Government plans to mirror European vehicle standards while stripping out legal protections for independent repairers could hand vehicle manufacturers total control over workshop access, the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has warned.
Under the Department for Transport’s (DfT) latest type approval consultation, which seeks to update GB vehicle regulations following EU exit, the government proposes aligning domestic rules with the European Union across component approvals, safety systems, and towing specifications.
It also replicates Brussels’ latest framework on Repair and Maintenance Information (RMI), including robust cybersecurity provisions that grant vehicle manufacturers (VMs) greater power to restrict access to connected onboard systems.
However, the IAAF says the DfT has made one glaring omission: SERMI.
In the EU and Northern Ireland, SERMI is enshrined in statute law. It operates as a legally binding, single-audit passport that allows accredited independent garages and technicians to access security-related repair data, such as key coding, immobilisers, instrument clusters, and advanced software updates, without having to apply separately to dozens of individual vehicle manufacturers.
In Great Britain, SERMI operates solely on a voluntary basis.
Now, the IAAF suggests the DfT’s consultation paper makes the government’s position stark, stating outright that “it is for manufacturers to decide” how independent repairers are granted access to vehicle architectures.
By incorporating manufacturer-friendly cybersecurity powers under international standards like UN R155 and R156 while deleting statutory SERMI recognition, the DfT effectively grants OEMs legal authority to lock their digital front doors while removing the key that independent workshops rely on.
Mark Field, Chief Executive of the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF), said: “Our right to repair means very little if manufacturers can decide who gets access to the systems modern cars depend on.
“By aligning with the EU on everything in this consultation except SERMI, the government is leaving motorists’ right to repair at the discretion of vehicle manufacturers.”
The IAAF is preparing a comprehensive response to the consultation, demanding that the government mandate SERMI within the GB type approval scheme.
Have you run into manufacturer lockouts or security gateway issues during routine programming jobs in your workshop? Should the UK government legally mandate SERMI, or are you concerned the accreditation process creates more red tape for independents? Have your say in the comments below.
