Right to Repair: Greater protection through repairs

The new ‘right to repair’ has been in force in Austria since 1 October 2026. The implementation of the EU Directive not only introduces new repair obligations for manufacturers of certain products, but also brings about significant changes to the Consumer Guarantees Act (Verbrauchergewährleistungsgesetz, “VGG”). As a result, consumers benefit from longer guarantee periods if they opt for a repair rather than a replacement.

An extra year’s warranty for the entire product

The most important change is that if a product is repaired within the 2-years statutory warranty period, the warranty period is extended once by a further year. This extension applies to the entire product and therefore also to other defects that are unrelated to the specific repair.

A two-year warranty period can therefore be extended to a total of up to three years.

The warranty period for the repaired defect even starts afresh for two years

The law goes even further with regard to the specific defect that has been repaired: for the repaired part or the rectified defect, the two-year warranty period starts anew.

This means that, in future, there will be two periods:

• + 1 year’s warranty for the entire product
• 2 new years’ warranty for the repaired fault or component

Example: If a smartphone’s battery is repaired shortly before the warranty period expires, the smartphone is covered by a total of three years’ warranty. For the repaired battery, a fresh two-year warranty period even begins from the date of repair.

The limitation period must still be observed

Warranty claims can still be brought before the courts within three months of the expiry of the relevant warranty period. If a defect is acknowledged and repaired, these time limits start anew for the repaired defect. However, this does not automatically apply to other, unrepaired defects.

Obligation to repair certain products

In addition to warranty law, manufacturers of certain product groups will in future also be required to offer repairs outside the warranty period, provided these are technically feasible. This applies, amongst other things, to washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, televisions, monitors, mobile phones, tablets and vacuum cleaners.

Conclusion

The new legal situation makes repairs significantly more attractive. Anyone who opts for a repair not only receives an extended warranty for the entire product, but also a complete restart of the warranty period for the repaired defect. Retailers, manufacturers and warranty providers should therefore adapt their service and warranty processes swiftly to the new requirements of the VGG.