EC orders 4 auto makers to share repair information

News headline

Brussels - Four major car makers-DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, General Motors and Fiat-are now legally bound to share all their repair and diagnostic information with European independent garages, thanks to new rulings by the European Commission.

“These decisions provide a concrete and timely solution to the problems faced by independent repairers, who might lose their ability to compete without the relevant technical information,” said EC Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes in a prepared statement.

There was no immediate word as to why other manufacturers weren't included in the EC rulings, but advocates of Right to Repair legislation in the US hailed the EC's actions as encouraging to their cause, even though House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell is unalterably opposed to the bill.

“The European Union has such a consumer bent,” said Paul Fiore, government and business affairs director for the Tire Industry Association (TIA). “Lawmakers here will say, 'So what?' But with the global interest in information access, we can only see this as a positive.”

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)