Independent Garages Could Face Vehicle Data Restrictions Under New Rules

Independent garages could face greater uncertainty over access to security-related vehicle information under proposed changes to Great Britain’s vehicle type approval rules, the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has warned.

The warning centres on the Government’s latest consultation on updating the GB Type Approval scheme and, in particular, its treatment of Security-related Repair and Maintenance Information (SERMI).

The Department for Transport is proposing to bring parts of Great Britain’s rules on vehicle repair and maintenance information into line with updated EU regulations.

However, the proposals do not include the EU provisions that make SERMI part of the regulatory framework.

The IAAF argues this omission could leave vehicle manufacturers with too much control over how independent garages gain access to security-related information needed to repair increasingly connected and software-dependent vehicles.

What is the Government proposing?

Vehicle manufacturers already have obligations to make information required for vehicle repair and maintenance available to businesses involved in the sector on an equal basis.

The latest Department for Transport consultation proposes updating the relevant GB rules to reflect more recent changes introduced in the EU, including provisions relating to cybersecurity and access to on-board diagnostics.

But there is an important exception.

The Government does not propose incorporating the EU’s SERMI provisions into the GB legislation.

SERMI provides a standardised system through which legitimate independent repair businesses and technicians can be verified before being allowed to access security-related repair and maintenance information.

The Department for Transport consultation acknowledges that SERMI was not retained in Great Britain’s regulations following Brexit and says a decision was previously taken not to introduce a GB version through legislation.

It states that, under the GB scheme, it is therefore for manufacturers to determine how they ensure that only trustworthy people have access to security-related data.

It is this distinction that has prompted concern from the independent aftermarket.

IAAF warns of threat to right to repair

The IAAF says adopting updated EU repair-information requirements while leaving out the corresponding SERMI provisions risks weakening the independent sector’s right to repair.

Modern vehicles increasingly rely on electronic systems, software, connected functions and cybersecurity controls.

That means access to manufacturer-controlled systems and information can be essential for independent workshops carrying out certain repairs.

IAAF chief executive Mark Field said the right to repair meant little if manufacturers were ultimately able to determine who could access systems on which modern vehicles depend.

The organisation is calling for SERMI to be mandated as part of the GB Type Approval scheme and intends to respond formally to the Government consultation.

Its concern is that cybersecurity requirements could otherwise give manufacturers greater scope to restrict access to independent repairers.

SERMI is already operating in Great Britain

The situation is slightly more complicated because SERMI is not new to British garages.

A UK SERMI scheme went live in Great Britain on 1 April 2026 following years of work by the independent aftermarket.

It gives approved independent operators and technicians a standardised route to security-related manufacturer information, including information that can be required for work involving vehicle keys, immobilisers and other security-controlled systems.

Independent garages wishing to use the scheme must meet verification and security requirements before receiving access.

However, there is an important difference between Great Britain and the EU and Northern Ireland.

In the EU and Northern Ireland, SERMI forms part of the legislative framework.

In Great Britain, manufacturer participation operates on a voluntary basis.

This means the existence of the UK SERMI scheme does not necessarily guarantee that every manufacturer will use it as the route through which independent garages obtain security-related information.

Why does this matter to independent garages?

Access to vehicle information is becoming an increasingly important commercial issue for the independent aftermarket.

A modern workshop can have the trained technicians, diagnostic equipment and physical tools required to perform a repair but still encounter difficulties if access to manufacturer-controlled systems or technical information is restricted.

This is particularly significant as vehicles become more digitally complex.

Functions that were once largely mechanical can now involve software authorisation, online manufacturer systems, security gateways or other digital processes.

The concern for independent garages is therefore not simply access to information today, but whether they will retain practical and affordable access as the technology develops.

There is also a wider competition issue.

If independent garages cannot obtain the information or system access needed to complete certain jobs, motorists could have fewer choices over where their vehicles are repaired and potentially become more dependent on franchised dealer networks.

Diagnostic access is already worrying garages

The IAAF warning comes as separate research has highlighted growing concern among independent garages about access to vehicle diagnostics and technical information.

The first LKQ Euro Car Parts Plug In-Dex, published in September, found that nearly nine in ten independent garages surveyed had turned away or referred at least one EV or plug-in hybrid enquiry during the previous six months.

More than a quarter identified concerns about diagnostic access for newer EV brands as a barrier to further investment.

SERMI does not solve the wider diagnostic-access problem because it specifically concerns security-related repair and maintenance information.

However, the debate demonstrates the broader challenge facing the aftermarket: workshops increasingly need secure access to manufacturer-controlled digital systems if they are to compete effectively as vehicles become more connected.

What happens next?

The Government consultation does not in itself mean independent garages are about to lose access to vehicle information.

Instead, the dispute concerns the framework that will govern access in future.

The Department for Transport proposes adopting updated requirements governing repair and maintenance information while continuing to leave SERMI outside the mandatory GB framework.

The IAAF wants the Government to go further and make SERMI mandatory, providing independent operators with a consistent regulated route to security-related information rather than leaving individual manufacturers to determine their own approach.

For garage owners, the outcome could have long-term implications.

As cybersecurity, connected vehicles and manufacturer-controlled software become a larger part of everyday repair work, the rules governing access to vehicle data may become just as important to independent workshops as access to traditional parts, tools and technical information.

The Government consultation therefore represents another important stage in the industry’s continuing battle over the right to repair modern vehicles.

Sources and internal links

IAAF — GB Type Approval consultation risks restricting aftermarket’s right to repair

GOV.UK — Updating GB type approval for passenger and goods vehicles

Independent Garage Association — SERMI information for garages

Motester — Nearly 9 in 10 Independent Garages Turn Away EV Work as Diagnostic Access Bites

Motester — SERMI Scheme Goes Live in UK: Independent Garages Gain Access to Security Data