FTC votes unanimously to adopt policy statement on repair restrictions imposed by manufacturers & sellers

By Madi Hawkins / ASA

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 5-0 today to adopt the Policy Statement on Repair Restrictions Imposed by Manufacturers and Sellers. The commission voted during their open commission meeting this afternoon.

Earlier this year, the FTC released a report entitled “Nixing the Fix” that addressed repair restrictions in the automotive industry and others that are stifling competition and restricting consumer choice.

The policy statement pledged to devote additional FTC resources to scrutinizing repair restrictions and to assess whether repair restrictions constitute unfair acts or practices, which are prohibited by Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. This is an important step forward in establishing a policy framework that supports the automotive industry in right to repair.

Read the policy statement here.

Madi Hawkins serves as a Legislative Analyst in the Automotive Service Association’s Washington, D.C. office.  She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a major in Public Policy Studies.  Madi is originally from Austin, Texas, where she was born and raised, but now resides in Washington, D.C.