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A Fight Over the Right to Repair Cars Turns Ugly


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#1 Bob Riebe

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Posted 10 February 2022 - 23:01

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Subaru disabled the telematics system and associated features on new cars registered in Massachusetts last year as part of a spat over a right-to-repair ballot measure approved, overwhelmingly, by the state’s voters in 2020. The measure, which has been held up in the courts, required automakers to give car owners and independent mechanics more access to data about the car’s internal systems.

But the “open data platform” envisioned by the law doesn’t exist yet, and automakers have filed suit to prevent the initiative from taking effect. So first Subaru and then Kia turned off their telematics systems on their newest cars in Massachusetts, irking drivers like the Ferrellis. “This was not to comply with the law—compliance with the law at this time is impossible—but rather to avoid violating it,” Dominick Infante, a spokesperson for Subaru, wrote in a statement. Kia did not respond to a request for comment.

The dispute is the latest chapter in long-running disagreements between the state and automakers over the right to repair, or consumers’ ability to fix their own cars or control who does it for them. In 2012, Massachusetts voters passed a similar ballot measure that, for the first time, required automakers to use nonproprietary onboard diagnostics ports on every vehicle.

 

https://www.wired.com/story/fight-right-repair-cars-turns-ugly/?utm_source=pocket-newtab

 

These new auto every thing vehicles make life SOOO much cheaper and easier for every one  :love:  - can not wait -  :love:   for the electromobile sanfus to start.


Edited by Bob Riebe, 11 February 2022 - 17:34.


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#2 Zoe

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Posted 11 February 2022 - 15:09

More than 20 years ago now I briefly owned a Subaru station. While the 4WD was great, the rest of it less so. And it was the only car where I could not get hold of any documentation at all. Back at the time I already owned a (paper) edition of the complete factory work shop manual for my Celica Supra (with the instrucition on how to read the error codes which helped me debug it and save a lot of money), but for the Subaru - none nada niente.



#3 Greg Locock

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Posted 11 February 2022 - 21:36

This is one where the free market rules. Companies that don't switch off nice to have but inessential features will sell incrementally more cars than Subaru and Kia. Eventually Subaru and Kia dealers will complain to H/O because their sales are dropping, and things will happen. Or other manufacturers will follow suit, and people will get fed up with cars-as-a-service, and buy old ones without the big TVs in them.



#4 mariner

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Posted 12 February 2022 - 14:45

In the EU , which the UK has of course now left a" block emption" was agreed long ago that required OEMs to supply parts for ten years after end of production and honour all warranty stuff as long as ANY repairer  used the OEM parts only.

 

That is coming to the  end of the original agreement and the same issue of access to data and software is being argued out in the EU. 

 

The UK is following the arguments and wil, I suspect, duplicate any EU decision so as to not drive up UK costs.

 

Unlike teh USA state by State approach one deal wil cover alt eh EU nations once it is agreed - much easier for the OEM's



#5 desmo

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Posted 13 February 2022 - 15:46

The obvious answer is to pass Federal RTR legislation, or to get a huge state like California to pass it at which point it'll be more expensive for the manufacturers to operate two systems in parallel than to continue their maintenance and repair scams for a smaller victim pool.



#6 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 16 February 2022 - 23:13

This While far from new modern cars are too high tech and expensive to repair.

So much gee whiz electronics that is near impossible to repair.

Personally things like remote start etc should be banned.

Here in Oz manufacturers are supposed to share info, but far too often do not. Then ofcourse spare parts is another drama. Must use genuine parts??  Too many genuine parts are not the original but exactly the same parts as bought from better parts stores for half the money

OR [and more so currently] they simply do not have them.

My brother works in the motorcycle industry and has a $million  worth of bikes sitting awaiting parts. And they have to be pushed out then back in every day.