by independent repair facilities. Its introduction comes as modern vehicles have shifted from largely mechanical systems to software-defined platforms, increasingly updated via over-the-air (OTA) connections. OTA updating has become a cornerstone of the connected vehicle, enabling manufacturers to remotely deploy bug fixes, security patches, and new features.
Key Provisions and Industry Data
The legislation would create a nationwide parity model obligating vehicle manufacturers to provide owners and independent repair shops with access to the same repair and maintenance data - in the same manner - they make available to themselves or their franchised dealerships. A specific provision addresses OTA updates directly: the bill would ensure that over-the-air updates do not render aftermarket parts inoperable and would prohibit automakers from mandating the use of any particular brand or manufacturer of tools, parts, or other motor vehicle equipment. Enforcement would rest with the Federal Trade Commission.
The data underpinning the push is stark. An independent survey found that 63% of repair shops report having difficulties making routine repairs on a daily or weekly basis due to data restrictions, and 51% report sending up to five cars per month to a dealership because of those restrictions. The specialty automotive aftermarket industry represents a $337 billion annual economic impact on the national economy.
Consumer sentiment is firmly behind the legislation. A CAR Coalition survey found that 94% of vehicle owners want the freedom to choose where their vehicle is repaired, and 75% support legislation preventing automakers from restricting access to vehicle data. A July 2025 national poll found more than 83% of Americans support the REPAIR Act, with support described as strongly bipartisan - 84% of Republicans and 82% of Democrats backing the measure.
Opposition and Competing Proposals
The legislation faces organized opposition. The National Automobile Dealers Association argued the REPAIR Act is unnecessary, contending that a 2014 Memorandum of Understanding between right-to-repair proponents and automakers, reaffirmed by a 2023 industry commitment, already addresses the concern. NADA also warned that the bill would create an entirely new regulatory framework - with a mandated rulemaking, a new advisory panel, and biennial reports to Congress - and that the resulting compliance burden could exceed $100 million annually.
In February 2025, a rival proposal emerged. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation joined the Automotive Service Association and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists to propose the Safety as First Emphasis (SAFE) Repair Act. Critics of the REPAIR Act, backing the SAFE alternative, argued that the bill "is silent on a consumer's right to ensure those tools or information are utilized for the specific purpose of restoring that vehicle's safety systems and structure to full functionality." Proponents of the REPAIR Act responded that the SAFE proposal does not alter the current OEM data-control model.
The cybersecurity dimension remains contentious. OEM-aligned groups have cited safety risks from open telematics access, pointing to instances where automakers disabled telematics in Massachusetts rather than comply with state-level mandates. In May 2025, the driver of a Volvo XC90 crashed after an OTA update affected braking functionality - an incident that supporters of tighter oversight cited as evidence that independent technicians need full diagnostic visibility to identify and respond to post-update anomalies. REPAIR Act proponents counter that if cybersecurity risks exist in the current model, they already apply to the range of parties to whom vehicle manufacturers already transmit data.
Outlook
Industry advocates see an opportunity for the REPAIR Act to advance via the safety title of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act. At the state level, the Massachusetts right-to-repair law - the country's most developed automotive data-access statute - is under appeal, with oral arguments expected in the first or second quarter of 2026. A subsequent decision could determine whether the law remains in place. The federal bill's fate may ultimately hinge on whether congressional negotiators can reconcile the REPAIR Act's broad data-access mandate with the narrower, safety-focused framework backed by automakers and some repair industry associations.
