Car Manufacturers Must Now Share Info With Independent Garages

The European Commission has moved to ensure that car manufacturers will provide technical information about car repairs to all independent garages in the European Union. According to a Dow Jones report, the decision will legally bind DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, General Motors and Fiat to change their business practices and share technical repair information equally with branded and independent garages.

In the UK, the difference for a typical service job between independents and some of the highest priced brands of franchised dealer can be more than 120 per cent. In Spain the average difference is 33 per cent and in Germany 16 per cent, according to Dow Jones.

Failure to comply with the commitments may lead the commission to impose fines of up to 10 per cent of the company’s revenue, the commission said.