Auto repair shops face big hurdles as cars get more technologically advanced: report

Pickup trucks are pictured at an automotive dealership in Ottawa on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Independent auto repair shops are increasingly facing roadblocks in offering cost-effective services and maintenance as vehicles become more technologically advanced, a new report suggests.

The study the Automotive Industries Association of Canada commissioned MNP to undertake shows a lack of repair information is keeping independent shops from providing timely services to their clients. Repair information can also often be paywalled or hidden, which increases repair costs, showed the report published Thursday.

“Traditionally, consumers have always had the right to choose where they get their vehicle serviced,” said Emily Holtby, the association’s vice-president of government relations.

“That is becoming harder and harder for independent shops because they need to access very specific data to service those vehicles,” she said, adding that manufacturers often decide how to disseminate data to independent shops.

For example, if a car were brought to an independent repair shop to install a new windshield, the shop would be able to install it mechanically but would not be able to run a recalibration digitally to test its safety. Often, safety recalibration codes — the final step in repairs — are locked by manufacturers, which means the shop has to contact a dealership or pay for subscription fee to access the data, Holtby said.

“They then have to actually contact the dealership, tow the car to the dealership at the consumer’s cost and then, the dealer can access that special issue,” she said.

Such calibrations might also be required when it comes to bumper repairs or wheel alignments.

Most vehicles manufactured over the last decade have software features built into their entertainment and navigation systems and, in some cases, critical safety features. Some automakers, meanwhile, can provide remote or over-the-air fixes — eliminating the need to visit a repair shop.

About one-third of independent repair shops interviewed for the study said they are not able to perform such calibrations, or it is not cost-effective to do so. Some independent repair shops rely on specialists who are contracted for specific repairs or send vehicles to dealerships, the report said.

The level of hoops a shop may have to jump through changes depending on the relationship and subscription type it has with a dealership, Holtby said.

Monthly subscription costs can vary greatly. One respondent said they pay between $150 and $200 per month, while others reported paying between $2,000 and $4,000.

Turning away just one customer for a single service every week could result in a decline of $15,600, or nine per cent, in annual profit for urban shops, the report said.

At rural shops, $9,360 in profit is at risk, amounting to a 16 per cent hit.

MNP Canada interviewed 34 independent shops for the report. It also collected 200 responses via mystery shopping — collecting quotes on specific repairs and maintenance across various dealerships and shops.

The report found it’s typically cheaper for a consumer to get their car repairs and maintenance done at an independent shop, rather than at dealerships.

Drivers generally pay $10 to $15 less at independent repair shops for routine maintenance services, such as an oil change, while common repairs, such as replacing shocks and struts, are 10 to 25 per cent cheaper.

The barriers to providing certain services mean some repair shops have chosen to narrow the range of services they provide or they’ve left the industry altogether, according to the report.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2026.

Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press