Vehicle manufacturers are not supporting the independent aftermarket adequately says the Independent Garage Association (IGA).
The statement comes after its European counterparts BOVAG released its study into accessing technical data. It cited that only six of the 13 websites it researched allowed it to establish a connection between the manufacturers site and the vehicle.
Stuart James, Director at the IGA said it is a concerning trend that availability to technical information from VMs is still limited for independent garages.
He added: “The report proves that vehicle manufacturers are still restricting independent garages access to technical information, we believe this is a clear breach of the legal requirements that the European Commission has set for them.”
In 2010, it was made a legal requirement that manufacturers had to make all their technical information available to the independent sector. There was also an obligation to provide service bulletins, recall information, online diagnosis and software updates for Euro V vehicles.
James added: “Technical information is the life blood for independent garages to be able to repair cars in the future. Therefore it is imperative that the European Commission acts now to ensure that vehicle manufacturers are meeting the requirements set for them.”
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