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A group of Maine independent repair shop owners, employees, and right to repair supporters have filed a ballot initiative to protect their right to repair new cars and trucks as automakers make it increasingly harder to access the repair and diagnostic information necessary to do so.
The upcoming election will be held on November 7, 2023. For more information about absentee voting and other questions please contact the Maine Secretary of State's Bureau of Elections Division
More than 90% of new cars are now equipped to transmit real-time diagnostic and repair information wirelessly only to vehicle manufacturers, threatening the rights of consumers to choose to get the cars they own fixed at trusted independent repair shops or do the work themselves.
It would give Maine car and truck drivers access to all of the diagnostic and repair data generated by their own vehicles. Basically it gives you the right to have the repair data that your own car is generating.
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Tim Winkeler, Auburn ME
VIP Tires & Auto Sales
(Excerpt) Some independent auto shops in Maine are pushing the "Right to Repair" initiative to protect their ability to repair vehicles.
The Maine Right to Repair Coalition says more than 90 percent of new vehicles are built with technology that transmits repair information wirelessly to the manufacturer, something that independent car shops like VIP Tire and Service say they don't have access to.
"If we don't do something about 'Right to Repair' right now, then what's going to happen is down the road, these vehicles are gonna have to go back to the dealerships and independent repair shops won't be able to work on cars," VIP Tire and Service CEO Tim Winkeler said.
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2023
(Excerpt) According to the Maine Right to Repair advocacy group, “more than 90% of new cars are now equipped to transmit real-time diagnostic and repair information wirelessly only to vehicle manufacturers, threatening the rights of consumers to get the cars they own fixed at trusted independent repair shops or do the work themselves.”
Tommy Hickey, Right to Repair campaign director, said the initiative is “critical” for consumers’ rights.
“If this ballot question doesn’t pass, drivers in Maine will have no choice and will be forced to go to more expensive dealerships,” Hickey said in a statement.