2023-09-16 04:05:00
Nothing is more difficult for the local mechanic to repair than a Tesla. But soon, industry players warn, all automobiles might become as annoying and, above all, as expensive to maintain as Elon Musk’s creation.
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“The more recent the model, the more difficult it is to access information,” summarizes Alain Blondeau, owner of a two-door garage since 1987 in Saint-Lambert, on the South Shore of Montreal.
He gives the example of the handles embedded in the body of the Tesla Model 3: if you can easily change them, you have to go to the dealership so that the car recognizes the new part.
“It’s the worst company. They refuse to sell us parts. I no longer do anything on Teslas, except change tires,” says the mechanic.
If Tesla is well known for operating in a closed circuit, this might soon be the case for many other cars.
“The crux of the matter is being able to have your car repaired wherever you want, and not just at the dealership,” explains Jean-François Champagne.
The president of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA) also went to the National Assembly this week to detail his point of view, during consultations on Bill 29 , which concerns obsolescence and the right to repair.
In 2023, a simple Honda Civic is practically as connected as a Tesla, notes the man who represents independent garages and workshops in particular.
And manufacturers jealously guard the data they get from the cars they sell.
“We can change brake pads, an exhaust, etc. But if each of the components is connected to the Internet, it takes a computer to set it up, and if I don’t have access, that’s the problem, I can’t complete the repair,” summarizes Mr. Champagne.
He therefore wants Quebec to adopt its law as quickly as possible in order to force car manufacturers to share their data with independent workshops.
The information war
In Saint-Lambert, Alain Blondeau is well aware of this problem. “It costs a fortune in equipment to stay up to date and keep up. This is why garages are disappearing one following the other,” he thinks.
This is the crux of the problem: a repair done directly at the dealership will cost the customer more than if he goes to the small local garage, where prices also increase due to the equipment.
“You have to reinvest all the time. The problem is that these costs are passed on to the customer,” recognizes Alex Bessette, technical advisor at Alex Pneu & Mécanique, a 15-door garage in Montreal.
If independent mechanics always manage to resolve problems, he says, things still move quickly in the automotive world.
“The technology in new cars coming out of dealerships today was unthinkable 10 years ago,” illustrates this car enthusiast.
Things are evolving so quickly that Alex Bessette doesn’t even believe that we might put forward standardized tools that would reduce costs.
“The tool you just bought will no longer be good for the next model,” he assures.
For a simple screw, you can sometimes need four tools, laughs (a little yellow) Alain Blondeau. “We would need it to be standardized, but here we are talking regarding standardizing it across the planet. Do you think that Quebec will change anything with its law? “, he asks.
As for the information that manufacturers retain, it’s regarding being resourceful… and not stingy.
“Yes, it’s hard to get information, but when you’re willing to pay, there’s always a way to get it. We’re not up to date, up to date, but we’re not that bad,” says the mechanic.
The cost of this information necessary for repairs is also found on our invoices.
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