High costs without Right to Repair shown by ABPA, CAR Coalition study

The Automotive Body Parts Association and Depth Services, a corporate research company, released a new study on the impact of high repair costs without Right to Repair legislation. The report, titled “High Costs, Hard Hits: The Consumer Struggle with Rising Collision Repair Prices” discusses how vehicle repair data restrictions are pushing higher repair costs and hurting consumers.

“Repair restrictions on automobiles continue to drive prices higher at a time when Americans can least afford it,” said Justin Rzepka, executive director of the CAR Coalition. “As the auto industry develops, policy surrounding these issues must as well. It’s time for Congress to get serious about solutions, including passing the REPAIR Act, to ensure consumers have options for quality, safe, affordable auto repairs.”

The study primarily focused on the financial and emotional impact of rising collision repair costs for U.S. drivers by collecting 1,001 responses through September 2024 across the U.S. The survey then paired these results with interviews done throughout October 2024.

In particular, the survey found that 44% of respondents had experienced delays in getting their vehicles fixed after a collision, with 41% waiting three weeks or longer, and over 40% waiting 1-2 weeks. However, 56.3% of respondents stated that a collision resulted in the total loss of their vehicle, as repair costs were too high for them to afford the repair.

In particular, the paper noted that the rising costs disproportionately impacted low- and middle-income households, with 42.7% of drivers saying they dipped into savings to cover repair costs, while 20.3% borrowed money from friends or family.

Despite the widespread impact of high vehicle repair costs, almost half of respondents were not aware of right-to-repair legislation, although 78% said having affordable repair options was ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important, and 75% said they would ‘definitely’ or probably’ support legislation to protect the right to affordable collision repair parts and services.

“The findings of this report make it clear: rising repair costs and parts monopolies are hitting consumers hard,” said Edward Salamy, executive director of the ABPA. “Drivers across the country are struggling with inflated repair bills and delays that could be avoided if we had a truly competitive market for replacement parts. The ABPA remains committed to fighting for consumer choice, affordability, and access to high-quality parts to ensure fairness in the industry.”