Subaru buyers caught in right-to-repair fight over its cars whec.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from whec.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Some car manufacturers have shut off certain features in states where "right to repair" laws have passed, locking customers out of many modern features.
Driving a rugged Subaru through snowy weather is a rite of passage for some New Englanders, whose region is a top market for the Japanese automaker. So it was a surprise when Massachusetts dealerships started selling Subaru's line of 2022 vehicles without a key ingredient: in-car wireless technology that connects drivers to music, navigation, roadside assistance and crash-avoiding sensors. Subaru and Kia disabled their “telematics” systems rather than run afoul of a voter-backed law to give independent mechanics more access to a car's repair data. It mirrors a broader battle over who has the “right to repair” increasingly complex electronic products from iPhones to tractors.
it was a surprise to Subaru fans when Massachusetts dealerships started selling its line of 2022 vehicles without a key ingredient: the in-car wireless technology that connects drivers to music, navigation, roadside assistance and crash-avoiding sensors.