Over 84.0% of American consumers support Right to Repair legislation, which would save US households $49.6 billion annually ($382 per family) and prevent the premature disposal of 150 million devices per year. As 8 states enacted comprehensive repair laws and Oregon outlawed cryptographic parts pairing (deployed on 72% of modern flagships), over 12 million monthly fixers on iFixit have driven a global consumer rebellion against planned obsolescence. The figures below come from empirical research published by U.S. PIRG, iFixit, the FTC, the National Farmers Union, and the European Environmental Bureau.
TL;DR
- 84.0% of US consumers support federal and state Right to Repair legislation (U.S. PIRG)
- Right to Repair would save American households $49.6 billion annually ($382/family) (PIRG)
- Over 150 million electronic devices are discarded prematurely in the US each year (PIRG)
- 8 US states have enacted comprehensive Right to Repair statutes (NCSL Tracker)
- Oregon became the first state to formally outlaw cryptographic parts pairing software locks
- 72.0% of modern flagship smartphones deploy parts pairing serialization locks (U.S. PIRG)
- iFixit serves over 12.0 million active monthly fixers across 105,000+ repair guides (iFixit)
- Battery replacements account for 41.0% of all attempted electronics repair guides (iFixit)
- Independent repair shops charge 45% to 60% less than manufacturer repair centers (Consumer Reports)
- The US independent electronics repair sector generates $4.8 billion across 14,200 shops (IBISWorld)
- 75.0% of farmers face proprietary software lockouts on modern agricultural equipment (NFU)
- Equipment downtime during peak harvest costs farmers $2,000 to $5,000 per day (PIRG)
- Extending device lifespans by 1 year cuts European emissions by 4.0M tons CO2e (EEB)
1. Consumer Support, Household Economic Savings, and E-Waste
Consumer frustration with planned obsolescence and monopolized repair pricing has galvanized historic bipartisan public support. U.S. PIRG and Data for Progress polling shows that 84.0% of American consumers favor Right to Repair legislation.
Economic and ecological benefits are immense: extending electronics lifespans would save US households $49.6 billion annually ($382 per family) and prevent over 150 million functional devices from entering the municipal solid waste stream prematurely.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US consumers who support federal and state Right to Repair legislation | 84.0% | U.S. PIRG / Data for Progress Polling |
| US states that have enacted comprehensive Right to Repair laws (e.g., CA, NY, MN, CO) | 8 states enacted | National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) |
| Annual household consumer savings if repairable electronics extended device lifespan | $49.6B ($382/household) | U.S. PIRG Education Fund |
| Electronic devices discarded prematurely every year due to repair restrictions | 150M+ devices in US | U.S. PIRG / Basel Action Network |
| European Union Right to Repair Directive coverage across consumer goods | 100% of EU member states | European Commission Environment Directorate |
| FTC enforcement actions and warning letters issued against illegal warranty-voiding stickers | 24+ major manufacturers | U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) |
| Reduction in annual carbon emissions achieved by extending device lifespans by 1 year | 4.0M metric tons CO2e | European Environmental Bureau (EEB) |
Electronic waste metrics connect to our e-waste statistics. Source: U.S. PIRG Education Fund.
2. The iFixit Community: 12 Million Monthly Fixers and Top Repairs
Open-source crowd-sourced repair intelligence has democratized technical hardware diagnostics. iFixit telemetry documents over 12.0 million active monthly fixers accessing a repository of 105,000+ peer-reviewed repair guides.
Battery degradation is the primary catalyst: battery replacements represent 41.0% of all viewed guides, followed by cracked screen repairs at 32.0%, proving that consumer hardware failure is heavily concentrated in consumable components.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Active monthly users accessing repair manuals on iFixit globally | 12.0M+ monthly fixers | iFixit Official Telemetry |
| Open-source step-by-step repair guides published on iFixit | 105,000+ repair guides | iFixit Repair Community Metrics |
| Most commonly repaired device category on iFixit (Smartphones) | 48.0% of repair views | iFixit Annual Repair Insights |
| Most common repair operation attempted across all electronics (Battery replacement) | 41.0% of guides | iFixit Data |
| Second most common repair operation (Screen / display replacement) | 32.0% of guides | iFixit Insights |
PC hardware modularity connects to our pc market statistics. Source: iFixit Community Metrics.
3. The Parts Pairing Barrier: Cryptographic Software Locks
Original equipment manufacturers have increasingly migrated from physical adhesive barriers to cryptographic software restrictions. U.S. PIRG’s ‘Failing the Fix’ audit reveals that 72.0% of flagship phones deploy parts pairing.
Swapping genuine OEM components without proprietary calibration software disables battery health telemetry and biometric sensors. In response, 78.0% of independent shops report tool lockouts, prompting Oregon and California to outlaw parts pairing by statute.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturers deploying parts pairing / cryptographic serialization (bricking unauthenticated parts) | 72.0% of flagship phones/laptops | U.S. PIRG ‘Failing the Fix’ Report |
| OEMs charging independent repair shops up to 3x higher prices for genuine replacement parts | 64.0% | Consumer Reports Auto & Tech Survey |
| Independent repair shops reporting difficulty sourcing diagnostic software tools | 78.0% | Repair.org National Survey |
| States explicitly banning parts pairing software locks in legislation (e.g., Oregon SB 1596) | Oregon, Colorado, California | NCSL Legislative Tracker |
Custom keyboard component swaps sit in our mechanical keyboard statistics. Source: U.S. PIRG ‘Failing the Fix’.
4. OEM Self-Service Programs vs. True Modular Hardware
Regulatory pressure has forced consumer electronics giants to reverse decades of repair hostility. Apple expanded its Self Service Repair program to 40+ models, while Google committed to 7 years of spare parts availability for Pixel devices.
