visit raa.com.au
Australian motorists now have more choice when it comes to vehicle repairers, thanks to a new law that came into effect on Friday.
The new ‘Right to repair’ law – which forms part of an amendment to the Competition and Consumer Act – means car manufacturers must now share service and repair information for passenger and light goods vehicles with repairers at a fair market price.
Australia’s peak motoring body, the AAA, says Australians can now take their car to their mechanic of choice, safe in the knowledge that they will be able to access all the brand data needed to do the job.
“This means more choice for consumers and more competition in the service and repair sector.”
“For much of the past decade, the AAA has advocated for legislation that improves availability of motor vehicle service and repair information to independent repairers, to promote market competition and increase consumer choice.
“As vehicles become more technologically complex, the necessity for such information is only going to become more acute.”
RAA’s Senior Manager Future Mobility Mark Borlace said the changes could also have benefits for vehicle safety.
“Right to repair laws are a win for drivers, especially those who live in regions that aren’t serviced by a car dealer that has previously had this sort of information for their vehicle.”
“They can now have more confidence that hidden safety issues or information can be accessed by their chosen repairer.
“It’s another layer of confidence for anyone getting their vehicle serviced – a confidence we’ve previously bolstered through initiatives like RAA’s Approved Repairer network.”
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will police the scheme, which now applies to vehicles manufactured after 1 January 2002.