Consumer Goods

New rules to help repair your broken devices

Publié le 10 août 2026 - Mise à jour le 10 septembre 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

Manufacturers will soon be obliged to repair your damaged products at a reasonable price and quickly, when possible, including out of warranty. This includes smartphones, vacuum cleaners and refrigerators. Public Service introduces you to the new rules soon in force.

Illustration
Image 1Crédits: Grustock - stock.adobe.com

The european directive « to promote the repair of property » has been applicable at European level since 31 July. As works for the transposition of the Directive at national level are ongoing, they are not yet fully applicable in France.

The purpose of this text is to extend the life of consumer products. The following rules will apply from the transposition of the Directive into French law:

Sif you choose to have a consumer good repaired, whoever it is, rather than replacing it, during the 2 years of its legal guarantee of conformity, you will benefit from a one-year extension of this warranty (compared to 6 months currently).

Reminder

If a seller requires you to replace an item rather than repair it, the legal warranty is renewed for 2 years from the date of replacement.

The new repair rules applicable after the expiry of the legal guarantee of conformity

After the expiry of the legal guarantee of conformity, a right to repair will be established for certain categories of « technically repairable products ». A list of these products is established at European level and will be updated annually. Currently, this list includes about ten consumer goods, among which:

  • vacuum cleaners;
  • smartphones;
  • digital tablets;
  • televisions;
  • refrigerators;
  • washing machines;
  • the dishwashers.

In the event of a breakdown or damage affecting a product of these categories, the manufacturer will have to offer you a repair; and on your side, you can therefore demand it from him. This repair obligation will apply for 5 to 10 years after your purchase, depending on the product and spare part concerned.

This out-of-warranty repair will not necessarily be free, but it will anyway be carried out at « a reasonable price » and the time frame for repair must also be appropriate.

Manufacturers will need to ensure that you have easy access to the contact information of their repair services; for example, they may indicate this information on their website or in the product's instructions for use. In addition, they will have to inform you, on an open access website, of the indicative amounts of the most common repairs.

Warning  

A manufacturer may refuse a repair if it is « impossible ». The European Commission reports in a « frequently asked questions » (document currently available in English only) that this concept of ‘impossible repair’ is not defined in the Directive. However, it is clarified that a manufacturer cannot invoke this concept for purely economic reasons, such as the cost of spare parts. Nor may he refuse a repair solely on the ground that a previous repair has been carried out by a third party (another repairman, the consumer himself, etc.).

The European Commission states that in the event of a dispute, it is for the competent authorities and courts of the Member States to determine whether the remedy in question is impossible.

Manufacturers in all EU countries have the obligation to make repairs; sellers may be required to do so in exceptional situations (e.g. for products from manufacturers outside the EU for which there is no EU authorized representative or importer).

Please note

In 2027, a digital platform will be set up in each European country to find a suitable repairman, a seller of refurbished products, and even participatory repair initiatives.

In France, you can already use the ‘Save our resources’ platform, from the Agency for Ecological Transition (Ademe), to find a repairman; this platform also provides you with "repair tutorials" to get your devices back to working when possible.

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