Editor, Millions of car owners in Georgia trust neighborhood repair shops to provide affordable and competitive automotive repair service. Unfortunately, car manufacturers are making it difficult for independent repair shops to obtain the technical information needed to repair today’s vehicles. As technology becomes more sophisticated, the situation will become worse.  
Thousands of neighborhood small businesses in Georgia that repair automobiles will be forced out of business without the technical and safety information available only from the car companies. Withholding information eventually will prevent both car owners and highly skilled technicians from being able to make the simplest repairs to vehicles. This situation could result in a disaster for consumers unless something is done.
Manufacturers use these tactics to prevent you from bringing your car to a repair shop of your choice, forcing you to patronize the manufacturer’s dealer. Consumers will lose the option to have repairs made more conveniently and less expensively.
Congress is considering the Motor Vehicle Owner’s Right to Repair Act (HR 2694). This legislation will make it illegal for vehicle manufacturers to withhold technical information from car owners and repair shops. After all, shouldn’t car owners — not manufacturers — choose where they have their vehicle repaired?  
If Congress fails to pass the Right to Repair Act, then 6.6 million cars on the road today in Georgia will no longer be able to receive service from 8,700 independent repair shops in Georgia, but will instead be forced to one of the 623 manufacturer’s car dealers for necessary work.
Please ask your elected officials to support the Right to Repair Act by visiting www.righttorepair.org to send a letter to each of your congressional representatives, urging them to add their names to the growing list of co-sponsors.