Right-To-Repair Is Already Rewriting What American Owners Can Fix

In some ways, it’s never been more exciting to be a gearhead. We have more than a century of automotive history to look back on, and we can hop online and browse the forums and subreddits anytime we run into a maintenance issue we haven’t encountered before.

On the other hand, new cars have never been less DIY-friendly, thanks in large part to telematics-gated diagnostics. This is what right-to-repair legislation aims to correct.

New Diagnostics Tech Locks Us Out Of Fixing Our Own Cars

To start with, let’s define telematics-gated diagnostics. It basically means that, instead of using OBDII scanners to diagnose mechanical problems, diagnostics are now hidden away in an over-the-air system, which can be locked down by the automaker. This means that if, for instance, Toyota decides it doesn’t want you, or your preferred independent mechanic, tinkering around with your new Land Cruiser, the automaker can simply block you out.

Stellantis uses a Security Gateway Module which is said to be for cybersecurity, but which restricts aftermarket diagnostics tools from accessing vital ECU data.

Volkswagen calls their security gateway “Component Protection.” This system restricts access to any and all diagnostic functions, unless you’re using tools registered and authenticated through Stellantis. Just clearing a fault code, something that should only take a few seconds, can mean waiting for someone with VW credentials to take care of it.

A Tiguan owner in the r/Volkswagen subreddit reported installing a salvaged radio system, only to be unable to operate it without paying a VW dealer to run the “Function Enabling System” to clear it.

Why Is Everything A Subscription These Days?

Credit: Honda

It’s not hard to imagine the effect this has on consumer rights. Automakers can effectively hold your car hostage. You already paid around $50,000 for the purchase, and you’re paying for maintenance, fuel, insurance, and interest on the car loan. And now the dealer tells you that you can’t even clear an engine code without paying for a proprietary subscription.

In fact, that’s exactly what brands like General Motors and Honda have done, holding diagnostics information behind a paywall via subscription-based platforms. It doesn’t take a consumer rights lawyer to see how this goes against the spirit of personal car ownership.

Massachusetts And Maine Were Ahead Of The Curve On Right-To-Repair

Credit: Nissan

Consumer advocacy groups, lawmakers, and concerned citizens have campaigned for legislation to help combat the effects of telematics-based diagnostics. The first right-to-repair law was passed in 2012 in Massachusetts, requiring manufacturers to sell owners and repair shops the same diagnostic and repair information made available to dealers.

In Maine, Title 29-A, passed in 2023 and took effect in early 2025. It ensures access to diagnostic systems by owners and independent repair facilities, without the need for approval by the automaker, and automakers must “make available for purchase” any specialized diagnostics tools and software. Cars produced after 2018 require an “on-board diagnostic and repair information system, integrated and entirely self-contained within the vehicle”.

Some States Are Following Suit, Others Aren’t

To go over some battles in the fight for right-to-repair.

• California passed a right-to-repair law in 2021, requiring manufacturers to provide consumers and repair shops tools, parts, documentation and software on “all devices that cost $50 or more”. Exceptions are made where safety is an immediate concern, and for out-of-production devices.
• Colorado has a right-to-repair law that covers electronic devices, but not motor vehicles.
• Minnesotans, likewise, have the right to repair things like smartphones and toasters, but not necessarily cars.
• Oregon passed a right-to-repair law in 2024, Unfortunately, it does not cover automobiles. However, Oregon does have a law in place preventing insurers from restricting your choice of repair shop.
• Wisconsin has not yet passed a comprehensive right-to-repair law. SB129 aimed to bar manufacturers from “employing certain barriers that impair the ability” of owners and independent shops from fixing cars, but the bill was shot down in early 2026.

If you’re hoping that a few states like Maine and Massachusetts can make a difference in the same way that, for example, California’s emissions regulations have affected the entire industry, keep hoping. CARB-compliance means changing your products at a mechanical level, while allowing right-to-repair only in the states where it’s mandated could be as simple as swapping a one and a zero somewhere in the software code.

Read the full article on CarBuzz

This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.