New Jersey Assembly Dedicated to Motoring Consumers and Small Business Auto Repair Shops, Reintroduced 'Right to Repair Act'; Thanks to Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, States CARE

    ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Dedicated to the
 rights and well-being of New Jersey's motoring consumers and free-market
 competition in the automotive repair industry, several Assemblypersons, led
 by Reed Gusciora (D-Trenton); Consumer Affairs Committee Chairwoman Nilsa
 Cruz-Perez (D-Camden); and Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman
 (D-Mercer), along with Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Brooklawn) have
 reintroduced 'The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act, AB 803,'"
 stated David Parde, president, The Coalition for Auto Repair Equality
 (CARE).
 
 
 
     Due to several issues on the legislative calendar in 2007, including
 the state budget, the legislative clock ran out on the pro-motoring
 consumer legislators. Thus, at the first opportunity, Assemblyman Gusciora
 prefiled AB 803. Immediately joining him in the initial introduction were
 Assemblypersons Cruz-Perez, and Watson Coleman. In addition to these
 original sponsors, AB 803 was introduced with cosponsors: Joseph Vas
 (D-Perth Amboy); Sheila Oliver (D-E. Orange); John McKeon (D-S. Orange);
 Douglas Fisher (D-D-Bridgeton); John Burzichelli (D-Thorofare); Upendra
 Chivukula (D-Somerset); Joseph Cryan (D-Union); Vincent Prieto
 (D-Secaucus); Jerry Green (D-Plainfield) and Joan Voss (D-Ft. Lee).
 
 
 
     The passage of The Right to Repair Act is imperative to motorists who
 have 1994 and newer vehicles equipped with computers. The computers, even
 on out-of-warranty vehicles, often preclude the independent repair shops
 from fully repairing them, thereby forcing motorists of all financial
 backgrounds back to the car dealerships. The car manufacturers have locked
 the independent repair industry out of much of the necessary repair
 information in order to keep their repair monopoly, to the detriment of
 motorists.
 
 
 
     The great difficulty in repairing newer vehicles, and the often
 inability to fully repair, has created a safety hazard for those who need
 immediate repairs but may not be near the "appropriate" car dealership or
 ANY car dealership, hurts low and fixed income motorists, hurts fuel
 efficiency, the environment, jobs and competition.
 
 
 
     "The question is," stated Parde, "who owns YOUR car? You or the car
 companies? Motorists spend many thousands of hard-earned dollars to
 purchase a vehicle. They should have the right to choose where, how and by
 whom to have their vehicles repaired, whose parts they wish to purchase,
 even work on their vehicles themselves. No one knows better what is good
 for the consumer but the consumers themselves," stated Parde.
 
 
 
     New Jersey is a unique position to be the first state to pass The Right
 to Repair Act and give motoring consumers a victory over decisions on their
 own property. AB 803 will boost the national Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to
 Repair Act, HR 2694, which will help all motoring consumers nationwide.
 
 
 
     "New Jersey has 7,036 aftermarket locations, many of them small, family
 owned businesses. AB 803 gives New Jersey the ability to have cleaner air,
 better fuel efficiency, fair market competition and consumers the choices
 they deserve and need," concluded Parde.
 
 
 
     www.careauto.org
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SOURCE Coalition for Auto Repair Equality