The Auto Care Association warned vehicle manufacturers and regulators recently that failure to consider how vehicles are serviced when designing vehicle cybersecurity protections could harm consumers and the independent vehicle service facilities that provide them with repairs.

Aaron Lowe, senior vice president, regulatory and government affairs, Auto Care Association, delivered the warning while participating in a panel discussion as part of the Vehicle Cybersecurity Roundtable that was produced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Jan. 20th in Washington, DC.

Lowe said that Auto Care Association members were concerned that possible cybersecurity measures could limit access by independent technicians to critical on-board computers needed to repair and diagnose vehicles.

“When consumers spend $30,000 or more to purchase a vehicle, they should control where that vehicle is serviced, and not the vehicle manufacturer,” said Lowe.

Following the roundtable, Lowe praised NHTSA for holding the event.

“The panel discussions provided a great forum for stakeholders involved in the vehicle cybersecurity issue to express their views on how to protect vehicles,” Lowe said. “We are very grateful that the agency provided the Auto Care Association an opportunity to highlight the importance of considering the needs of consumers and the independent service industry in developing vehicle cybersecurity policies.”