Automakers dictate repairs through a monopoly on data | E.J. Antoni May 14, 2026 May 14, 2026 Updated 4 hrs ago 0 × USA Today - Vertical Andrew Hiers works as a sales consultant at the Boniface Hiers Chrysler Jeep Ram dealership in Cocoa. He also is an opera singer. Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Think you own that new car you just bought? Not all of it. E.J. Antoni kAmpD >2?J p>6C:42?D 2C6 =62C?:?8[ 2FE@>2<6CD @H? E96:C 52E2[ 2?5 :E’D ECJ:?8 E@ 5:4E2E6 H9@ 42? 7:I E96 G69:4=6 H96? D@>6E9:?8 3C62<D @C 6G6? H96? :E ;FDE ?665D C68F=2C >2:?E6?2?46] xE’D 2 H2J E@ 7@C46 42C 2?5 ECF4< @H?6CD :?E@ 6IA6?D:G6 562=6CD9:AD 7@C D6CG:46]k^AmkAmu@CEF?2E6=J[ E9@F89[ 2 =682= 7:I >:89E 36 4@>:?8]k^AmkAm}6H G69:4=6D E@52J C6=J D@ >F49 @? 6=64EC@?:4D 2?5 D@7EH2C6 E92E >2?J C6A2:CD[ 6G6? C6=2E:G6=J D:>A=6 @?6D[ C6BF:C6 FD:?8 2 AC@AC:6E2CJ 4@>AFE6C :?E6C7246 @C D@7EH2C6 ;FDE E@ 5:28?@D6 2? :DDF6] $@>6 42CD 2?5 ECF4<D 6G6? ?665 E9:D C:8>2C@=6 E@ 56E6C>:?6 E96 @AE:>2= D4965F=6 7@C C@FE:?6 >2:?E6?2?46]k^Am People are also reading… Update: Old Fort man killed in motorcycle crash on I-40 identified Marion man injured in shooting in Newton; police say 1 gunman charged Got a McDowell County paranormal experience? Now is the time to speak up Marion house catches fire Monday morning, cause under investigation Meet the Morganton woman who says hard work has kept her going ... for 105 years McDowell County Sheriff Ricky Buchanan will retire Aug. 1, before term ends Corpening YMCA in Marion to host Healthy Aging Day 5 antique guns stolen from Historic Carson House in McDowell County Marion, McDowell moving to Stage 2 water shortage advisory, starting mandatory water restrictions State museum in Old Fort getting new standard hours. Here's when it'll be open. McDowell County state transportation employees win backhoe, motorgrader competitions What's going on at West McDowell Middle? $4 million grant moving fields out of floodplain NFL analyst says Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young 'needs to prove' he's worth an extension McDowell High gets new boys basketball coach $317,000 missing? Former North Carolina town manager indicted for misuse of credit card kAm%96 C6DF=ED 92G6 366? 