Trump Signs ‘Right to Repair’ Order to Cut Vehicle Maintenance Costs, Boost Competition

Washington, June 2026 : US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a presidential memorandum aimed at making vehicle repairs more affordable and accessible, saying Americans should have the freedom to repair their own cars without facing unnecessary government restrictions or excessive costs.

The directive instructs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support what the administration has described as Americans’ “freedom to fix” their own vehicles while promoting greater competition in the aftermarket automobile parts industry.

Announcing the measure at the White House, Trump said the initiative was designed to reduce both the cost of owning a vehicle and the expenses associated with repairs and maintenance.

“I think it’s very important. It’s going to lower the price of your car. It’s going to lower the price of fixing your car. It has to do with affordability,” the President said before signing the memorandum.

Trump said he became interested in the issue after learning that individuals attempting to repair their own vehicles had allegedly faced legal action.

“It came to my attention because I noticed they were arresting people for fixing their car. They were arresting people for fixing—that’s not even believable,” he said.

“So it’s right to fix, and I think it’s really common sense.”

The President argued that many vehicle owners possess considerable technical knowledge and are fully capable of carrying out repairs themselves, often matching or even exceeding the expertise of professional mechanics.

“If somebody wants to fix their vehicle, some of these people are better mechanics than the mechanics in the shop. They’re telling the mechanic in the shop how to fix their car or their truck,” Trump remarked.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the new memorandum builds upon the administration’s earlier “right to repair” initiative for agricultural equipment introduced in February and extends similar principles to passenger vehicles.

“This is a presidential memo supporting the freedom to fix,” Zeldin said.

“Americans have the freedom to fix their vehicle. President Trump insists upon it. We are not going to be going after people who are fixing their own vehicle, like past administrations have.”

Zeldin said the administration also intends to strengthen the domestic aftermarket parts industry by limiting imports of low-quality replacement components that undermine American manufacturers and businesses.

In addition, he announced plans to end what he described as California’s monopoly over third-party certification of aftermarket vehicle parts.

“The only third-party certification for these aftermarket parts is CARB in California, a process that’s backlogged and faulty,” Zeldin said.

“So we’re going to break that monopoly, and no longer will CARB be the only third-party certifier for these aftermarket parts.”

According to the EPA Administrator, Trump personally pushed for the initiative after discussing the issue over the weekend and directed officials to move quickly in preparing the presidential memorandum.

The administration believes the policy will encourage greater competition in the automotive repair market, expand consumer choice, and lower repair costs by making replacement parts more readily available.

Officials also expect the move to benefit independent repair shops, local mechanics, and small businesses by creating a more competitive marketplace while giving vehicle owners greater control over maintaining and repairing their own automobiles.

The memorandum is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to reduce regulatory barriers, lower consumer costs, and promote competition across key sectors of the US economy.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)