Automotive Repair News Today

Braxton Critcher [00:00:05]:
This is automotive repair news today. Thanks for checking out this video, this podcast on your favorite podcast platform or on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe and comment with your thoughts. Follow along on social media, because today is about the repair act, and we are in a critical, critical time right now with Congress about to take a little break for the election. So critical couple of weeks here as we hopefully see this repair act passed or hear some progress happening with what's going on with the repair act in the automotive industry. Hi there. My name is Braxton Kretcher. Thank you so much for hanging out with us today.

Braxton Critcher [00:00:44]:
I've got Dwayne Myers, and today's video is focusing mainly on technology and where it's going because technology is crazy, improving in all aspects of life. And you just heard my phone go off. But who has control over the information that comes from the technology? That's most of what this repair act is all about. And so Duane has perspective that I want to hear. And we're going to learn together, because if you know me, I'm from outside the automotive industry. I'm learning, I'm growing, I'm learning every day. But I, I don't know a ton about this stuff, especially when it comes to legislation. And so that's why Dwayne is here, because he's, well, maybe a little bit more in the know on stuff like this.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:31]:
So, Dwayne, thanks for, thanks for coming on.

Dwayne Myers [00:01:34]:
Oh, thanks for asking. I'm glad to be here.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:37]:
So let's just jump right in with the technology side of things. Give me your perspective of where this is at and why this is important.

Dwayne Myers [00:01:44]:
For consumers right now with the advancement of the car and where it's heading. And really, even in the next ten years, it's amazing what's coming down the line. Everything needs security and protection, but what those doors are giving the manufacturers is the ability to lock them and to lock us out. It used to be we could pretty much get into any system in every car. We had a way to do it. It's starting now that they're putting more barriers in place, and all there is is a gentleman's handshake that basically we're going to work together, we're going to grant you access, but you're starting to hear more and more things. It wasn't that long ago, a couple years ago, I believe it was, Volvo wanted to remove the ODB two connector, and they were going to do that in their new vehicles. Everything was going to be wireless, no way to plug the scan tool in anymore.

Dwayne Myers [00:02:39]:
State of California stopped that. They said, if we don't have the IM 240 ability to do emission testing, you can't sell your cars. Once you go wireless, it's no different in your house. All I got to do is put a password on it. You cannot get in. I can give it to you if I want, but then I can change it or I can charge you for it. And what's worse than a customer bought a car? Average cost $50,000. Let's say that you bought a vehicle and the data that your car produces is not yours.

Dwayne Myers [00:03:10]:
That's the OE's standpoint. They feel the data that's produced by the cars belongs to the manufacturer and it doesn't. It should belong to the consumer, the person that bought the car. It's the same to me as Microsoft is with Word or with Excel. You license the software, which is what they're the route they're trying to go. You're licensing the software in the cardinal because Lord knows there's a lot of code in cars now. But with Microsoft, if you produce a document or an Excel spreadsheet, you own that content. You don't own the product.

Dwayne Myers [00:03:45]:
You don't own Excel. You license it, but you own the product. Car manufacturers are saying, no, we own that data, and we're going to control how we let that out. Currently, we get most of what we need, but that could change. I mean, are you willing to risk everything you work for as a shop owner, even as a technician? You spent your whole career working on cars. And then one day they say, all right, well, now you can't work on these anymore or you have to pay $100 for access for each car or whatever it is. It's just what's right, not. And also, as we grow as a profession, you know, I know people say we're trade.

Dwayne Myers [00:04:24]:
I believe we're a profession. Watching the team work on vehicles now is amazing. I think we need to have some things in place to guarantee the consumers right and our right to be able to actually repair these vehicles.

Braxton Critcher [00:04:38]:
So as a consumer, why do I care? Because, you know, I know a little bit about vehicles, but for the most part, I think I'm in the average group of consumers that just want their car to get them from point a to point b. As long as it starts, it's safe and it does that, I'm happy. So this information, what does that do to me with the repair act? I mean, does that change the end result? As for a consumer, it changes options.

Dwayne Myers [00:05:15]:
To me right now, you have a lot of options. You can go to the manufacturer, which is dealers are about 30% of the repair work, and the aftermarket is about 70 of the repair work. But if we're not able to get access to that data, it forces you back to the dealer. And I have no problems with the dealer. I think we need to work together. I think this actually helps them as well. The repair act, I think it's actually good for the dealerships as well, but it limits your ability to make a choice and convenience. We can get you in and out pretty quick where a dealer can back you up quite a ways, but it also becomes monetized.

