Ford Backed Group Loses ‘Right To Repair’ Challenge

It’s been years since voters in Massachusetts approved a right to repair law revision requiring that cars sold in the state come equipped with a standardized open access data platform that would allow mechanics and independent repair shops to access that data for diagnostics and repairs with only owner permission, as opposed to the manufacturer permission that was previously required. Ever since then, the Ford-backed lobby group Alliance for Automotive Innovation has been fighting that particular revision, but now, it has officially lost the battle.

According to Reuters, U.S. District Judge Denise Casper has rejected AAI’s challenge to this particular voter-approved measure, revising the existing right to repair law by expanding access to electronic and mechanical data for independent repair shops. AAI is exploring ways it might be able to appeal this ruling, however, stating that “today’s decision will introduce potential security risks to our customers and their vehicles” – a common concern among automakers worried that the decision will provide hackers with easier access to newer, connected vehicles.

AAI has also argued that automakers restrict access to much of this tech to authorized dealers in an effort to better ensure that privacy and safety is retained for owners, and stated that this measure will only force automakers to downgrade their cybersecurity measures moving forward. AAI argues that the measure is unconstitutional as well, given the fact that federal laws already govern these functions, along with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Clean Air Act.

Just a few weeks ago, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators called out the automotive industry for its opposition to right-to-repair laws, and criticized it for collecting consumer data and selling it to third parties such as insurance companies. “Right-to-repair laws support consumer choice and prevent automakers from using restrictive repair laws to their financial advantage,” the letter stated. “It is clear that the motivation behind automotive companies’ avoidance of complying with right-to-repair laws is not due to a concern for consumer security or privacy, but instead a hypocritical, profit-driven reaction.”