"Can't I fix my car as I please?"… US President Trump calls 'Right to Repair' regulation bill "strange"

*This content was translated by AI.

Global automotive markets are witnessing unprecedented tension over the "Right to Repair" following a White House meeting between US President Donald Trump and executives from major American automakers including General Motors (GM) and Ford, as well as the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).

At this meeting, industry leaders including executives from Ford and GM reportedly lobbied for institutional restrictions on consumers repairing their own vehicles or using independent repair shops. Shortly after the meeting, according to the Detroit Free Press, Trump stated, "They don't want people to fix their own cars," adding, "I said, 'That's strange. I've never heard such a thing before.'" The pressure from automakers seeking to dominate the $200 billion US repair market appears to be intensifying. The issue is that such US legislation could set an "international standard" affecting the domestic automotive industry.

The stated rationale for automakers seeking to restrict self-repair is "security and safety," arguing that the expansion of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV) has increased the risk of hacking vehicle diagnostic data. In contrast, consumer groups and independent repair shops strongly oppose this, asserting that the right to repair belongs to consumers alongside vehicle ownership, and that manufacturers monopolizing core data will inevitably lead to price gouging and monopolies by official service centers.

This conflict is currently unfolding in the domestic automotive market as well. Both domestic brands including Hyundai Motor and Kia, and imported car brands, are rapidly transitioning to electric vehicles and SDVs, making even simple replacement of consumables impossible without sensor resets or software recalibration. As manufacturers block access to diagnostic programs or demand excessive certification fees citing security concerns, domestic independent repair shops are facing a crisis of survival, forced to abandon repairs due to lack of technology and equipment.

While the current Motor Vehicle Management Act stipulates an obligation to provide repair data, critics argue its effectiveness has diminished as large automakers employ workarounds. Particularly, cases are increasing where consumers bear the cost of replacing entire batteries, amounting to tens of millions of won, due to information monopolies by HYBE Lead and electric vehicle battery manufacturers. Given that the US regulatory trend, which leads global standards, will directly impact future consumer choice rights in Korea, voices are growing louder urging the Korean government and the National Assembly to urgently enact effective legislative measures to protect the "consumer right to repair."

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*This content was translated by AI.