SEMA’s Right to Repair & Modify Principles
SEMA, on behalf of the specialty automotive aftermarket industry and community of automotive enthusiasts nationwide, believes that individuals’ right to repair and modify the vehicles they own is essential to a free nation and the future of the industry.
Every year, new barriers, whether legal or technological, hinder vehicle owners’ ability to work on their vehicles, seek repairs at independent automotive shops, and manufacture and install replacement and specialty parts, software, and services to enhance their vehicles' safety, performance, and comfort.
These barriers represent an ever-evolving challenge to vehicle owners and the thousands of businesses that make up the specialty automotive aftermarket industry, whose $337 billion annual economic impact is a core driver of the nation’s economy.
Historically, aftermarket modifications have been largely mechanical. However, modifying newer vehicles to improve performance, safety, reliability, and appearance requires aftermarket businesses to access a vehicle’s electronic control unit (ECU), On-Board Diagnostics Systems (OBD), and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to ensure it understands how the parts and products installed interact with OEM systems. Accordingly, it is imperative that OEM data from testing and system calibration is available and able to accommodate vehicle modifications to maintain the integrity and performance of safety systems after a vehicle has been modified.
While many new ADAS features, such as lane departure warning, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking, come standard in the latest models of vehicles, the technology automakers employ to support these systems varies greatly by model and OEM. Currently, vehicle manufacturers are not required to provide full vehicle lifecycle support, including instructions, application guides, proper mounting or functionality windows, or access to make changes outside of the original sensor location and configuration.
This presents a challenge to correctly and safely calibrate ADAS and ensure optimal performance after basic modifications, such as installing larger tires and wheels, lift kits, lowering kits, bumpers, grills, push bars, light bars, bike racks, and winches.
SEMA is committed to protecting the rights of vehicle owners and millions of automotive enthusiasts to choose where and with what parts and software their vehicles are repaired, customized, and modified.
It is imperative that any legislative, regulatory, or industry standards or agreements adhere to SEMA’s principles.
SEMA’s support for any “right to repair” legislation is contingent upon meeting the aftermarket industry’s needs in the following areas:
Access: As automotive technology continues to evolve, vehicle owners and the specialty automotive aftermarket industry, including businesses that manufacture and install specialty parts and software, must have access to the tools, repair procedures and information, configurable vehicle parameters, customization settings, software, technical and compatibility information, and wiring diagrams. Automakers must provide this access at fair and reasonable prices and subject to the same cryptographic or technological protections as their authorized dealers and service providers.
Calibration and recalibration: Specialty aftermarket businesses must have access to the information needed to calibrate and recalibrate vehicle systems, including ADAS, to ensure safe operation after a vehicle’s ride height and profile is modified, or if the vehicle has been customized.
Elimination of barriers: Motor vehicle manufacturers must be prevented from using technological and legal barriers to limit aftermarket parts manufacturers, vehicle repairers, and businesses that modify or customize vehicles to manufacture or install aftermarket parts, services, and software needed to repair, customize, or modify a vehicle.
A level playing field: Vehicle owners, aftermarket parts manufacturers, diagnostic tool manufacturers, and motor vehicle service businesses must have access to the same information and tools as OEM’s authorized vehicle service providers. Along these lines, such access must be provided in the same manner, time, method, cost (must be fair and reasonable), content set, and subject to the same cryptographic or technological protections, as vehicle manufacturers’ authorized vehicle service providers.
Owners’ data rights: Vehicle owners must have the right to access their vehicle’s safety and performance data and be able to share this information with the repairer or vehicle service provider of their choice.
CURRENT LEGISLATION
U.S. House of Representatives
H.R. 1566, introduced in February 2025
While the REPAIR Act (H.R. 1566) is designed to provide vehicle information and data to protect the future of the independent repair industry, the bill does not extend similar protections to individuals and businesses that modify and customize vehicles, nor does it provide access to the information needed to properly recalibrate ADAS systems after a vehicle has been modified.
- SEMA is neutral on the REPAIR Act and will advocate for expanding the legislation to protect the right to modify and customize vehicles.
Articles