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AROUND THE INDUSTRY

TECHNOLOGY BARRIERS TO REPAIR

A report submi ed to Congress by the Federal Trade Commission seeks to address some crucial roadblocks that independent repairers have when working with the newest vehicles.

Called “Nixing the Fix: An FTC Report to Congress on Repair Restrictions,” the report follows hearings and testimony about the tug of war between OEMs (and affi liated dealer service centers) and independent repair and maintenance facilities. The report sought to identify potentially unfair practices and suggest paths forward.

Trade groups like the Auto Care Association and the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association praised the report and it’s fi ndings, which included that OEMs showed no evidence “to suggest that independent repair shops are more or less likely than authorized repair shops to compromise or misuse customer data.”

Take a closer look at some of the report’s fi ndings that deal with newer vehicle tech and data.

SOFTWARE LOCKS

One barrier raised in the report involves “so ware locks” that control access to onboard vehicle systems. OEMs argue that they need to secure their proprietary technology and aid security, while independent repairers say that it locks them out of necessary and commonplace maintenance and repair.

Similar issues have played out in right to repair cases related to Apple and John Deere products.

One trend reported to the FTC is called “VIN burning.” Here’s the description in the report:

“With VIN burning, a manufacturer can constrain a part to function with only a single car. Using the part on another vehicle would be blocked by the vehicle’s embedded so ware. This practice is reportedly being used by General Motors as well as a number of European luxury brands.”

To read the whole story that reveals more technological barriers, head to

adaptautomotive.com/RepairRestrictions.

FIND OUT EVEN MORE

The challenge to develop autonomous vehicles is similar to the challenge to regulate them.

Replacing the human driver with technology is a tall task for developers, but it’s also an interesting challenge for federal regulators looking to ensure safety across an emerging transportation sector.

Head to adaptautomotive.com/ Regulate to learn about how the NHTSA is moving toward regulation of AVs.

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