Brian Hohmann, mechanic and owner of Accurate Automotive, in Burlington, Mass., attaches a diagnostics scan tool, center left, to a vehicle and a laptop computer, below, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, in Burlington. The diagnostics scan tool sends information from the vehicle’s computer to the laptop so a mechanic can view information about the vehicle’s performance. Hohmann said most independent shops are perfectly capable of competing with dealerships on both repair skills and price as long as they have the information and software access they need.
Brian Hohmann, mechanic and owner of Accurate Automotive, in Burlington, Mass., uses a tire changing machine at his shop, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, in Burlington. Hohmann said most independent shops are perfectly capable of competing with dealerships on both repair skills and price as long as they have the information and software access they need.
Brian Hohmann, mechanic and owner of Accurate Automotive, in Burlington, Mass., completes work on a vehicle, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, at his shop, in Burlington. Hohmann said most independent shops are perfectly capable of competing with dealerships on both repair skills and price as long as they have the information and software access they need.
Brian Hohmann, mechanic and owner of Accurate Automotive, in Burlington, Mass., points to a readout on a laptop computer that shows ignition patterns in the engine of a vehicle, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, in Burlington. The readout was made possible by a diagnostics scan tool, not shown, attached to the vehicle that sends information about the cars performance to the laptop. Hohmann said most independent shops are perfectly capable of competing with dealerships on both repair skills and price as long as they have the information and software access they need.
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 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.
“The dealer didn’t bring it up,” said Joy Tewksbury-Pabst, who bought a new Subaru Ascent without realizing she’d be missing out on the remote start and locking features she had before trading in her 2019 model. She also lost the ability to check wiper fluid levels, tire pressure and mileage from her phone.
What’s happening in Massachusetts mirrors a broader battle over who has the “right to repair” increasingly complex electronic products — from iPhones and farm tractors to the family car.
About 75% of Massachusetts voters sided with the auto repair industry in 2020 by passing a ballot initiative that’s supposed to allow car owners and their preferred auto shops to more easily peek into a car’s trove of online data. Automakers have been fighting it in court ever since.
And two of them, Subaru and Kia, said that rather than run afoul of the new law, they would disable their wireless “telematics” systems from new models in the state. Car buyers and dealerships have been feeling the effects.
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