By 2022, between 70 and 95 percent of new vehicles sold will record the vehicle’s data—such as driving behaviour—and send that information back to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). This makes the OEMs the gatekeepers of the information necessary for knowing how to perform safe and accurate repairs on that vehicle, which means the consumer will have no choice but to take the vehicle back to the OEM-authorized dealer to have it serviced and repaired.
The ARA believes that it is your car, your data, and thus your choice where you want to take your vehicle, which is why the ARA has partnered with the Automotive Industry Association (AIA) in support of the North American-wide demand for OEMs to give vehicle owners full access to the data stored and transmitted by their vehicles.
The initiative engages car owners, automotive aftermarket businesses, and other stakeholders in a joint effort to achieve legislation changes mandating automotive manufacturers to share car data with vehicle owners. That way, as the campaign implies, drivers would be able to choose which body shop they take their vehicle to for maintenance and repairs.
Independent service and repair shops in Canada have had access to OEM repair procedures since the adoption of the Canadian Automotive Service Information Standard (CASIS) in 2009. However, with the increase of advanced technologies, car data about vehicles and their driver’s behaviour is transmitted wirelessly directly to the car manufacturers. That gives them full control over how to use and share this data. For consumers, this means they can only service and repair their car in OEM-authorized dealerships because local service and repair shops do not have the information necessary to perform a safe and accurate job.
Not only does this eliminate the choices available to the vehicle owner’s when it comes to where they want to send their car, but it is also detrimental to the aftermarket automotive industry, of which many are small, local businesses that support their local economy. Furthermore, in small towns where there are no dealerships, this means having to ship vehicles back to the dealership for repairs, which could prolong the length of time without transportation and increase the cost to the vehicle’s owner.
Ensure your data is controlled by you and you can choose where you take your vehicle to be repaired and services. Make your voice heard, sign the petition at bit.ly/CanadianPetition