Several right-to-repair issues have dotted the automotive landscape in recent years. In short, new car dealerships want exclusive access to repair modern vehicles. The controversy is that it forces vehicle owners to visit the dealership as opposed to giving them a choice for their automotive repair needs. The latest legislative battle, however, forces automakers to dealerships.
A bill was recently introduced in the West Virginia House that, among other things, could severely limit how manufacturers handle over-the-air updates on newer vehicles. HB 4570 was submitted on February 7 with bipartisan sponsorship, establishing various aspects of dealership - automaker relationships. The entire 44-page bill is available to read through the West Virginia Legislature website, but of particular interest to us is this section starting at line 242, describing what a manufacturer or distributor may not do.
