The CEO of Midas NZ is leading the charge for a law change he believes will stop Kiwi drivers being misled by their dealership.
Kiwi drivers keep taking their vehicles back to the dealer for servicing because they assume they have to. But is that correct?
In an August 2026 survey conducted by vehicle servicing and repair group Midas NZ, most Kiwis who bought their car through a dealer (60%) believed taking their vehicle to another mechanic for a service would void their warranty.
Among those who believed that, nearly two-thirds (65%) said that information came from the dealer. But that’s not actually the case.
Buying a car from a dealer does not mean you lose your consumer rights when you choose an independent workshop to service the car. Your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act cannot be removed simply because you have your vehicle serviced elsewhere.
The key is servicing that meets the manufacturer’s requirements, including the service schedule, specified parts and fluids, with records of the work performed.
Motorists have more choice than they think
Things have changed since the days of a local garage changing the oil in an everyday Toyota or Holden. Modern vehicles rely on manufacturer-controlled software, diagnostic codes and technical information.
Without access to that information, independent repairers may be prevented from performing some repairs that they could be technically capable of carrying out.
Midas NZ CEO Jason Wilson believes Kiwi motorists deserve a better shake of the dipstick.
In addition to his day job, Wilson is a member of the Industry Leaders Group and a mentor for training mechanics. The group is pushing MPs for law changes that support consumer rights and competition in the servicing and repair industry.
Wilson says the assumption that drivers are tied to their vehicle dealer for servicing – before and after the manufacturer warranty period – is a myth.
“When you buy a new car, the dealer sells you a service package and a warranty package. The misconception is, you don’t have to take it back to the dealer for a service. You are entitled to make your choice of where you take it,” he explains.
“Who is telling the customer that going elsewhere would void their warranty? That’s where the misconception comes in.”
A Choice of Repairer law change
While independent workshops can service the vehicle, they have to follow dealer and manufacturer specifications. At Midas, for example, they have a logbook service that supports what they do.
“With that, we have to be part of the MTA, we have to have trained mechanics through the MITO (Motor Industry Training Organisation) process. So we can do it under the Consumer Guarantees Act.”
There are two sides to that law. Under the Act, dealers cannot tell customers they have to go to the dealer to follow the manufacturer’s procedures.
Wilson says it’s about fairness.
“We’re all in a cost-of-living crisis – and for the motorist, our costs are less than a dealer. Our rent is cheaper, we don’t have the big flashy buildings, our labour rates are fair,” he explains.
“We don’t have the big corporates that report back to the CEOs in China or the US; we are owned here in New Zealand. Yes, we work with Midas Australia, we work with Midas US – but we’re locally owned and operated.”
Wilson is an outspoken advocate for the Choice of Repairer movement, which seeks to change legislation to permit fairer access to vehicle repair data for independent workshops.
He says cars are “getting more and more savvy”, to the point “they’re basically 5G phones on wheels”.
“What we’re asking for is easier and more consistent access to the data to repair these vehicles,” he says.
“In some cases, we find that the manufacturers are setting the vehicles up so when we get to a certain point, the data says an independent workshop can’t hit that service button, we have to take it to a dealer to complete the job.”
The Industry Leaders Group, which is pushing for the law change, has a board including several other Independent workshop franchise CEOs and leaders, as well as parts suppliers. Australia passed similar legislation around three years ago, and Wilson says it’s working well.
“Motorists need both the confidence to choose their repairer, and workshops that can access the information needed to complete the job. The proposed Choice of Repairer legislation addresses that second barrier: access to manufacturer-controlled service and repair information,” he says.
There’s confidence the new law will pass in the next parliamentary term.
Wilson says the present champion of the proposed legislation is National’s Northcote MP Dan Bidois, but most of the parties in the House now have expressed support.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to fairness,” he says. “This gives the public the option to go, I can take my car to an independent workshop and know it is going to be fixed as per dealer specs, and it’s going to cost me less.
“The past two years have been tough. Groceries and mortgages are expensive, the fuel crisis has hit hard.
“All I want to do is save Kiwis money and give them security that they can go to a workshop, get their car serviced, and have a few more dollars left in the pocket to buy food.”
Ready to make the switch? Find your nearest Midas workshop or book your next service at midasnz.co.nz
To learn more about the proposed Choice of Repairer legislation and what it could mean for Kiwi motorists - visit choiceofrepairer.co.nz