56G2DE2E:?8 7@C :?56A6?56?E C6A2:C D9@AD E92E 92?5=6 >@DE @7 E96 A@DE\H2CC2?EJ 2FE@>@E:G6 H@C< 24C@DD p>6C:42] p=>@DE EH@\E9:C5D @7 E96D6 D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D 92G6 EC@F3=6 >2<:?8 H92E H6C6 AC6G:@FD=J D:>A=6 C6A2:CD 3642FD6 @7 :?2446DD:3=6 52E2 @C D@7EH2C6]k^AmkAm~G6C E96 A2DE 7:G6 J62CD[ ?62C=J b_T @7 E96D6 D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D 92G6 C6A@CE65 2 564=:?6 :? E96 ?F>36C @7 G69:4=6D E96J’C6 23=6 E@ D6CG:46 5F6 E@ E9:D :DDF6] %H@ @7 6G6CJ d D9@AD 92G6 >@C6 5:77:4F=EJ 86EE:?8 A2CED 7C@> 562=6CD[ H9:=6 @?6 ` :? c 92G6 ?@ 2446DD E@ E96 6=64EC@?:4 E@@=D ?66565 E@ D6CG:46 4FDE@>6CD’ G69:4=6D]k^Am kAmr@?D6BF6?E=J[ >@C6 E92? 92=7 @7 D>2== 2FE@>@E:G6 C6A2:C 3FD:?6DD6D D2J E96J’C6 7@C465 E@ D6?5 2 4FDE@>6C 23@FE @?46 2 H66< E@ 2 562=6CD9:A] %96 4FDE@>6C =@D6D 3J 92G:?8 E@ A2J >@C6 7@C E96 D2>6 H@C<[ 2?5 E96 D>2== 3FD:?6DD =@D6D 2 D2=6]k^Am Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%@52J[ 52E2 :D 2 E@@= 2== :ED @H?[ 2?5 E9:D >@G6 3J 2FE@>2<6CD :D 2 9:89\E649 G6CD:@? @7 2? @=5 82>6] u@C J62CD[ >2?F724EFC6CD 92G6 A=2J65 EC:4<D =:<6 :?G6?E:?8 2?5 A2E6?E:?8 72DE6?6CD — H9:49 ?@ @?6 6=D6 4@F=5 3FJ] x7 4FDE@>6CD 2?5 C6A2:C D9@AD 4@F=5?’E @A6? 2 AC@5F4E[ H96E96C 2 H2D9:?8 >249:?6 @C 2 D>2CEA9@?6[ E96? E96 4FDE@>6C’D @?=J @AE:@? H2D E@ A2J H92E6G6C E96 >2?F724EFC6C 492C865]k^DA2?mk^Am kAm(9:=6 AC@A6CEJ C:89ED[ :?4=F5:?8 :?E6==64EF2= AC@A6CEJ[ 2C6 4@C?6CDE@?6D @7 p>6C:42’D 5J?2>:4 2?5 :??@G2E:G6 64@?@>J[ E96J D9@F=5?’E 36 4@?7=2E65 H:E9 2? 2CE:7:4:2==J F?6G6? A=2J:?8 7:6=5] !C@E64E:?8 AC@AC:6E2CJ 6?8:?6 >2?286>6?E D@7EH2C6 :D ?@E E96 D2>6 2D 255:?8 E96 6BF:G2=6?E @7 2 A2DDH@C5 E@ 2 42C’D 5:28?@DE:4 4@>AFE6C]k^Am kAm$@>6 2FE@>2<6CD 92G6 6C64E65 5:8:E2= H2==D 2C@F?5 E96 52E2 :? E96:C 4FDE@>6CD’ G69:4=6D[ EC62E:?8 E92E :?7@C>2E:@? =:<6 2 EC256 D64C6E[ 6G6? E9@F89 :E C62==J 36=@?8D E@ E96 A6CD@? H9@ 3@F89E E96 42C @C ECF4<]k^Am kAmp 3:A2CE:D2? AFD9 :? r@?8C6DD E9:D J62C 4@F=5 255C6DD E96 AC@3=6> G:2 E96 #:89E E@ tBF:E23=6 2?5 !C@76DD:@?2= pFE@ x?5FDECJ #6A2:C W#t!px#X p4E] %96 =68:D=2E:@? H@F=5 6DD6?E:2==J 5:DE:?8F:D9 36EH66? AC@E64E:?8 :??@G2E@CD’ :?E6==64EF2= AC@A6CEJ Wx!X C:89ED 2?5 2FE@>2<6CD’ >:DFD6 @7 x! =2H E@ 7@C46 4FDE@>6CD :?E@ 562=6CD9:A C6A2:C 724:=:E:6D H9:=6 4CFD9:?8 4@>A6E:E:@?]k^Am kAm$@>6 :?5FDECJ 8C@FAD 2C8F6 E96 #t!px# p4E :D F??646DD2CJ 3642FD6 C6=6G2?E G69:4=6 52E2 :D 2=C625J 2G2:=23=6 E9C@F89 6I:DE:?8 28C66>6?ED 2?5 A@CE2=D] qFE E96? H9J 2C6 D@ >2?J :?56A6?56?E D9@AD 92G:?8 E@ D6?5 42CD E@ 562=6CD 6249 H66< 3642FD6 E96J 42?’E 2446DD G69:4=6 52E2 E@ 6G6? >2<6 2 5:28?