Auto Care Assocation’s lobbying spending outlined in policy publication

A publication focused on legislative and policy influence, Legis1, recently published an article breaking down the Auto Care Association’s recent lobbying expenditures. The association filed its Q2 2026 lobbying report with the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate on July 13. It disclosed spending $530,000 on “issues around right to repair motor vehicles,” the report states.

The association has focused on right-to-repair legislation that would open access to vehicle data. In contrast, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators) and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) have focused on legislation that protects vehicle data while maintaining agreements from 2014 and 2023 that provide independent repair shops with the same repair instructions and information provided to franchised dealers.

President Donald Trump recently filed the “Freedom to Fix” memorandum, which focuses on emission repairs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) echoed the 2014 and 2023 agreements in announcements made regarding the “Freedom to Fix” memo.

Legis1 reports that the Auto Care Association’s Q2 spending “represents a slight decline from the previous quarter but remains above historical levels for the organization.” The association’s Q1 report showed $600,000 spent on lobbying for the right to repair.

In addition, Legis1 notes that the organization’s lobbying expenditures totaled about $2.33 million over the past year, spanning five disclosures. It did not report using other lobbying groups in the second quarter.

However, the association used other agencies during other periods of the past year, including Nardelli Group and AxAdvocacy LLC. Legis1 notes the shift to internal-only lobbying representation in Q2 as a change from the multi-firm approach.

“The association’s broader advocacy agenda includes concerns about what it characterizes as original equipment manufacturer anti-competitive practices, trade and tax policy challenges, and technological initiatives that could limit market competition and independent repair viability,” Legis1 reports. “Policy outcomes regarding right to repair could impact market competition, independent repair viability, and access to vehicle data in a rapidly evolving, software-defined vehicle landscape.”

The quarterly reporting filing deadline for Q2 is due July 20, according to the U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Clerk. It does not appear that other organizations involved in lobbying for open vehicle access, such as Consumer Access to Repair (CAR) Coalition and insurance companies, have filed Q2 reports as of Wednesday.

Auto Innovators also has not filed its Q2 report, nor have insurance groups that have advocated for opening vehicle data. Many insurance groups and companies reported a focus on the REPAIR Act during first quarter reporting.