Amidst soaring prices, parts shortages, and other challenges, American families are struggling to find affordable, timely car repair options – a reality that’s causing headaches for the over 90% of U.S. households that own a vehicle.
Wall Street Journal notes that ongoing parts and worker shortages have led to “more frustrated customers, who are waiting longer to get their cars back, and paying more for service.” The consequences don’t stop there, either: as coverage notes, one independent shop owner “regularly turns away loyal customers” because he can’t access parts necessary for repairs – an increasingly common challenge amidst car manufacturer design patent abuse that reduces access to quality, affordable aftermarket parts. In addition to raising insurance premiums, this dynamic “risks becoming a drag on the U.S. economy” as a whole.
According to the New York Times, modern cars “are packed with sensors and technology” that can dramatically jack up repair costs – so much so that “the average cost of making damaged cars good as new has soared 36 percent since 2018, and may top $5,000 by the end of this year.” What’s more, “many mechanics aren’t trained to work on them” – a reality made worse by automakers’ unfair limitations on who can access tools, data, and software necessary for repairs.
As Axios notes, average monthly car repair costs grew nearly 24% from May 2020 to May 2023, now running nearly $400 a month on average for American households. As consumer debt reaches record-high levels – totaling nearly $17 trillion in May according to CNBC – Americans facing outsized car repair bills may be forced to delay maintenance as they’re also keeping their cars longer than ever, a dynamic that threatens the safety of everyone on the road.
Per Vox, the consequences of current trends facing the auto industry and car repair market are particularly acute for low-income Americans, who bear a disproportionate share of the “burdens of vehicle dependency.” Indeed, as former member of Congress Bobby Rush has noted, “The lack of meaningful consumer choice in the repair market harms low-income Americans and those in underserved communities most.”
Now more than ever, consumers need Congress to advance bipartisan legislation that helps alleviate pressure from current trends and protects access to affordable car repairs – like the Save Money on Auto Repair Transportation (SMART) Act and the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act – that has backing from nearly 80% of American vehicle-owning voters, 28 bipartisan attorneys general, thought leaders, and more.
Join the growing, consumers-first movement, and tell your representative to advance the SMART and REPAIR Acts today!
