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A comment on Subaru, Kia shut off some car features rather than adhere to 'right to repair'.

Re:Subaru, Kia shut off some car features rather than adhere... by jrockway on Wednesday February 23, 2022 @04:07PM (#30446451)
This all sounds fine to me. The car with no "smart" functionality sounds better than one with it! No way to nag you with subscriptions or a mobile app that sends you loud ads at 3AM. And, the market will solve this problem. Ford will figure out how to sell whizbang bluefi features, and then Subaru will lose sales until they do the same.

I think Subaru must be hoping that they can get people in Massachusetts to say "ok, fine, we don't want the right to repair if it means we can't check fluid levels from our phone" and lobby for the repeal of the law, but I think Subaru is going to lose that standoff.

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Re:Subaru, Kia shut off some car features rather than adhere... by redtexture on Wednesday February 23, 2022 @04:12PM (#30446517)
Repeal not likely. Citizens of that state fought for this law for a decade
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Re:Subaru, Kia shut off some car features rather than adhere... by kop316 on Wednesday February 23, 2022 @07:10PM (#30448568)
Heh, I was just thinking the same thing. A car with all of that "functionality" off? That sounds pretty good to me!
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Re:Subaru, Kia shut off some car features rather than adhere... by crimthrw2022 on Wednesday February 23, 2022 @04:14PM (#30446539)
The situation is murky.

Note that AFAIK, none of the other manufacturers are/can be 'compliant' either.

Honda, Toyota and the big 3 can fight a protracted legal battle with a state government (see, California EVs in the 90s). Subaru cannot. (Can't speak for hyundai/kia)

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Re:Subaru, Kia shut off some car features rather than adhere... by jreese on Wednesday February 23, 2022 @06:24PM (#30448102)
> a mobile app that sends you loud ads at 3AM.

Oh, I hope there's a good story for this

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Re:Subaru, Kia shut off some car features rather than adhere... by jrockway on Wednesday February 23, 2022 @07:19PM (#30448647)
Oh, that's just where my mind goes when I hear of a mobile app that goes with some piece of physical hardware. I don't know of this actually happening.
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