Dwayne Myers [00:05:54]:
There's already spots in the news where you hear of manufacturers selling data, the data they're collecting. Also we want is repair data, and that's what the repair act says. We want no personal information, we want no access to it. And they can do that. I don't care that they stop by McDonald's three times a week and I don't care that you do it at 10:00 at night. I don't care. But you're somebody that's selling vitamins and health stuff might want to know that because then they can market to you or your insurance company might want to know that you drove fast when you went there because it's going to affect your race. People are getting this information already, but they're making money.

Dwayne Myers [00:06:32]:
I believe they're going to make more money off of data than they do off selling cars. Look at a lot of your social media platforms. They're free to join now. Cars, not free. You're spending a lot of money on it. They do that because through marketing and data analytics, they're able to produce a revenue stream. That's amazing. And this to the customer, not only is their information getting out there, that's a different fight.

Dwayne Myers [00:06:59]:
But not allowing us to have access to it really limits it. All right. If your car breaks down and you got to go to the dealer, they're four weeks out, what are you going to do? And you're going on a trip. Your stock, you either buy a new car, rent something. I mean, it just limits options. And then, of course, it harms our industry and we're here for the consumer.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:22]:
I don't want to throw names out there and be wrong. So definitely fact check this. But I think it was Stellantis that sold information to insurance companies. Have you heard that?

Dwayne Myers [00:07:36]:
I don't know if it was them, but I do know quite a few that's happened. Yeah, there was another big american company automaker that dis, got a lawsuit.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:49]:
Yeah.

Dwayne Myers [00:07:50]:
It's large lawsuit for selling information.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:53]:
Right.

Dwayne Myers [00:07:54]:
They weren't gonna do that. And then all of a sudden, they're doing that. It's. It comes down to money, you know, and in the end, you know, they do need us. We know that. But if they can monetize it, they're going to, you know, it's no different than the arcade game. If you want to play, you got to keep putting quarters in. Well, who ends up paying for that? The consumer does, you know.

Dwayne Myers [00:08:15]:
Well, they already bought the car. Now you're asking for them to pay it again. Pay for it again.

Braxton Critcher [00:08:19]:
So with things like you're talking about, this is getting ahead of future expenses that a lot of people like myself may not be aware of. Right. So if the repair act doesn't pass, which we can get into your perspective on that, which you think it will, but if it doesn't, you know, how long, how far away are we from seeing impacted consumers with vehicles not having the choices, prices going up? How far down the road is that, realistically?

Dwayne Myers [00:08:52]:
Well, just with inflation, prices have been going up substantially here lately. But, you know, I think a bigger problem with this is we're already seeing each manufacturer doing things a little differently. Stellanis is a big one when it comes to their secure networks. And they all of a sudden, they'll put an infotainment center on the secure network or an abs system on a secure network, and you're like, but we can't access that network. Only the manufacturer, the dealer, can, or we can if we do this or that. But then there's a paid subscription to that. It's, I believe in security, but there's ways to do it where it's controlled. And the way the repair act is written is whatever they charge the dealerships is what they charge us.

Dwayne Myers [00:09:42]:
Right now, the dealers are getting data wirelessly that we do not get. They know things that we don't know. That's only going to grow. And especially if they pull away the port where you plug in your scan tool. And I know that that's the world we're heading to, but it's the access to that. That's where you literally, once that is protected, or we don't have access to it, there's no cable you can buy to get around it. I mean, it's no different than a firewall you have on your home network.

Braxton Critcher [00:10:14]:
So, obviously, in the, the american economy, free market is a big deal. Having the choices like you're talking about is I mean, what kind of America is founded on the freedoms? To me, the repair act, it sounds like a no brainer. You know, it makes a lot of sense for people who own cars, for repair shops. Are there people on the other side of it that don't want it to pass? Like, is this a dealership versus independent repair shops? Are there people that don't want it to pass? And why?

Dwayne Myers [00:10:52]:
If there are, there are people don't want it to pass and they have their, their motives. And I wouldn't say it's dealership against the aftermarket. I say it's manufacturers against all of us. I think the dealers are mainly to me, I believe they're sitting on the sidelines. They're not overly involved, but there are different, different entities. And I would stress to say that the manufacturers like us more than they like to run dealer network. Some days I don't lost my train of thought. Help me back here.

