Massachusetts Enforcing Right to Repair

June 14, 2023

by Seth Maiman
AGSC Director of Public Affairs

On June 1, 2023, Massachusetts began enforcing its Right to Repair law after a lengthy delay of the 2020 Act, which passed with overwhelming support via voter referendum, due to federal litigation brought by an automaker-backed group.

The State decided to begin enforcement even though there is still no ruling in the litigation. However, the federal judge hearing the case recently blocked an effort by the plaintiffs to prevent the state from finally enforcing the law.

The 2020 Act required 2022 model year cars and later that are sold in Massachusetts and utilize a telematics system to have an inter-operable, standardized, and open access platform that will inform car buyers, and their chosen repair shop, through a mobile application, of the data collected by the vehicle.

Right to Repair proponents sought to ensure that independent auto shops have access to a vehicle’s telematics system and close what they saw as a legal loophole in a 2012 state law, also passed by voter initiative, brought about by changing technology. The Auto Glass Safety Council was part of the large coalition supporting the initiative for fear that consumer safety could be jeopardized if auto glass service shops did not have access to a vehicle’s essential telematics information prevalent in late model vehicles.

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