Something shifted over the past five years in how people think about their stuff. The idea that you should be able to fix what you own — once just hobbyist talk on tech forums — turned into actual economic pressure that’s making Fortune 500 companies sweat.
California and New York both passed right-to-repair laws in 2023. The EU set new standards for how long electronics should last and how fixable they need to be. But laws only show up after the culture already changed. Consumers were already fed up with $800 phones dying after two years and companies acting like opening your own device was somehow theft.
The ripple effects hit everywhere. Companies built entire profit models around making repair impossible or prohibitively expensive. Now they’re scrambling. At the same time, new businesses are popping up to fill gaps that didn’t exist before — or that manufacturers deliberately created. Online shops sell parts that were previously locked behind authorized dealer networks. Need a blade for lawn mower or a specific capacitor for your laptop? It’s there, often cheaper and faster than going through official channels.
Why Repair Makes Economic Sense Now
People aren’t fixing things out of nostalgia for some imagined past. The math changed.
A MacBook Pro from 2025 in 2026 costs 40% more than the equivalent model from 2023. Performance improved, sure, but not by 40%. Flagship phones hit $1,200, which is a month’s rent in plenty of places. When the price of new stuff climbs that fast, suddenly a $200 repair doesn’t look so bad.
This thinking extends beyond electronics. Replacing a single part (whether it’s a battery or a blade for lawn mower) often restores full functionality for a fraction of the cost of buying new equipment.
Then there’s the environmental angle, though it’s not just virtue signaling anymore. Deloitte found that 64% of people under 35 will actually pay more for brands that take sustainability seriously. Keeping a device alive instead of tossing it fits that worldview without requiring much sacrifice.
But here’s the kicker: tech plateaued. An iPhone 15 with a new battery works fine in 2026 for almost everyone. Gaming PCs from 2023 run modern games perfectly well after a GPU upgrade. The pressure to upgrade constantly just isn’t there like it used to be.
Cars: Where the Fight Got Real
Tesla tried to lock down repairs harder than anyone. For years, independent shops couldn’t get diagnostic software or official parts. Tesla lost multiple lawsuits in 2023 and had to open up. That cracked the door wide.
Independent mechanics can now compete with dealerships on more than just price. Some shops focus only on EVs and offer things Tesla service centers won’t touch — custom software, battery rebuilds for older models, performance modifications. The official network isn’t automatically better anymore.
Traditional carmakers saw which way the wind was blowing. Ford started certifying independent shops to work on the F-150 Lightning. BMW opened an online parts store where regular people can order components. Volkswagen invested in video repair guides.
John Deere deserves special mention. Farmers spent years furious that they couldn’t fix their own tractors — tractors they’d paid six figures for. Deere’s software locks meant a blown sensor could brick an entire machine until a dealer tech showed up. After sustained pressure and state legislation threats, Deere signed an agreement with the American Farm Bureau Federation in 2023 to provide diagnostic tools and manuals. Farmers say it doesn’t go far enough, but it’s a massive change from Deere’s previous position of “absolutely not under any circumstances.”
GM partnered with AutoZone to supply certified parts for vehicles over five years old. AutoZone staff get training and access to GM’s technical databases. GM figured out that controlling the repair ecosystem beats losing customers to shops using knockoff parts from alibaba.
The Electronics Industry Fights Back (Then Gives In)
Apple spent serious money lobbying against repair laws. The company argued that unauthorized repairs compromised security and privacy. Some of that’s legitimate — there are real risks with bad repairs. But mostly it was about maintaining control and profit margins on repairs that cost $600 when the actual parts cost $40.
Reality caught up anyway. Apple launched Self Service Repair in 2022, giving people access to tools and guides. A year later they expanded what was available and cut prices 40%. You can debate whether they did this out of genuine conversion or because state laws were coming either way, but the result is what matters.
Framework took a different approach entirely. The startup built a laptop where every component is modular and user-replaceable. Want to upgrade RAM? Takes five minutes. Screen cracked? Swap it yourself. They raised $18 million and their sales keep growing, which suggests people actually want this even if it costs slightly more upfront.
The refurbished market exploded. Back Market, a French platform connecting buyers with certified repair shops, hit a $5.7 billion valuation in 2022. They provide warranties on restored devices, which addresses the biggest concern people have about used electronics.
Google partnered with iFixit in 2022 to sell Pixel parts and repair kits. The collaboration includes detailed teardown guides and specialized tools. A Google VP said the program directly addressed the top Pixel complaint: you couldn’t get repairs outside major cities.
Samsung went beyond their iFixit partnership to launch a global spare parts program in 2024. Customers in 30 countries can order Galaxy phone and tablet components directly. Samsung also opened repair training centers in Seoul, Austin, and London to certify independent technicians.
Home Appliances Join In
iFixit partnered with Samsung in 2023 to supply original parts for refrigerators, washing machines, and TVs. Before this, getting those components meant going through authorized service centers that charged 200-300% markups. Now you can order them online at something closer to reasonable prices.
Bosch and Miele launched training programs for independent technicians, with certification and access to technical docs. This isn’t generosity — it’s smart business. Better to control who’s fixing your products than let random repair shops do questionable work that damages your brand reputation.
Whirlpool announced a 10-year parts availability guarantee for major appliances in 2023, backed by expanded warehouses. Their CEO told investors this sets them apart in a market where competitors make vague promises about parts support but don’t commit to anything specific.
Even garden equipment got affected. Manufacturers of mowers and trimmers face competition from online platforms selling parts directly to consumers. Why pay a shop $150 to replace a blade when you can order the part for $25 and do it yourself?
Pushback and Problems
Manufacturers aren’t wrong about everything. Bad repairs can cause fires, lose data, hurt people. Those risks exist. But the statistics from Europe, where right-to-repair rules have been active for years, don’t show any increase in incidents from DIY repairs. If anything, making real parts available reduced the use of sketchy counterfeits that actually are dangerous.
Corporate lobbying remains fierce. New York’s electronics repair law took three attempts and five years to pass. Medical device manufacturers keep blocking similar rules by citing FDA regulations and patient safety, which might be legitimate but also conveniently protects their service revenue.
Opportunities Opening Up
This shift creates real business opportunities. Specialized repair shops can build profitable operations around specific product types. Online platforms teaching repair skills monetize knowledge that used to be locked up in corporate training manuals.
Tool manufacturers see growing demand. Logistics companies are adapting to handle parts shipments, where fast delivery of a critical component becomes the competitive advantage. 3D printing services produce rare parts that aren’t manufactured anymore.
Consulting practices around equipment lifecycle optimization are becoming a thing. Companies want to squeeze more value from their tech investments, and advisors help them figure out maintenance strategies instead of just buying new stuff every few years.
Where This Goes
Right-to-repair momentum keeps building. More jurisdictions pass laws, covering more product categories. Manufacturers adapt because they have to, not because they want to. Consumers vote with their wallets for companies that support repairability.
For entrepreneurs, there are genuine opportunities in service businesses, parts logistics, educational platforms. Getting in early on this trend creates competitive advantages.
For entrepreneurs, one of the most promising opportunities today is selling spare parts. By choosing the right niche, you can quickly build a profitable business with lower risk and fewer issues than selling full devices. Service businesses, parts logistics, and educational platforms around repair are also gaining traction.
The circular economy idea — where repair and reuse are normal rather than exceptional — is gradually becoming real. Not overnight, but as a slow, grinding transformation in how manufacturers, consumers, and products relate to each other. Businesses that figure out how to work with this shift instead of against it will have advantages that compound over the next decade.
