In New Mexico, vehicles are not luxuries. They’re lifelines. Without reliable transportation, families are stranded, workers can’t reach jobs, and essential services grind to a halt.
As executive director of the New Mexico Automotive Industry Alliance (NMAIA), I work alongside the people who keep our state moving: independent dealers, repair shops, parts distributors, truckers, and tow companies. Most are small, family-run businesses, and in a state as rural as ours, these trusted professionals do more than fix vehicles—they support entire communities when emergencies strike and every day they help New Mexicans travel, work, and care for their families.
But today, across the state, a problem is growing—one that threatens every driver and local business. Auto manufacturers are increasingly locking up the software, data, and tools needed for routine repairs. Simple fixes like replacing a headlight or battery can hinge on proprietary codes that only a dealership can unlock. When manufacturers control repair information and limit access to quality aftermarket parts, independent shops are forced to turn away work and drivers see higher costs and longer wait times.
Those costs are no small matter in our low-income state. Dealership repairs typically run about 36% higher than work performed at independent shops, with extended wait times and limited locations—especially outside major cities like Albuquerque, Santa Fe, or Las Cruces. These pricing and access barriers are more than inconvenient; they put New Mexicans and their vehicles at risk while simultaneously threatening the future of skilled, middle-class jobs in local garages and parts stores.
Franchise dealerships play an important role in the ecosystem of car repairs, especially for newer vehicles. However, New Mexico is a comparatively poor state and the average age of cars on the roads here is 14 years. Independent repair shops are the heart and soul of keeping drivers on the road in our state.
I’ve lived these challenges on both sides of the service-counter; as an independent dealer owner and as a tech entrepreneur building a full-service fleet maintenance platform. Drivers expect transparency, fair prices, and repairs done right the first time. When repair restrictions keep cars sidelined, it doesn’t just hurt business—it harms families who rely on their vehicles, and communities that count on local shops to stay resilient.
For example, one Silver City repair shop recently had to turn away a long-time customer because a manufacturer refused to provide a key programming code needed to get her to work safely—forcing her to travel over 100 miles and pay triple the price to have her key work again.
There is a solution. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) is leading the way on the REPAIR Act (H.R. 1566/S. 1379), a bipartisan bill that would require automakers to give independent shops the same repair information and tools as dealerships—restoring competition, keeping repairs close to home, and giving drivers real choices.
We need the rest of New Mexico’s delegation to help finish the job. I urge Senator Martin Heinrich and our House members to cosponsor and pass the REPAIR Act. This legislation ensures our communities keep the freedom to choose trusted local professionals and keep more hard-earned dollars in New Mexico pockets.
Our state is built on neighbors helping neighbors—and fixing what we own. Let’s make sure the rules allow us to keep our vehicles safe, our businesses strong, and our roads open for everyone.
Please, tell our lawmakers in Congress: Support the REPAIR Act today.
Marc Powell is the CEO of the New Mexico Automotive Alliance, previously the New Mexico Independent Automobile Dealers Association, and the former owner of an independent automobile dealership and repair shop in New Mexico.

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