Braxton Critcher [00:11:31]:
It's. It's not dealership versus independent, it's manufacturer versus.

Dwayne Myers [00:11:35]:
Yeah, it's. That's right. It's, it's the manufacturers. And I think there's certain groups that are, that benefit certain. Some associations have, have agreements with these manufacturers, and they work together in other areas. And I'm not going to name them. I don't want to go there. I've had disagreements with some associations, and I say, why, if you didn't agree with it, why don't you just sit on the sidelines and you didn't have to support the other side? When you say that you're supporting shops, I think it's a complete opposite to what you're actually showing.

Dwayne Myers [00:12:09]:
But, yeah, there are some that don't, some don't understand. Some of them have their own motives, and some people have their own opinions, and they're allowed to have those. We can disagree, but when you go to the state of Massachusetts, they voted in 2020, 75% passed it, their version of the right to repair act, and they instantly sued them. And they have enacted the law. Now they're working through it. They're not complying, but the law actually is active, even though the judge has not ruled on that court case. And then they went to Maine, and I think it was 85% of the public supported it. That law actually, they just created a governance committee that has members from all different parts of the industry.

Dwayne Myers [00:12:53]:
So that's actually moving forward. So statewise, they're moving the needle. Federal is a, is harder, but it is necessary. That way we get some consistency. The last thing we want is to have 50 states with 50 different laws because the manufacturers do have to be able to produce a vehicle. They can't produce 50 versions of it because that'll just cost us more money, too.

Braxton Critcher [00:13:18]:
Where are you at on legislation versus over legislation? I mean, there's definitely a line somewhere. It's hard to always find it. But, you know, in some cases, like in this one, you need some. Some rules, some guidelines to follow that that's kind of the same deal with advanced driver assistance systems, ados. I mean, there needs to be some governmental oversight with that. So where's the line? Where's too much? What's too little? I mean, I feel like we're probably at too little right now, but how do you feel about that kind of thing right now?

Dwayne Myers [00:13:56]:
There's really not any. There's mouse memorandum of understanding. That's not even a handshake agreement. That's just basically, we agree to work together and you do until you don't. That's all that is. The repair act was written in a way to try and keep it simple, to not. We didn't need a lot because to us, it was the simple things, basically doing what we've always done. We've repaired these cars for over 100 years.

Dwayne Myers [00:14:28]:
We've had access to information now, with today's technology, there's ways in there now to block that. And some of it is for security. I mean, we do know that things need. They need to be protected, but there's ways to do that and still allow access so that we can do our jobs.

Braxton Critcher [00:14:50]:
Does it get passed and when?

Dwayne Myers [00:14:54]:
Sure hope so. It's going to get passed. I do believe that it's got a lot of support. Uh, we're at a critical time right now. There's only a few weeks left before they go on recess to campaign because we got a big election coming up, and in yearly, things reset. You resubmit a bill if it doesn't go anywhere, ours is gone. It has moved. I mean, it's been through markup.

Dwayne Myers [00:15:20]:
They've had, they've had testimony done on it. They've gone through in the, in the committee and actually worked on it. We believe the votes are there to get it out of committee and actually go. Go to Congress and actually be voted on. The Senate is a little further behind, but, yeah, you got to get both sides and then they come together. But we have a lot of support on both sides, and it's bipartisan. They add. It's like Noah's ark.

Dwayne Myers [00:15:50]:
They add one Democrat with one Republican, and they'll have one waiting in the winds. And they won't add them until they can do it evenly to show this is even across the board because this isn't just a, an automotive issue. This is a farmer issue with tractors. This is an issue with your cell phones. I mean, there's, you can go down the line. Medical equipment. That's why Congressman Dunn, I believe it. I'm not sure if he's from Pennsylvania or Florida.

Dwayne Myers [00:16:19]:
I'm sorry. I don't know what state he's from. But, but he's one of the, the lead sponsors and he's a doctor and he knows what it costs to have medical equipment fixed. And you have to send it back to the manufacturer and he doesn't have it when he could use someone else. But they can't access it. You know, these things are, it's all over. You know, it's just not the automotive industry, but they're all finding ways to make money by blocking access.

