B.C. shops admit to low use of ‘right-to-repair’ website

The CASIS website portal, www.OEMRepairInfo.ca could be better utilized by independent repair shops, an ARA survey found.

Most respondents to a survey conducted by the Automotive Retailers Association of British Columbia (ARA), admit they have not made effective use of the website set up to ensure independent repair shops have access to OE service information.

According to the survey results, three quarters of survey respondents say they have either not used www.OErepairinfo.ca at all or they have made only limited use of it to obtain specific technical repair information.

OErepairinfo.ca is the official portal to OEM repair information, set up by administrators of the Canadian Auto Service Information Standard (CASIS). It offers the latest news on the “right to repair front” and direct links to carmaker websites where service information can be obtained.

A “quick snapshot” of survey results was published in the March 2019 issue of “Jump Start,” the association’s newsletter.

The survey, designed to determine repair shop concerns and test member awareness industry programs, also found:

* Three quarters of the respondents believe independent repair shops are qualified to repair all cars on the road.

* Two thirds would consider using a third-party remote service to do the flashing and coding necessary to effect vehicle repairs.

* The definition of telematics is not widely understood in the repair and service industry, and is of varying degrees of concern to ARA members.

The biggest challenges identified by survey respondents included the growing shortage of skilled technicians, the availability and quality of training opportunities, and the mounting cost of tools, equipment, and parts.

www.oemrepairinfo.ca