The CAR Coalition, a growing group of independent automotive parts, management and repair enterprises, associations, and insurers committed to safeguarding consumer choice and affordable vehicle repair, strongly endorses the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) unanimous vote to increase enforcement against restrictions that limit consumers’ right to repair, including the auto industry. The FTC vote follows a Nix the Fix report released earlier this year, describing restrictions of consumer options in vehicle repair.
CAR Coalition members include:
- Allstate
- American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA)
- Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA)
- Automotive Manufacturers Equipment Compliance Agency, Inc. (AMECA)
- AutoZone
- Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA)
- Diamond Standard
- Geotab
- KSI Auto Parts
- LCK Corporation
The SMART Act is also supported by consumers, including:
- Automotive Reliability and Safety Alliance
- National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC)
- Automotive Care Association
- RetireSafe and AARP
The Save Money on Auto Repair Transportation (SMART) Act expands consumer choice for automobile collision repair parts, decreases costs to both drivers and insurers, and enhances competition in the automobile repair parts market.
The SMART Act reduces U.S. design patent laws from 14 years to 2.5 years, enabling alternative parts suppliers to sell aftermarket collision repair parts (fenders, quarter panels, doors, etc.) 2.5 years from the patent date.
