Contact:	Clarence Mills (202) 543-1440 c.mills@att.net
For Release:	Immediate News Bulletin PR-57 September 25, 2008

House Small Business Committee Rebukes AAIA on 'Right to Repair'

Washington, D.C. - At a hearing of the House Small Business Committee, members of Congress and the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission strongly questioned the testimony of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association and seemed unconvinced that the so-called "Right to Repair" legislation was necessary.

At a patent hearing this summer, AAIA's vice president of government affairs said, "With the cost of gasoline escalating at unprecedented rates, car owners still have access to the most affordable and convenient vehicle service industry in the world thanks largely to the fact that car owners have a choice as to where they have their vehicle repaired and with what parts. There are very few other products that boast such a strong market for the service of that product and many motorists take for granted the fact that they can take their car anywhere they want for service and purchase replacement parts that meets their price and quality needs," as reported in IPFrontline.

At today's hearing, testimony by AAIA's vice president of government affairs caused some members, including Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.), to question AAIA's reasons for supporting the legislation and ask, "Has AAIA or its distributor members filed complaints with the National Automotive Service Task Force?" The FTC chairman had already confirmed that they had received no vehicle service information complaints and stated that the FTC had encouraged such a voluntary industry solution as the NASTF. In response to a question from Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), Federal Trade Commission Chair William Kovacic said "that the automotive sector today - compared with years past - offers better choices for the consumer for automotive repair."

Automakers, auto dealers and independent repairers have urged proponents of the so-called "Right to Repair" legislation to redirect their energies and resources to work within the cooperative framework of the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF).

Since its initial introduction in 2001, the "right to repair" legislation has been rejected by the U.S. Congress and state legislatures in Florida, Oklahoma, Maine, New York, Nevada and New Jersey, and most recently Massachusetts. A majority of legislators agree that the voluntary agreement, put in place in 2002 and overseen by the U.S. Congress, is preferable to legislating a solution in search of a problem.

Historically, about 75 percent of post-warranty vehicle service and repairs are performed in non-dealer shops. The auto industry views these non-dealer shops as important players in providing service to their mutual customers, the driving public. Just as motor vehicles have become more complex, the servicing of them has also become a high-technology business requiring skilled, trained technicians and a sizeable investment in diagnostic and repair equipment.

The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind dedicated to and governed by independent automotive service and repair professionals. ASA serves an international membership base that includes numerous affiliate, state and chapter groups from both the mechanical and collision repair segments of the automotive service industry. ASA's headquarters is in Bedford, Texas.

The Alliance is a trade association of 10 car and light truck manufacturers including BMW Group, Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.

AIAM is a trade association whose member companies include American Honda Motor Corp., American Suzuki Motor Corp., Aston Martin Lagonda of North America Inc., Ferrari North America Inc., Hyundai Motor America, Isuzu Motors America Inc., Kia Motors America, Maserati North America Inc., Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc., Nissan North America Inc., Peugeot Motors of America, Renault, SA, Subaru of America and Toyota Motor North America. AIAM also represents original equipment suppliers and other automotive-related trade associations.

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