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Judge ends years-long court battle, clearing the way for Right to Repair law
Judge Denise J. Casper dismissed the lawsuit brought forth by the car manufacturers’ trade group, finally approving a law that was passed by voters over four years ago.
A Massachusetts judge dismissed all counts in a lawsuit against the Right to Repair Act Tuesday, ending the last of a legal challenge brought by automakers against a law voters passed over four years ago.
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The Right to Repair Act, which was introduced on the ballot in 2020 and passed by a wide margin, requires car manufacturers to share information about vehicles’ mechanical health with drivers. Vehicle sensors are able to tell when brake pads are getting worn out or tire pressure is low, and currently, that information, called telematics, gets automatically sent back to the dealer.
The law, which aims to guarantee that every car owner can have their vehicle serviced as the repair facility of their choice, would make manufacturers create a platform through which vehicle owners could access their car’s telematics data for all vehicles beginning with model year 2022. Owners could then share their data with independent repair shops, rather than relying on dealerships.
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Judge Denise J. Casper’s final dismissal of the charges in the federal lawsuit Tuesday — car manufacturers’ attempt to block the law from going into practice — ends a legal battle that’s gone on for years. It’s in time with many 2022 cars coming out of warranty this year.
“Today is a big win for both consumers and local independent repair shops alike,” said Tommy Hickey, executive director of the Right to Repair Coalition, in a statement.
The lawsuit, on which a verdict has been delayed seven times, was filed by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the car companies’ trade association. It raised concerns about cyber security, said there wasn’t time to comply with the new access requirements, and alleged the initiative is preempted by federal law.
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“This lawsuit was intended solely as another delay tactic and the Attorney General demonstrably proved, and the Court correctly found, that the Massachusetts Right to Repair Law clearly does not conflict with any federal law including the Motor Vehicle Safety Act or the Clean Air Act, and it should be enforced immediately,” said Edward Colbert, who provides counsel for the Massachusetts Right to Repair Ballot Committee.
The law, Hickey said, will make people the “gatekeepers” of their car’s data and repair information.
“They will no longer be at the mercy of car manufacturers, who time and time again have chosen profits over consumer choice,” he said.
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