Braxton Critcher [00:16:45]:
It's all about money. All about.

Dwayne Myers [00:16:47]:
It's what comes back to money. It goes back to money.

Braxton Critcher [00:16:52]:
So let's say it gets passed and maybe it does happen in this three week window. You know, and this is where you got to educate me on legislative stuff. This is, maybe I skipped over third grade, but I just don't know a ton about how it all works.

Dwayne Myers [00:17:08]:
I never did the civics be. So autocares taught me a lot.

Braxton Critcher [00:17:12]:
Okay, well, good. Maybe I should subscribe to more autocare stuff. But when it gets passed, how long till it, you know, becomes everyday lingo and it actually is making a difference in the community and the automotive industry.

Dwayne Myers [00:17:34]:
I would say getting it actionable because it takes time to put these systems in, even though now they've been proven and their systems out there that they are using already to do stuff with, I'd say realistically, probably a couple years to do, which comes quicker than you realize because, you know, model years, once they get them running, you know, they just don't stop the line and change things, which I get that. I understand that. But I would say it would take a couple years, but once it's passed, now the precedent set, and now we at least keep what we had and we don't lose access to things which can happen at a whimde. I mean, literally, they all can say is, well, you don't get access to the system starting this model year. Or if they do, over the air updates, which they do. They don't do all, not all systems, but they do. A lot of them over there. They can turn things on and off just like that.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:29]:
What else? What else, you know, should I know? Should other consumers know about this? That that's important?

Dwayne Myers [00:18:39]:
Really. Your voice means a lot. And basically, I think all shops and the motoring public should let their elected officials know that they support the repair act and how important it is because it's their vehicle. It's usually their second largest investment that they make, and it directly affects its value and what it means to them. But they can go to Autocare's website, autocare.org, and they can actually log into the government affairs part and send letters to their representatives, or they can just reach out to Autocare and they'll help. But really, we're letting an association dictate our ability to make a living. The association is for everyone in the aftermarket, which the right to repair affects all of them, because if we can't put on parts, they can't sell parts. So it makes, it makes a difference.

Dwayne Myers [00:19:34]:
But everyone has a voice. Reach out to your representatives. Say something. Tell them to support it. The noise is loud and they're hearing it. We just got to move the needle because there's a lot of political power and money out there on the oe side. I mean, they got big pockets and, you know, we're just a bunch of guy, little guys and girls that are running little shops that are trying to move a needle here, and it's getting moved good.

Braxton Critcher [00:20:00]:
Well, thanks, Duane.

Dwayne Myers [00:20:02]:
That's my pleasure.

Braxton Critcher [00:20:04]:
As always. We want to hear from you. This stuff is like Dwayne was talking about. I mean, input from you actually does make a difference. I feel like sometimes when you think you're the little guy in the little shop or the little person in the little house, that your voice doesn't make a difference. But if you saw the news recently, the auto Care association has helped over 100,000 letters be sent to Congress about the repair act. And so when that many get sent, that is a big wave for, for Congress and for this to be, it pricks the ears a little bit to congresspeople. So your voice is valuable.

Braxton Critcher [00:20:47]:
It's valuable in this space on this YouTube channel, on this podcast platform. So if you can, if you have a second, send a comment. Let us know about the content that you're watching that you're listening to, if it's valuable to you, and if it is, then share that with somebody you know. Share this on your favorite social media platform. Get the news out there about what's happening with the repair act, because it is important. People need to know about it. People like myself. I'm learning a lot.

Braxton Critcher [00:21:15]:
And if you're a consumer, this is a big deal. It really is. And in ten years, this is, it's the things that are happening now. In a decade, I think we'll be seeing the benefits from. So it's great stuff. And I'm glad that you joined us for this video on automotive repair news today. Do all the things like comment, share, subscribe, and we'll see you back next time on automotive Repair news today. Hey, if you're still here, thank you so much for listening to this episode of Automotive Repair News today.

Braxton Critcher [00:21:52]:
If you enjoyed the show, please take a moment like share, subscribe to the podcast. It'll help us out a big deal and help grow the show. And you know what? While you're at it, slap on a review, too. If you feel like this content is helpful for the industry. Don't forget to follow us on all your favorite social media platforms. We're on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. Stay connected and be be the first to know about new episodes, behind the scene content and more. And until next time, let's make the industry better together.