Judge again delays decision in automakers' lawsuit against revised Mass. right to repair law

A federal judge on Friday once again postponed a decision on a lawsuit filed by automakers represented by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation over updates to Massachusetts' right-to-repair law.

In a court filing, U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock cited "the resurgence of a demanding criminal trial schedule," the resumption of in-court, nontrial proceedings and writing responsibilities in other matters as reasons for the delay.

Woodlock said he expected to issue a ruling no later than July 1.

In March, Woodlock postponed the decision because of "unforeseen and unforeseeable circumstances" and other competing demands. At that time, he said he expected to issue a ruling by Friday.

The alliance filed the lawsuit against Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey in November 2020 after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that revised and expanded the state's existing law.

The revised law — referred to as the "Data Access Law" in the lawsuit — requires makers of vehicles sold in the state to equip vehicles that use telematics systems with a standardized, open-access data platform beginning with the 2022 model year. It also gives vehicle owners and independent repair shops access to real-time information from the telematics, such as crash notifications, remote diagnostics and navigation.

The alliance has argued the state's amended law conflicts with several federal laws, poses cybersecurity and vehicle safety risks and sets an impossible timeline for compliance.