🔧 Shops say repair locks cost customers

Independent shop owners are putting specific examples behind the right-to-repair push. Doug Grills, who has co-owned a shop outside Washington, D.C. for 27 years, described a windshield replacement where the car would not start afterward because it detected an unauthorized repair. He said similar walls come up on jobs as basic as headlights, mirrors, and brake pads. In Albuquerque, brothers Dustin and Nolan Brown, who employ nearly 50 people, said even a tire change can require access to the vehicle's internal computer.

The bipartisan REPAIR Act would require automakers to give independent shops the same information, tools, and parts access dealerships get. It advanced out of committee in February, and a narrower version is now attached to a larger highway funding bill in the House. Automakers continue to argue there is no problem, with a trade group official telling a House committee earlier this year that independents already receive everything needed to fix a vehicle properly.

Why it matters: This could reinforce a cost argument that lands with customers more than the policy debate does. Grills said the proof is in the prices, since dealership work tends to run higher due to factory training, specialized equipment, and heavier overhead. He also said the bottlenecks have made it harder to expand to new locations. For some shops, it is worth considering how often access issues send work out the door, and whether that number is worth tracking.

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NHTSA reported an 11th death tied to defective Chinese replacement airbag inflators, this one in a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox in Dallas on August 27. Every case involved a vehicle whose original driver-side frontal inflator had been swapped for a defective and likely illegally imported part carrying the identifier DTN60DB. Instead of inflating the airbag, these units explode and send metal fragments into the driver. NHTSA said each crash was otherwise survivable.

The agency banned import and sale of these inflators earlier this year, its first such ban in more than two decades. It is urging owners of used vehicles that were in a crash with an airbag deployment since 2020, and were not repaired at a manufacturer's dealership, to have the vehicle inspected. Owners are told not to inspect the airbag themselves, and if a DTN60DB inflator is found, not to drive the vehicle until it is replaced with genuine parts.

Why it matters: This may signal a lasting problem in the used-vehicle market, since these parts were installed during past repairs and stay in the car until someone finds them. Vehicles with unclear repair histories are the ones most likely to carry one. For some shops, it is worth considering how you would handle a customer who bought a used car with a prior airbag deployment and no dealership paperwork, since that history is what NHTSA is pointing to.

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Farmers Insurance published consumer guidance on ADAS repairs telling policyholders that work on ADAS-equipped vehicles may involve diagnostic scans before and after the repair, safety system testing, and calibration of cameras, radar, and sensors, all of which can add time, labor, and specialized equipment to a claim. The guide gets specific, noting that a windshield replacement may require camera transfer and calibration, front-end work may affect radar used for automatic emergency braking, and rear bumper work may involve parking sensors or cross-traffic alerts.

It also advises customers to ask whether a shop has the right expertise, plan for longer repair times, and hold onto estimates and invoices including notes on diagnostics and calibration. Several shop owners interviewed by Autobody News said they already have this conversation at intake. One Minnesota owner described walking customers through why a manufacturer-required calibration cannot be skipped even when the customer says they never use the feature.

Why it matters: This may signal a useful shift, since an insurer putting these steps in writing gives shops a reference point when a customer questions calibration line items. The guidance also promotes Farmers' own repair program while noting customers can choose where to go. One California owner told Autobody News his self-pay repairs have roughly tripled as customers grow wary of filing claims at all. For some shops, that trend is worth watching alongside the calibration conversation.

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💸 U.S. automakers hit record warranty claims and reserves in the second quarter, with Ford, GM, Tesla, and Rivian all seeing claims costs rise as complex electronics push replacement over repair.

🔩 Jeep is recalling 328,381 Grand Cherokee, Grand Cherokee L, and 4XE models over rear coil springs that may have been installed incorrectly and could detach while driving.

🔌 Toyota is recalling roughly 10,000 electric C-HR SUVs over a regenerative braking software glitch that can overcharge a full battery and shut down the drive system while driving.

🏪 Franchisee Jason Weatherford opened his 12th Midas location in Lafayette, Louisiana, with more stores planned across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.