Cars with the function removed from the beginning are sold to avoid the 'right to repair'

The 2022 model Subaru and Kia cars sold in Massachusetts, USA, are no longer equipped with music playback functions, navigation functions, roadside assistance functions, collision avoidance sensors, etc. The reason why Subaru and Kia took such special measures is the 'right to repair' that spreads throughout the United States.

Litigation Over Massachusetts'“Right to Repair” Law Continues | Data Privacy + Cybersecurity Insider
https://www.dataprivacyandsecurityinsider.com/2022/02/litigation-over-massachusetts-right-to-repair-law-continues/

Subaru buyers caught up in right-to-repair fight over autos | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-lifestyle-massachusetts-fecfbffa9ec4cbc4ff87e5c69592377a

'There was no advice from the dealer,' said Joy Tewkesbury-Pabst, who bought the new Subaru Ascent. The 2019 model previously owned by Tuxbury-Pabst was equipped with remote start and remote lock functions, and it was also possible to check the remaining amount of washer fluid, tire pressure, and mileage from the smartphone application. .. However, the newly purchased 2022 model does not have the function associated with ' telematics ' that enables users to connect to the Internet via a communication system and use various related services.

The reason Subaru and Kia started selling such special vehicles is related to the expanding 'right to repair' in the United States. The right to repair is the right required to break through the current situation where the manufacturer monopolizes the repair, and obliges the manufacturer to disclose repair information and sell repair parts.

Right to repair-iFixit
https://jp.ifixit.com/Right-to-Repair/Intro

In the state of Massachusetts, which is the stage of this time, a law was enacted in 2013 that obliges manufacturers to make electronic parts accessible to anyone, but each automobile manufacturer has begun to provide 'vehicle data to manufacturers'. In 2020, a revised bill was submitted stating that 'access rights to data in telematics systems should be extended to consumers and general repair companies' in response to connected car technology that has functions such as 'transmit wirelessly.' It was passed with the support of an overwhelming 75% of voters.

The automobile industry strongly opposed this revision of the law. Ford, GM, Toyota, Subaru, Kia, and other industry groups and the Automotive Innovation Association said, 'It is dangerous from a cybersecurity point of view to expand access to data in telematics systems.' Allowing repairers to access telematics systems would force them to disable certain safety features in terms of intellectual property rights, which could result in violations of federal safety standards. There is a lawsuit. '

Behind the promotion of the right to repair in the United States is the problem of 'manufacturer's monopoly on repairs'. If the manufacturer monopolizes the parts and repair methods required for repair, as represented by smartphones, it is possible to raise the repair fee unreasonably. President Biden , who instructed the Federal Trade Commission to formulate rules for the right to repair in July 2021, said in January 2022, 'Denying the right to repair raises market prices and independent repair shops It will take away the opportunity to survive in business competition, 'he reiterates the significance of the right to repair.

President Biden has stated his support for the 'right to repair'. iFixit News
https://jp.ifixit.com/News/56850/ President Biden has stated his support for the right to repair

However, as mentioned above, the automobile industry recognizes that it is unacceptable to disclose the data of telematics systems widely. Subaru and Kia have taken the painstaking measure of 'removing telematics system-related functions from the vehicle' as a solution that does not contradict the demands of both parties.

Car dealers are in a difficult situation regarding the response between Subaru and Kia. The New England region , to which Massachusetts belongs, is known as a particularly snowy area in the United States, and Subaru, which is strong against snowy roads, was a widely loved manufacturer in the state, but due to the disappearance of telematics system related functions, dealers It is said that many complaints have arrived. And the ones who suffered more than anyone else were consumers who weren't notified about these circumstances when they bought a new car. It's like a child who takes home without permission. '