Why a National Framework Matters

Federal Right to Repair legislation would make a big impact in both auto care and the wider economy.

One of the biggest battles emerging within the aftermarket auto care sector over the last decade, has been Right to Repair. As vehicles have become significantly more complex, the need to access the right repair information has become ever more critical.

Yet, there are instances where vehicle OEMs are looking to maintain proprietary access to repair data, preventing independent auto centres from accessing the same information as authorized dealers. Given that the number of independent shops significantly outweighs the number of dealers across both Canada and the United States, this is posing an increasing problem, not only for these businesses, but consumers and fleet operators who are then not able to select their repair location of choice.

A level playing field

In both countries, there has been significant emphasis on creating a level playing field, where repair access is granted to both authorized dealers and independent repair shops and legislation has been introduced at the provincial and state level to help facilitate fair data access.

In Canada, two provinces have adopted Right to Repair legislation which has been encouraging. Emily Holtby, Vice President of Government Relations at the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada), notes that in Quebec, the passing of Bill 29, which resulted in major changes to the province’s Consumer Protection Act included provisions preventing planned obsolescence (i.e. the shortening of a product’s life span via restrictions of replacement parts and repair procedures), as been a significant win. Bill 29 was introduced in three phases, the first occurring in 2023 when the Bill received assent. A second phase of the bill came into force on October 5, 2025, while the third and final phase is scheduled for October 5 in 2026. 

While Bill 29 covers a wide range of products, the second phase is of significance for the auto care sector, since it contains language on the “Enhanced Statutory Warranty of Availability of Replacement Parts, Repair Services and Information Necessary to Maintain and Repair the Goods.”

“We don’t want to end up with a patchwork of regulations where consumers and repairers are subject to different laws in one province versus another.” 

– Emily Holtby, Vice President, Government Relations, AIA Canada

Setting the stage

According to Emily Holtby, Vice President of Government Relations at the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada), Bill 29’s implementation is something to pay very close attention to, since it’s implementation is very likely to set the stage for what happens in other provinces and territories across the country. Already, we’ve seen Manitoba adopt its own Right to Repair legislation in June 2026 and even at the federal level, Holtby says she’s seen more progress over the last few years regarding Right to Repair than in the previous decade.

In November 2024, the Government of Canada passed two bills, C244 and C294. “These bills were important because they removed legal barriers that were in place and related to repair and interoperability,” says Holtby, “but, they did not create a specific legal obligation for manufacturers to provide data access for independent repairers.” Nevertheless, she notes that federally, a recently introduced private members’s bill—C267 looks to establish a national framework to promote the durability of electronic products and essential home appliances.

Holtby notes that while this bill represents an opportunity to strengthen Canada’s overall approach to repairability, it also needs to be expanded to other categories, including automotive repair and servicing—something that AIA Canada has actively been focused on over the course of the summer. While she says, the association is focusing on things at a national level, it’s also been keeping a keen eye on what’s going on at the provincial level. “Quebec [with Bill 29] is very much the leader in this space,” Holtby explains, “and Manitoba passing its own legislation [Bill 15] that establishes a right to repair framework. is encouraging.” She also notes that other provinces, including Alberta and Saskatchewan have started consultations, so there is momentum now.

National standard

Nevertheless, she feels that for Right to Repair legislation to be truly effective, there ultimately needs to be a national standard and one that’s enforced by independent, third party regulators. “We don’t want to end up with a patchwork of regulations where consumers and repairers are subject to different laws in one province versus another,” she says, noting how public sector employees commuting from Ottawa to Gatineau and vice versa could be stuck with different regulations when it comes to repairing their vehicles. Holtby also notes that because vehicles are becoming ever more computerized, this type of legislation is becoming more critical and steps need to be taken to ensure that independent shops have secured gateway access to repair information; OEMs are closely monitored, and that any loopholes that could prevent manufacturers from being fully compliant are effectively addressed.

South of the border

In the United States, the Auto Care Association is facing some similar challenges. Bill Hanvey, the association’s President & CEO, notes that  consumer awareness regarding Right to Repair is growing and two states, Massachusetts and Maine have passed legislation. On the federal side, Hanvey notes that while legislation proposed by the Auto Care Association is still in progress, several obstacles currently remain. One of them, is the fact that lawmakers removed key parts of the REPAIR Act within the latest Highway Authorization Bill, including provisions that provided consumers and automotive service centres the right to access telematics data and critical repair information.

“Our goal,” says Hanvey, “is to get language that includes provisions for telematics and repair data back into that bill before it leaves House and heads to the Senate.”

While this continues to be a key obstacle in developing a federal Right to Repair framework, Hanvey acknowledges, that despite issues like this, consumer awareness around the topic “has grown tremendously. Our biggest asset today, is making sure consumers understand that if this legislation isn’t passed they are going to be facing an impending repair crisis.”

More apparent

For service centres, the impact of restricted data access is becoming more apparent. “We’re finding that today, compared with a few years ago, shop owners and technicians are beginning to experience gateways installed by automotive OEMs that are restricting access to repair information and it’s a situation that is growing exponentially.”

Hanvey notes that ultimately, consumers and the auto care industry are the greatest advocates of industry associations like Auto Care and that membership and participation through these associations is what ultimately achieves favourable results. Currently, the Auto Care Association is actively working to ensure no stone remains unturned in the quest for fair, national Right to Repair legislation. “We’ve sent over 200,000 letters to Congress, actively met with the White House as well as countless meetings with both the Senate and House leadership teams,” says Hanvey. “We will continue to do everything we can to ensure we raise awareness regarding the language that needs to be included in the Highway Authorization Bill.”

International collaboration

The Auto Care Association and AIA Canada have been increasingly working together, along with other associations around the world, including in Australia, Europe and South Africa, to help deliver fair Right to Repair legislation. Emily Holtby notes that in Australia, Right to Repair legislation [which has been in force now for four years] has witnessed $2.4 billion turned back into the auto care sector, so the results are there. Both she and Hanvey stress however, that it’s the grassroots support where real change can happen, especially when it comes to election cycles. The more pressure individual industry professionals and consumers, in conjunction with industry associations can bring upon policy makers, particularly during these cycles, the better chance we have of seeing fair Right to Repair legislation introduced and implemented.