Two years after a repair law passed, parts are available. Prices are the new complaint.

A repair law that took effect two years ago required manufacturers to publish service documentation and sell parts and diagnostic tools to independent shops on fair and reasonable terms. On the first half of that, compliance is broadly good. On the second half, the argument has moved to what “fair and reasonable” means.

Independent repair shops surveyed by a trade association report that a display assembly for a recent flagship handset costs between 80 and 95 percent of what the manufacturer charges for the complete repair, including labor and warranty.

The pricing squeeze

“They are complying with the letter perfectly,” said the owner of a three-location repair chain. “I can buy the part. I just cannot buy it, pay a technician, keep the lights on and still be cheaper than they are.”

Manufacturers respond that the price reflects genuine cost — small production runs of a component designed for assembly rather than service — and that their own repair price is subsidized by the ecosystem in ways an independent shop’s is not. Regulators have not tested either claim, because the statute gives no method for determining whether a part price is reasonable.

The law gave us access. It did not give us a margin, and access without margin is a hobby.— The owner of an independent repair chain

Pairing has narrowed

Parts pairing — where a replacement component works only after being cryptographically authorized — has receded but not disappeared. Displays and batteries now generally function fully after replacement. Cameras and biometric sensors in several recent models still lose features unless the swap is registered through a manufacturer tool.

• Compliance: manuals, parts and diagnostic tools published as required
• Part cost: 80–95% of the manufacturer’s complete repair price, per shop survey
• Pairing: largely removed for displays and batteries; persists for cameras and biometrics
• Gap in the law: no method for assessing whether a part price is reasonable

Two states have introduced amendments that would tie part prices to a formula, and manufacturers have warned that a formula set too low would end parts availability for older models entirely. Consumer advocates counter that this is precisely the argument made against the original law, which was passed and did not have that effect.