Why a New Federal Bill Could Decide Where You Get Your Car Repaired

The cost of fixing a car has climbed sharply, and where you are allowed to get that work done is now the subject of a fight in Congress. A federal bill moving through the House would lock in your right to take your vehicle to an independent repair shop instead of the dealer, by forcing automakers to share the same diagnostic and repair information with corner garages that they hand to their own franchised service centers. For the millions of drivers who rely on local mechanics to keep older cars on the road, the outcome could decide how much choice, and how much savings, they have when something breaks.

The proposal is the latest chapter in the long-running right-to-repair campaign, and 2026 has been one of its most active years. Here is what the federal bill would actually do, where the states already stand, and why it touches the repair bill in your driveway.

What the Federal Bill Would Do

The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced an amended version of the REPAIR Act, folded into a larger package called the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026, known as H.R. 7389. The core idea is to take a voluntary agreement that automakers and the independent repair industry signed back in 2014 and write it into federal law so it can actually be enforced.

That 2014 memorandum of understanding grew out of a Massachusetts right-to-repair law, the first in the nation. Under it, participating automakers agreed to make the same diagnostic and repair information available to independent shops that they provide to franchised dealers, and to use a standardized, non-proprietary interface to access repair data starting with model-year 2018 vehicles. The bill would enact the key sections of that agreement into law for vehicles weighing under 14,000 pounds, and apply a separate 2015 agreement covering heavy-duty vehicles over that weight. A separate section would make both agreements enforceable through civil penalties from the Federal Trade Commission, giving the promises real consequences for the first time.

Why Repair Costs Made This a Consumer Fight

Right to repair is not an abstract policy debate for anyone who has paid a recent repair bill. The cost of vehicle repairs and maintenance rose by more than a third between 2021 and 2025, driven by pricier parts, more complex electronics, and the spread of sensors and software through even ordinary cars. Tariffs on imported parts have pushed prices higher still. When a single dealer is the only place equipped to diagnose a fault, drivers lose the ability to shop around, and that lack of competition tends to keep prices up.

Independent repair shops handle a large share of the country’s out-of-warranty service work, and they are usually cheaper than dealer service departments. But modern vehicles increasingly lock diagnostic and repair data behind manufacturer systems, which can leave a local mechanic unable to complete a job that a dealer could. Supporters of the legislation argue that without a federal guarantee of access, the steady move toward connected cars and software-controlled systems will gradually squeeze independent shops out and funnel drivers back to dealers, with higher bills to match.

The issue has broad public backing. The campaign has drawn support across political lines, from car owners to farmers fighting for the right to fix their own tractors and consumers pushing back on locked-down phones and appliances. A national poll released in June 2026 found more than 70 percent of voters backed the right to repair and modify even in the context of military equipment, a sign of how widely the principle now resonates.

What the Bill Leaves Out

The version that cleared committee is narrower than what some advocates wanted. Lawmakers stripped out broader provisions dealing with telematics and direct wireless access to the data that modern cars stream over the air, a piece that repair groups consider central as vehicles become more connected. The lead sponsor of the original REPAIR Act, Representative Neal Dunn of Florida, said the committee version represented some progress but did not fully reflect his bill, warning that it “fails to protect consumers, independent repair shops and aftermarket manufacturers.” He has pushed for the measure to be expanded when it reaches the full House floor.

Industry groups are split on the details. The Specialty Equipment Market Association, which represents the automotive aftermarket, has stayed neutral on the bill as currently written, reflecting concern that the narrowed language does not go far enough. Automakers, for their part, have favored codifying the existing agreements rather than the wider data-access rules. The disagreement over telematics is likely to define the next round of the debate, because that wirelessly transmitted data is exactly what future repairs will depend on.

Where the States Already Stand and What to Do

While Congress works, several states have not waited. California, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Connecticut, Oregon and Washington have all passed right-to-repair laws covering a range of products, from electronics and farm equipment to automobiles, and Maine and Texas have measures advancing. Massachusetts remains the template for cars, having passed the original automotive law that the 2014 national agreement was built on. If you live in one of those states, you already have stronger protections than federal law currently guarantees.

For drivers, the practical takeaways are simple. You are generally free to use an independent shop for service without voiding your warranty; federal law already bars a manufacturer from requiring dealer-only service to keep a warranty valid, except where the work is covered free under the warranty itself. If a shop tells you it cannot access the information needed to diagnose your car, that is the exact gap this legislation is meant to close, and it is worth getting a second opinion from a shop with up to date manufacturer data access.

The Massachusetts story shows why this is so hotly contested. Voters there approved an expanded right-to-repair measure by a wide margin in 2020, specifically to force access to the wireless telematics data that newer cars generate, and automakers tied the law up in federal court for years afterward. That legal fight is part of why supporters now want a clear national standard rather than a patchwork of state rules that companies can challenge one at a time.

It also helps to understand what the access actually covers. The agreements at the heart of the bill require automakers to sell independent shops the same diagnostic software, repair procedures, wiring diagrams and security information that dealers receive, generally for a fair price, and to route it through a standardized tool rather than a brand-specific system only dealers own. In plain terms, it is meant to ensure that when a warning light comes on, the shop down the street can read the fault code, find the fix and order the right part, instead of sending you to the dealer.

The savings at stake are real. Independent shops often charge lower labor rates than dealer service departments, and on common repairs the difference can run to hundreds of dollars. When only the dealer can complete a job, that competition disappears, which is the practical reason consumer advocates frame repair access as a pocketbook issue rather than a technical one.

Keep your service records, since a documented history helps whether you use a dealer or an independent garage. And if right to repair is an issue you care about, the bill’s progress through the House is worth watching, because the difference between the narrow version and a broader one could decide whether your local mechanic can still fix the connected cars rolling off lots today. For now, the direction of travel is toward more access, not less, but the fine print of H.R. 7389 will determine how much that access is really worth.

Sources:

• SEMA, U.S. House Committee Advances Right-to-Repair Legislation
• Congress.gov, REPAIR Act text
• Autobody News, Right to Repair in 2026
• CNBC, The populist wave behind right to repair