Modular engineering sets the benchmark: Fairphone 5 earned a perfect 10/10 iFixit score by enabling complete screwdriver-only disassembly of cameras, screens, and USB-C ports without adhesive heating plates.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Self Service Repair program coverage (iPhones, MacBooks, Displays) | 40+ device models | Apple Inc. Corporate Disclosures |
| Google Pixel guarantee for spare parts availability and OS updates | 7.0 years of support | Google Official Device Policy |
| Samsung Self-Repair program coverage via official iFixit/Encompass partnerships | 50+ Galaxy models | Samsung Electronics |
| Fairphone modular smartphone repairability score (Fairphone 5) | 10/10 perfect score | iFixit Repairability Scorecard |
Hardware audio interfaces connect to our audio interface statistics. Source: Google Official Device Policy.
5. The Independent Repair Economy: 14,200 Local Small Businesses
Independent repair shops provide vital, cost-effective maintenance infrastructure across local communities. IBISWorld reports that 14,200+ independent electronic repair businesses generate $4.8 billion in revenue and employ 68,000 technicians.
Affordability drives consumer choice: independent shops charge 45.0% to 60.0% less than manufacturer authorized centers for identical screen and charging port repairs according to Consumer Reports benchmarking.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US independent electronic repair shops in operation | 14,200+ local businesses | IBISWorld Cell Phone Repair in the US |
| Annual revenue generated by independent electronics and smartphone repair shops | $4.8B | IBISWorld Industry Report |
| Average cost savings of an independent screen repair vs manufacturer out-of-warranty fee | 45.0% - 60.0% cheaper | U.S. PIRG / Consumer Reports |
| Independent repair technicians employed across the United States | 68,000+ technicians | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) |
Semiconductor upgrade cycles connect to our gpu market statistics. Source: IBISWorld Cell Phone Repair Industry.
6. Agricultural Right to Repair: Tractor Locks and Farm Downtime
In the agricultural sector, software lockouts on combines and tractors threaten food production and rural livelihoods. The National Farmers Union reports that 75.0% of farmers experience proprietary software error lockouts on equipment.
Downtime during critical harvest windows costs farmers $2,000 to $5,000 per day. While voluntary manufacturer MOUs have expanded, 88.0% of farmers demand binding federal statutory protections to guarantee full diagnostic access.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Farmers reporting software repair lockouts on modern agricultural equipment (John Deere) | 75.0% | National Farmers Union / U.S. PIRG |
| Average cost incurred by farmers per day of equipment downtime during peak harvest | $2,000 - $5,000/day | U.S. PIRG ‘Deere in the Headlights’ |
| Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) signed by John Deere granting diagnostic access | Signed with American Farm Bureau | AFBF / John Deere Agreement |
| Farmers advocating for binding federal right to repair legislation over voluntary MOUs | 88.0% | National Farmers Union Survey |
Summary: Right to Repair by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Primary Source |
|---|---|---|
| US consumers supporting Right to Repair | 84.0% | U.S. PIRG / Data for Progress |
| US states with Right to Repair laws | 8 states | NCSL Tracker |
| Annual US household savings from repair | $49.6B ($382/hh) | U.S. PIRG |
| Prematurely discarded devices in US | 150M+ devices | U.S. PIRG / BAN |
| iFixit monthly active fixers | 12.0M+ users | iFixit Telemetry |
| Open repair guides on iFixit | 105,000+ guides | iFixit Community |
| Battery replacement share of repairs | 41.0% | iFixit Data |
| Flagships using parts pairing locks | 72.0% | U.S. PIRG Report |
| Independent shops facing tool lockouts | 78.0% | Repair.org Survey |
| States banning parts pairing software | Oregon, CA, CO | NCSL Tracker |
| Google Pixel spare parts availability | 7.0 years | Google Policy |
| Fairphone repairability score | 10/10 perfect | iFixit Scorecard |
| US independent repair shops count | 14,200+ shops | IBISWorld |
| Independent repair sector revenue | $4.8B | IBISWorld Report |
| Independent repair cost savings | 45% - 60% cheaper | Consumer Reports |
| Farmers facing tractor software locks | 75.0% | National Farmers Union |
| Harvest downtime cost per day | $2,000 - $5,000 | U.S. PIRG |
Methodology and Sources
The statistics in this report were compiled from public interest economic research studies from U.S. PIRG, repair telemetry data from iFixit, federal regulatory reports from the FTC, state legislative registries, and industry census data from IBISWorld.
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U.S. PIRG (Public Interest Research Group): Failing the Fix & Right to Repair Research (consumer savings models, premature electronic disposal, and policy analysis).
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iFixit: Repairability Scorecard & Community Repair Telemetry (manual access metrics, common component failure distributions, and teardowns).
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U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Nixing the Fix: An FTC Report to Congress (anti-competitive manufacturer repair restrictions and Magnuson-Moss enforcement).
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National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): State Right to Repair Legislation Tracker (statutory tracking across consumer electronics, auto, and farm equipment).
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National Farmers Union & AFBF: Deere in the Headlights: Farm Equipment Repair Survey (agricultural software lockouts, downtime costs, and diagnostic MOUs).
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European Environmental Bureau (EEB): Coolproducts: Economic and Climate Benefits of Longer Product Lifespans (carbon emission reductions and EU Directive metrics).
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Data watch: Economic savings models aggregate direct consumer expenditure reductions from avoided device replacements and lower repair service pricing. Parts pairing metrics evaluate component modularity on flagship smartphones released since 2020.
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Last updated: August 2026. This roundup is updated quarterly as state right-to-repair statutes take effect and OEM repair policies evolve.