NEW LAWS TO MAKE CAR REPAIRS CHEAPER

[One-pager]

Family First Leader Senator Steve Fielding will introduce new laws to make repairing the family car cheaper. The Choice of Repairer Bill 2010 would make it a legal requirement for the giant car makers to hand over the technical and diagnostic tools necessary for servicing all new vehicles. Senator Fielding said ordinary Australians were being ripped off with higher prices from dealer repairers because it was becoming increasingly difficult to get their cars serviced at less expensive, independent repairers, due to the lack of access to vital technical information. Stuart Charity from the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) said if the legislation passed it could save thousands of jobs.

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175N1703.PDF

[Silver-Aurion]

Awesome idea. Time to stick it to these big car makers. Especially like Toyota where so many things are no electronic and require the dealer and they charge an arm and leg because they know they can.

[Ascendant Rice]

why not just get them to bend over aswell?

[Steven]

I wonder what the car makers will respond to being a "reasonable price" for their tech specs, knowing how much they sometimes charge for just a bit of plastic?

If you're an independent mechanic/workshop and have to buy the tech specs for every different new model car that comes out just in order to properly service/repair it, then I can't see it being a cheap exercise. The car manufacturers would find a way to make their money elsewhere.

Regardless it's a good idea, because at least the option would now be there for mechanics to access this information.

[SuperDave]

why not just get them to bend over aswell?

For example a 2zz valve spring compressor is about $1000, but a generic one is about $40. The generic one needs to be modified in order to work, but isn't that hard to do (but mine becomes a 2 person job). If I turn up to a workshop and require the valve springs to be removed and they have to buy the SST (special service tool) from Toyota they will bill me that $1000, not absorb it themselves. I don't think the car companies should be handing over data/tools for free though, just a realistic price.