Posted on 11/08/2023 4:30:08 PM PST by FarCenter
Voters in Maine overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure Tuesday that enshrines the right to repair cars, a major win for consumers and a blow to auto manufacturers who have spent millions lobbying against similar legislation and fighting against it in the courts.
“Question 4,” which enshrines consumers’ data access to car diagnostics for the purposes of repair, passed by a margin of 84.3-15.7 in Tuesday’s election with 94 percent of the votes tallied. The yes/no question was simple: “Do you want to require vehicle manufacturers to standardize on-board diagnostic systems and provide remote access to those systems and mechanical data to owners and independent repair facilities?”
Maine’s vote shows yet again that right to repair in all of its forms is overwhelmingly popular with consumers, and that they are not swayed by fear mongering campaigns from manufacturers. A similar measure in 2020 passed in Massachusetts with 75 percent support from voters.
In Massachusetts, car manufacturers spent tens of millions of dollars on ads that said the law would be used by stalkers and hackers if it was passed. Auto manufacturers have been engaged in a three-year lawsuit there to prevent the law from going into effect. Proponents of the law say it is necessary because car manufacturers are moving toward systems where car diagnostics can only be read wirelessly by people who are authorized by the manufacturer to do so; on cars up to now, such data has been accessible through a wired port underneath the car’s steering wheel.
“Maine residents have won the right to control their destiny when it comes to car repairs,” Tommy Hickey, director of the Maine Automotive Right to Repair Coalition, told 404 Media.
(Excerpt) Read more at 404media.co ...
The necessity for “right to repair” is insane.
Sorry, your subscription to life has expired
John Deere ain’t gonna like this.
Does Tennessee have “right to repair” already?
Or do the repair shops have to pay the auto company to be able to read the chips?
Agreed.....When you purchase the car/truck/whatever vehicle you buy the software and OWN it ...that’s what a “purchase” means. If you lease or rent I can understand it....otherwise no. But see what lobbying did ? Have to have a state wide vote so a vehicle owner can get a stupid f ____G code.
John Deere gave in on that fight earlier....and about time.
That was going to be my question - does it include tractors and semi-trucks?
That was going to be my question - does it include tractors and semi-trucks?
Another example of the infantilization of US voters. How this sounds good! We sticking it to the evil big business
No you infantile morons. You just added $10,000 per vehicle or more to cars sold in your clownville
Tesla ain’t gonna like it, either. They control everything. They don’t have dealers. They control the supply of repair/replacement parts. There are few aftermarket suppliers and most of them are for interior design. Their cars are heavily dependent on technology.
They are starting to buy up dealership lots and converting them into repair shops for Teslas. Prior to this they would either send a tech to your home, or tow your car to them. Still, not much to “repair” on a Tesla except damage. If something goes wrong with the battery pack it’s a massive and expensive job.
I wouldn't bet on that. At least not now. There is currently a race to the bottom on car pricing. Maybe on some higher end models, but regular people cars and EVs are in an escalating price war.
It's strange because 2 years ago with Covid supply chain issues you couldn't get a new car. Now, it's a buyers market for many.
One of many stupid moves. Shouldn't be wireless at all. Just there for government intrusion. The hacker problem mostly goes away when you get rid of the wireless crap.
I never thought I'd miss rotary phones.
Thanks for posting. My son is in the car repair business so I sent this to him. He’s quite interested in it. A similar law is winding its way through Congress now, too. It’s called (naturally) the “REPAIR Act.” Groan.
My farmer friends complain about the sensors on their JD equipment. If one of the implement sensors go out nothing works.
The JD mechanic at the dealership (and the farmers) are livid that they have no spare parts at the dealership and it takes weeks to get them
I hear it constantly at breakfast, and see their tractors sitting in the fields for days. You would think they would stock parts that are constantly going out.
Everything in every sector of life is tilted toward control. Do what we want or you are screwed—the “we” being the Feds or private sector entities. The mark of the beast is being rolled out slowly.....
How does having user access to repair add $10K to vehicle cost ?
This is just another OEM ripoff to rape their customers, or help the dealer repeatedly rape the customers.
Another example: BMW OEM procedure for replacing a windscreen is that the vehicle be clamped to a frame rack or frame table.
That is just a nonsense to force you to go to a BMW authorized body shop to get a windscreen replaced.
(note that the car is not clamped to a frame table in the factory when the screen is installed in the first place !)
LOL!
You don’t work on cars, nor have any clue how this stuff works, do you?
Not just gouged.
My bet is your local garage wouldn’t be as willing to install the latest spyware in your buggy as the compliant dealer is.
“a ballot measure Tuesday that enshrines the right to repair cars”
John Deere is gonna claim that they don’t make cars.
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