Liberals And Conservatives Agree On “Right to Repair”

Have you ever gone to your neighborhood car mechanic and heard, “Sorry, we can’t fix that here.” Help is on the way. Eventually.

Chet Nagle ——Bio and Archives--April 20, 2026

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Automobile repair bills have climbed sharply, and what’s driving costs isn’t inflation or supply chain problems. It’s a scheme that directs car owners to the manufacturer’s repair facility by denying independent repair shops access to the information needed to fix today’s vehicles. Modern vehicles rely on diagnostics, software, vehicle data and tools that independent repair shops can’t access. Why is that access denied?

Because manufacturers want to monopolize repair of vehicles at the expense of community repair shops. Many of those repair shops have been family-owned for generations and they employ almost 5 million Americans that generate $500 billion per year. Half of them, according to The Hill, have been forced to send clients to dealerships jacking up the national cost by $3.1 billion annually.

On average, drivers spend 36% more on repair costs at the dealership than they would at an independent service shop. 77% of vehicles are over seven years old and without right to repair, drivers will be forced to dealerships where costs are higher, taking an estimated $100 billion from drivers’ pockets.

Not only that, but your dealership could void your car’s warranty for a simple modification like an aftermarket air filter, cold air intake, or exhaust system. While these are safe mods, a dealership could easily say that the aftermarket air filter put the car's Mass Air Flow sensor out of alignment, or the free-flow exhaust upset the O2 sensor, causing engine damage. Without the data to prove the dealership was wrong, you’d have to remove the offending modification and install a dealership product.

The Hill also notes that Defense Secretary Pete “gets it” as early as the summer of 2025. He is now demanding right-to-repair rules for all Army contracts, new and old, so our troops can keep equipment running in war zones without waiting on a corporate help desk. This saves taxpayer dollars, increases readiness and cuts out bureaucratic delays.

The next bureaucracy to “get it” was the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On 3 June 2025, John Deere sent a letter to EPA requesting the agency issue guidance confirming that temporary emission control overrides are allowed by EPA. The agency’s guidance emerged 60 days later, on 12 August 2025. It was a direct response to the John Deere request and makes clear that temporary........

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