A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, affirming the Massachusetts Data Access Law and dealing a blow to automakers' efforts to limit third-party access to vehicle repair data.
Judge Denise Casper ruled against the automakers’ lawsuit, effectively upholding the Massachusetts Right to Repair law, which was approved by voters in 2020. The law requires automakers to provide vehicle owners and independent repair shops with access to telematics data, allowing consumers greater freedom in choosing where and how their vehicles are serviced. The judge’s written decision remains under seal but is expected to be made public soon.
Industry groups that advocated for the enforcement of the Massachusetts law applauded Casper’s ruling, which they said is a major step toward national transparency and fair competition in vehicle maintenance.
“Today’s ruling is a significant victory for the people of Massachusetts -- and all Americans,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association. “This decision by Judge Casper ensures that car owners have the right to access their vehicle's repair and diagnostic data, empowering them to make informed choices about maintenance and repairs. It levels the playing field, allowing independent repair shops to compete fairly, which in turn drives down costs for consumers.”
“This is a great win for consumers' right to repair their vehicles,” said Justin Rzepka, executive director of the CAR Coalition. “Automakers spent untold millions in Massachusetts trying to fight what the people there and elsewhere have clearly said: They want the right to repair their vehicles how and where they want, not be forced to automaker-affiliated dealerships, which limit choice and cost more than independent repair shops. The next step is to make consumer repair rights universal by enacting a national vehicle right to repair law.”
The decision reinforces consumer rights in the evolving automotive repair industry, where telematics and digital data have become critical to diagnosing and servicing modern vehicles. Proponents argue that restricting access to this data would create a monopoly for automakers and authorized dealerships, limiting repair options and potentially increasing costs for consumers.
On Jan. 31, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation filed a similar lawsuit in Maine, seeking to prevent key parts of its right to repair law from being enforced. The complaint said compliance with the law – which was approved by voters in 2023 and went into effect Jan. 5 -- is “impossible,” as the law is apparently “unconstitutionally vague,” violates due process, and harms vehicle manufacturers.
