Car manufacturers failing to share services and repair data with independent garages and workshops is costing customers $1 billion a year according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

ACCC Chairman, Rod Sims, has pleaded to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics to implement a mandated data-accessing scheme for carmakers, as opposed to the voluntary system introduced in 2014 that Sims believes doesn’t do the intended job.

“The sooner it’s done, you’re going to make life better for the independent repairers, which in turn makes life better for consumers trying to get their cars repaired at the cheapest price,” said Sims.

“We are convinced that some form of mandatory arrangement needs to be in place.”

The $1 billion figure was estimated by shadow assistant treasurer, Andrew Leigh, who concluded the figure based on a report released by the US Auto Car Association that reported savings of US$26 billion to American consumers due to a data-sharing scheme.

Original source: autotalk.com.au | Carmakers not sharing data costs consumers a billion: ACCC