The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told carmakers that Massachusetts’ right to repair law “conflicts with and therefore is preempted” by federal car safety legislation.
The announcement on June 14 may effectively end the state’s controversial automotive law that required car manufacturers to give drivers access to telematic vehicle data.
The Massachusetts Data Access Law has been facing legal challenges since voters approved it via referendum in 2020. Supporters of the law said it would greatly enhance access to vehicle information and give consumers more choices when they need repairs.
Massachusetts Attempts to Provide Sensitive Vehicle Info to Improve Efficiency
The legislation required that carmakers selling vehicles in Massachusetts give consumers and independent repair shops wireless access to a car’s telematics, which is the digital information used to diagnose its performance….