The NHTSA says that Massachusetts’ Right to Repair Initiative for 2020 is a significant safety risk for customers and that the auto business should not care about it. The law in the Commonwealth passed unanimously, saying that automakers have to give third-party repair shops information only known to dealers and the automakers themselves. According to a letter from the federal government to automakers that Reuters got a hold of, bad actors could “use such open access to remotely control vehicles to do dangerous things, like attack multiple vehicles at the same time.” The auto business had already said bad things about the Massachusetts law. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing many car companies, has asked a federal judge to stop the law from being enacted. Since federal laws replace state laws, NHTSA has the last word on implementing them. The letter was sent to some companies, including General Motors, Tesla, Rivian, and Stellantis. More and more places are letting people fix cars, trucks, and other machines. Car companies say that certain information should only be given to them and their agents. However, customers in several states say this provides car companies with a monopoly on parts and services. This is especially clear in the case of Tesla, which is said to have told a customer that a fix would cost $16,000 but only $700 in the end. John Deere has given in and lets farmers and small businesses that fix their machines get around some software problems. Historically, hacking was needed to repair farm equipment, so “necessary” is the right word. According to the Public Interest Research Group, there is only one John Deere dealer for every 12,000 farms in the United States. If other states, like Maine, try to pass right-to-repair laws, the federal government may tell them the same thing. It’s a significant loss for the group, whose primary goal is to protect customers. It’s unfortunate when you think about the supposed problems with the NHTSA as an organization.