@D:Dnk^Am kAm%9:D :D?’E 23@FE AC6D6CG:?8 E96 BF2=:EJ @7 H@C< 36:?8 5@?6[ 6:E96C] x?56A6?56?E D9@AD 42? 36 96=5 =:23=6 7@C 72F=EJ C6A2:CD ;FDE =:<6 562=6CD] |2?J DE2E6D 6G6? >2?52E6 >:?:>F> H2CC2?E:6D @? 4@>>@? C6A2:CD[ C682C5=6DD @7 H9@ 5@6D E96 H@C<]k^AmkAmpC8F>6?ED @G6C E96 C:89E E@ C6A2:C 2C6?’E 23@FE D276EJ 3FE 23@FE 6DE23=:D9:?8 >@?@A@=J AC:4:?8 A@H6C 2?5[ :? E96 42D6 @7 E96 2FE@>@E:G6 :?5FDECJ[ 7@C4:?8 @FE D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D 7C@> 2 9:89=J 4@>A6E:E:G6 >2C<6E H96C6[ 9:DE@C:42==J[ :?56A6?56?E D9@AD 4@>A=6E6 g_T @7 @FE\@7\H2CC2?EJ C6A2:CD 3642FD6 562=6CD9:AD 2C6 23@FE beT >@C6 6IA6?D:G6 7@C 4FDE@>6CD]k^Am kAmp?5 E96 AC@3=6> :D 86EE:?8 H@CD6 2D G69:4=6D 364@>6 =6DD >6492?:42= 2?5 :?4C62D:?8=J 6=64EC@?:4] qJ a_bd[ `dd >:==:@? G69:4=6 @H?6CD H:== =:<6=J 36 :>A24E65 3J =:>:E65 49@:46D 7@C 2FE@ C6A2:C[ :?4C62D:?8 E96:C 2G6C286 2??F2= C6A2:C 3:== 3J 23@FE Sa__] %92E’D H6== @G6C Sb_ 3:==:@? :? 288C682E6 9:896C 3:==D 7@C G69:4=6 @H?6CD] #FC2= 4@>>F?:E:6D[ H:E9 76H6C @AE:@?D[ 2C6 9:E 6DA64:2==J 92C5]k^Am kAm(9:=6 562=6CD9:AD H:== C646:G6 2 H:?572==[ :?56A6?56?E D9@AD H:== 4@?E:?F6 =@D:?8 C6G6?F6 2?5 ;@3D[ ?@E E@ >6?E:@? E96 c >:==:@? >2?F724EFC:?8 ;@3D 2E C:D< :? E96 27E6C>2C<6E 42C A2CED :?5FDECJ] qJ a_bd[ E96 bd_[___ :?56A6?56?E 3FD:?6DD6D :? E92E :?5FDECJ — E96 =2C86DE D68>6?E @7 p>6C:42? >2?F724EFC:?8 — 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ D66 E96:C 4@>3:?65 D92C6 @7 2FE@>@E:G6 A2CED D2=6D D=:A 7C@> ddT E@ ;FDE bdT]k^Am kAmr@>A6E:E:@? 8:G6D p>6C:42? 72>:=:6D >@C6 49@:46D[ 36EE6C D6CG:46 2?5 =@H6C AC:46D[ 3FE :E C6BF:C6D 2 =6G6= A=2J:?8 7:6=5] x? E9:D 42D6[ E92E >62?D C62D@?23=6 2446DD E@ C6A2:C :?7@C>2E:@? D@ E92E @H?6CD 42? 564:56 H96C6 E@ 92G6 E96:C G69:4=6D D6CG:465] %9:D :D 23@FE :?4C62D:?8 4@>A6E:E:@?[ ?@E 4@?46?EC2E:@? @7 A@H6C 2>@?8 DA64:2= :?E6C6DED]k^Am Antoni is chief economist at the Heritage Foundation and a senior fellow at Unleash Prosperity._____©2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 0 Comments Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story Cocoa car salesman uses opera singing talent to sell cars Andrew Hiers works as a sales consultant at the Boniface Hiers Chrysler Jeep Ram dealership in Cocoa. He also is an opera singer.
Cocoa car salesman uses opera singing talent to sell cars Andrew Hiers works as a sales consultant at the Boniface Hiers Chrysler Jeep Ram dealership in Cocoa. He also is an opera singer.