Post by "Pop" Stran on Aug 6, 2005 1:45:12 GMT -5
Very often the interests of small business and the consumer coincide.
Such is the case with independent auto mechanics who are pressing Congress to enact a "Right to Repair" bill.
This would require automakers to give independents the data they need to repair all makes of cars, thereby freeing consumers from being held hostage by dealers' repair departments.
As cars get more like computers with wheels, it becomes nearly impossible for independent mechanics to work on them unless manufacturers cough up the diagnostic codes and other data.
Our very own Automan wrote about this problem more than a year ago, calling it the dealer-only syndrome, but while the bill's appeal is self-evident, it's likely to have a hard time making it through Congress, which is not exactly in a pro-consumer mood these days.
Such is the case with independent auto mechanics who are pressing Congress to enact a "Right to Repair" bill.
This would require automakers to give independents the data they need to repair all makes of cars, thereby freeing consumers from being held hostage by dealers' repair departments.
As cars get more like computers with wheels, it becomes nearly impossible for independent mechanics to work on them unless manufacturers cough up the diagnostic codes and other data.
Our very own Automan wrote about this problem more than a year ago, calling it the dealer-only syndrome, but while the bill's appeal is self-evident, it's likely to have a hard time making it through Congress, which is not exactly in a pro-consumer mood these days.