Washington: US President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum aimed at making vehicle repairs cheaper and easier, saying Americans should have the freedom to repair their own cars without facing unnecessary government restrictions or inflated costs.
The memorandum directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support what the administration called Americans’ “freedom to fix” their own vehicles while also expanding competition in the aftermarket parts industry.
Trump said the initiative was intended to reduce the cost of owning and maintaining a vehicle.
“I think it’s very important, going to lower the price of your car. It’s going to lower the price of fixing your car. It has to do with affordability,” the President said before signing the memorandum.
He said the issue came to his attention after learning that people repairing their own vehicles had faced government action.
“It came to my attention because I noticed they were arresting people for fixing their car. They were arresting people for fixing — that’s not even believable,” Trump said.
“So it’s right to fix and I think it’s really common sense.”
He added that many vehicle owners possessed mechanical skills equal to or better than professional mechanics.
“If somebody wants to fix — some of these people have better mechanics than the mechanics in the shop. They’re telling the mechanic in the shop how to fix their car or their truck,” Trump said.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the memorandum builds on an earlier “right to repair” policy for agricultural equipment signed in February and extends similar protections to passenger vehicles.
“This is a presidential memo supporting the freedom to fix,” Zeldin said.
“Americans have the freedom to fix their vehicle. President Trump insists upon it. We are not going to be going after people who are fixing their own vehicle, like past administrations have.”
Zeldin also said the administration would seek to curb imports of “cheap knockoff aftermarket parts” that harm American businesses while ending California’s exclusive role in certifying aftermarket vehicle parts.
“The only third-party certification for these aftermarket parts is CARB in California, a process that’s backlogged and faulty,” he said.
“So we’re going to break that monopoly and no longer will CARB be the only third-party certifier for these aftermarket parts.”
According to Zeldin, Trump personally pushed the proposal after raising the idea during a weekend phone call and wanted to move quickly to announce it publicly.
The administration argues that increasing competition in vehicle repairs and replacement parts will lower maintenance costs for consumers while benefiting independent repair shops and small businesses across the United States.
(IANS)
