Subaru of America has disabled its Starlink in-vehicle technology at its largest independent retailer, Subaru of New England. In all 2022 Subaru vehicles, including the 2022 Forester, Outback, and Ascent SUVs, sold in Massachusetts, a right-to-repair law is the subject of a dispute in federal court between the state and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.
A report from Automotive News (by subscription) says Dominick Infante, director of Communications for Subaru of America, confirmed that they implemented the decision to disable its Starlink service in Massachusetts before the new vehicles began arriving. Subaru of New England, owned by Ernie Boch Jr., CEO of Boch Enterprises, is the independent distributor for all 21 Subaru dealerships in Massachusetts.
photo credit: Subaru of New England
“This was not to comply with the law, because compliance with the law at this time is impossible, but rather to avoid violating it,” Infante said in a written statement last week.
Infante went on to say, “Until such a time as we can develop a platform, and Subaru can redesign its telematics hardware and software to comply with the new law’s requirements, we feel that this is our only option.”
photo credit: Subaru of New England
The legal battle is over a Massachusetts right-to-repair law enacted by voters last year that expanded access to data related to vehicle maintenance and repair.
The law requires cars sold in the state to equip new 2022 vehicles “that use telematics systems, which collect and wirelessly transmit mechanical data to a remote server, with a standardized, open-access data platform,” according to the Automotive News report.
In Massachusetts, Subaru and other automakers could face potential fines of up to $10,000 per vehicle for violating the updated right-to-repair law if it is upheld in court.
Until then, Subaru’s largest independent retailer, Subaru of New England, cannot sell a 2022 Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, or other new 2022 models with its Starlink onboard technology.
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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker’s models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Photo credit: Main image – Subaru of New England