What Happened?
Two bills in Congress could soon change how your car is protected, and who is allowed to fix it. Volkswagen Group of America spent approximately $420,000 trying to influence Congress in the third quarter of 2026. The company filed a lobbying report covering that activity with the U.S. Senate Office of Public Records and the U.S. House Office of the Clerk.
The first bill, the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, would ban the making, importing, or selling of cars and parts with software or hardware tied to China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea.
Why Does it Matter to Me?
The second bill, the REPAIR Act, would require car companies to share vehicle data and repair information with owners and independent repair shops. More than 60 percent of independent repair shops say car makers' barriers have made routine repairs harder, according to research cited by supporters of the REPAIR Act.
Three outside lobbying firms, TSG Advocates DC LLC, Bridge Public Affairs LLC, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, reported another $105,000 in third-quarter spending on Volkswagen's behalf, bringing the combined total to around $525,000.
Both Sides, Now
Supporters of the REPAIR Act, like the Auto Care Association, have publicly backed the bill. Opponents, including the Automotive Service Association and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, have proposed a different bill called the SAFE Repair Act, arguing that the REPAIR Act does not put vehicle safety first.
North American Subaru and Toyota Motor North America are also linked to the Connected Vehicle Security Act, along with other groups. General Motors, Tesla, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are among roughly 40 groups lobbying on the REPAIR Act.
What Happens Next?
After a House subcommittee passed the REPAIR Act by voice vote in February, it still sits with the full House Energy and Commerce Committee. A matching version in the Senate, also called the REPAIR Act, went to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in April 2025 and has eight cosponsors, lawmakers who formally back it.
The Connected Vehicle Security Act is still before three House committees, with 133 cosponsors as of the most recent update and no further action recorded. For either bill to become law, the House committees handling it must send it to a full House vote, the Senate must pass a matching version, and the President must sign it.
Will the rise in lobbying on both sides be enough to get either bill moving before this Congress ends?
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