The Massachusetts right to repair law gives you the right to have any qualified independent shop fix your car using the same diagnostic data, software, and tools the manufacturer provides to its franchised dealerships. For model year 2022 and newer vehicles with wireless telematics systems, it also gives you direct access to your car’s mechanical data through a mobile app, and lets you authorize any shop you choose to see that data too. If a manufacturer blocks that access, you can sue and recover the greater of treble damages or $10,000 per violation.
What the Law Actually Covers
The rules live in Chapter 93K of the Massachusetts General Laws. Voters first put the framework in place in 2012, then expanded it in 2020 with Question 1, which passed with roughly 75 percent of the vote.
Two things come out of the statute that matter to you as an owner. First, every manufacturer selling new vehicles in the state has to make its diagnostic and repair information available to independent shops on the same terms it offers dealers. That covers wiring diagrams, technical service bulletins, software updates, and the specialized diagnostic tools a dealer technician uses. Shops can buy that access by the hour, day, month, or year, which keeps the door open to smaller garages that only occasionally see your make of car.1General Court of Massachusetts. Acts of 2012 Chapter 368
Second, the 2020 update targeted telematics. A telematics system, as the statute defines it, collects data generated by your vehicle’s operation and transmits it wirelessly to a remote server.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93K Section 1 (2025) That stream carries engine performance, brake health, sensor alerts, and more. Before 2020, manufacturers could route that data exclusively to their own dealer networks. Now, starting with model year 2022, any telematics-equipped vehicle sold in Massachusetts has to use an interoperable, standardized, open-access platform. You reach your data through a mobile app, and you decide which shops can see it.3Mass.gov. Motor Vehicle Telematics System Notice Requirement The manufacturer cannot approve or deny each request individually.
Which Vehicles Qualify
The law covers vehicles originally manufactured for U.S. distribution and designed primarily for public roads. In day-to-day terms, that means the passenger cars and light trucks most people drive. Heavy-duty vehicles over 14,000 pounds get partial coverage under the general repair information rules, but custom-built commercial heavy-duty vehicles are exempt from the telematics platform requirement.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93K Section 1 (2025)
Several categories are excluded entirely:
- Motorcycles
- Recreational vehicles and auto homes equipped for habitation
- Ambulances
- Buses, motor coaches, and trackless trolleys designed for hired or school transportation
- Highway maintenance vehicles and vehicles designed primarily for off-road use
- Rail vehicles
If your vehicle falls into one of those groups, Chapter 93K does not give you these rights.
What You Can Do With These Rights
You get to choose who works on your car. A manufacturer cannot withhold a software update, a service bulletin, or a diagnostic tool from your mechanic because the shop is not part of the brand’s franchise network. If your preferred independent garage has the technical capability, the law entitles them to the same information the dealer down the road uses.
For a model year 2022 or newer vehicle with telematics, you can also pull up your own vehicle’s mechanical data on a mobile app, and you can designate any independent repair facility or dealer to access that same data for diagnostics, maintenance, and repair.3Mass.gov. Motor Vehicle Telematics System Notice Requirement The permitted uses are limited by statute to diagnostics, maintenance, and repair. It is not a license for a shop to collect data about where you drive or how fast.
What “Fair and Reasonable” Pricing Means
The statute does not let a manufacturer satisfy the law by technically offering tools but pricing them out of reach. The price your shop pays cannot exceed what dealers pay after discounts and rebates, and it has to reflect actual distribution costs rather than inflated research and development charges.1General Court of Massachusetts. Acts of 2012 Chapter 368 When a court evaluates whether the pricing is fair and reasonable, it can look at what dealers actually pay net of rebates, what competing manufacturers charge for comparable information, what the tools cost before manufacturers shifted to web-based systems, and whether independent technicians can realistically afford the access. Inflation is also on the list of factors.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93K Section 1 (2025)
How to Enforce Your Rights
You do not have to wait for the Attorney General. Chapter 93K lets individual vehicle owners and independent repair facilities bring their own lawsuits, including under the Massachusetts Unfair Trade Practices Act (Chapter 93A).4General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93K Section 6
Each denial of access can produce treble damages or $10,000, whichever is greater. That is a per-violation figure, so a pattern of denials builds up quickly. For most Chapter 93K claims, you have to notify the manufacturer first and give them a chance to resolve the issue. If they ignore the notice or the response does not fix the problem, you can file in state superior court or federal district court.4General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93K Section 6 For a telematics data denial specifically, you can skip the notice step and go straight to court.
Where Things Stand Right Now
The telematics rules took effect, but the fight over them is not finished. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing major automakers, sued in federal court in November 2020 arguing that federal vehicle safety law preempts the Massachusetts requirements.5CourtListener. Alliance for Automotive Innovation v. Andrea Joy Campbell After years of litigation, the district court dismissed the automakers’ remaining claims in February 2025. The Alliance appealed to the First Circuit in March 2025, and the appeal is still pending.6CourtListener. Alliance for Automotive Innovation v. Andrea Joy Campbell – Docket Page 3
The law stands as written while that appeal plays out, but the on-the-ground reality has been uneven. Some automakers reportedly disabled telematics features in Massachusetts vehicles rather than open their data platforms, which means some owners of qualifying vehicles may not actually have the wireless access the statute promises. If that has happened to you, the enforcement mechanism above is how the law expects the problem to get fixed.
A Federal Bill That Could Change Things
Congress is considering the REPAIR Act (H.R. 1566), which would create a federal right to repair covering both wired diagnostic access and wireless telematics data.7Congress.gov. Text – H.R.1566 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) REPAIR Act The bill contains a preemption clause that would override state laws covering the same ground, so if it becomes law it could supersede parts of Chapter 93K. It has not been enacted as of early 2026, and Massachusetts law continues to govern until that changes.