AmericaRight-to-repair proposals seek to make independent repair more feasible. Their scope matters: access to parts, information, tools, and software can differ by product and law.
Identify the repair barrier
The FTC’s 2021 Nixing the Fix report examines repair restrictions and their consumer-protection and competition implications. It discusses barriers such as unavailable parts and diagnostic information. It is a historical report, not a complete current guide to every state’s repair law.
For a specific product, ask what prevents a repair: unavailable information, paired components, price, physical design, warranty confusion, or an inaccessible diagnostic tool. Different barriers require different remedies.
Read the scope of the proposal
Which products and manufacturers are covered? What must be supplied, on what terms, and to whom? What exemptions exist? How are security, safety, intellectual property, and consumer protection handled?
Do not infer a universal right from a law or agreement about one category of equipment. Check the applicable jurisdiction and current text before describing an obligation.
Measure repair outcomes
A useful pilot can track successful repairs, price, turnaround time, access to parts, and product life. Include failed attempts and safety issues rather than reporting only success stories.
A repair-access directory should show product scope and evidence, not simply give every manufacturer a moral score. If offering repair help, distinguish informational access from the skills and precautions needed to perform the work safely.
Make it useful
Your next steps
- Identify the actual barrier for the product.
- Read the covered products, requirements, and exemptions.
- Measure repair success, cost, time, and relevant risks.
Take it into practice
A starting template you can adapt—not a form submitted to America.co.
Product/model: ____. Barrier: ____. Applicable proposal or rule: ____. Parts/tools/information required: ____. Safety/security issue: ____. Repair outcome and cost: ____.
Common questions
Does every state have the same repair rights?
No. Product scope and applicable law differ; check current official sources.
Is access to a manual enough?
Not always. Parts, tools, software, design, and repair skills may also matter.
Follow the source trail
Source pages consulted October 4, 2026. Original worksheets and evaluation questions are America.co guidance; they are not government instructions.
- FTC — Nixing the Fix ↗Official research report; May 2021
This guide uses AI-assisted drafting and links the underlying sources. It has not been presented as expert-reviewed advice. Read our editorial approach. Send a correction with the source and passage.