New guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emphasizes that vehicle owners – including truckers – should have the right to repair.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump issued a memorandum stating that consumers should be able to fix their vehicles with affordable parts without being deemed to have circumvented emissions controls.
“The administrator of the EPA shall provide guidance within 30 days of the date of this memorandum on the freedom to fix by clarifying what actions individuals may take on their own vehicles to conduct emission repairs or have emission repairs consistent with the Clean Air Act,” Trump wrote.
On Wednesday, July 1, the EPA issued guidance covering all vehicles and equipment, including Diesel Exhaust Fluid and other environmental control systems for highway vehicles.
The guidance clarifies that “light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers have a long-standing legal obligation to release the service information, training information, and tools necessary to diagnose and repair vehicles, including faulty DEF systems, on reasonable terms.”
The EPA’s action recognizes the Specialty Equipment Market Association as an alternative certification authority for aftermarket vehicle parts.
“Americans should not be forced to solely rely on California to certify aftermarket products,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said. “Starting today, Americans can trust that products certified by SEMA meet federal requirements and can be used to repair vehicles. President Trump’s commitment to reviving the American auto industry has been unwavering and has already yielded hundreds of billions in new investments, supported American jobs and expanded consumer choice.”
The guidance aims to ensure that manufacturers make the same service information available to owners and third-party service providers as they make available to their own branded service centers.
Right to repair
The right to repair has been a popular topic in recent years. In 2025, Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., introduced the REPAIR Act.
The bill would prohibit manufacturers from using technological or legal barriers to prevent motor vehicle owners from accessing vehicle-generated data, choosing a towing or service provider or diagnosing, repairing or maintaining a vehicle in the same manner as a manufacturer or dealer.
Supporters of the bill say that truckers and automobile owners deserve the right to repair, including access to vehicle maintenance and repair data. LL
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