What do a John Deere tractor, your crossover SUV, and the McDonald’s ice cream machine all have in common? Each one highlights a growing debate about who really controls the products you buy, and whether you’re even allowed to repair them when they break.
We’ve all been there. You’re nearing the end of a long day, and go to seek a little solace in a cheap cone of McDonald’s soft serve. You roll up to the drive-thru window, only to discover that the ice cream machine is once again on the fritz. It’s a sadly universal experience, and it raises an interesting question. Why can’t the world’s largest fast food chain keep a simple ice cream machine in good working order?
The answer is simple, if a bit disheartening. Until recently, the only outfit equipped to repair a McDonald’s ice cream machine was its manufacturer, the Taylor Company. This often led to long downtimes and many dissatisfied customers. In 2024, the U.S. Copyright Office stepped in, creating an exemption under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that allowed franchise owners and third-party technicians to bypass the digital locks that prevented independent diagnosis, maintenance, and repair.
The humble McDonald’s ice cream machine has become one of the most recognizable symbols of the right-to-repair (RTR) movement, but it’s certainly not the only product caught up in the debate. While the RTR movement has been gaining traction for decades, it’s become an increasingly important topic as modern vehicles have essentially evolved into cutting-edge computers on wheels. As vehicles have become more complex, they increasingly require specialized parts, diagnostic software, and highly technical repair information that’s often not available to the general public.
The concept is relatively simple to wrap your mind around. RTR advocates believe that if you own your vehicle, you should be free to choose who repairs it, whether that be a dealership, an independent repair shop, your cousin Greg, or yourself.
Automakers argue that unrestricted access to sensitive data, software, and parts could endanger driver safety or even lead to cybersecurity issues. Who’s right, who’s wrong, and what do changing RTR laws mean for today’s drivers? We’ll dive into the debate as we explore the fight for your right to repair.
From Spark Plugs to Software
The RTR movement is the logical result of the auto industry’s decades-long effort to control every aspect of the repair and service process. Many credit Ford as the first automaker to promote the concept of “certified repair,” which sought to establish certified dealership and service networks that would siphon business away from independent repair shops and aftermarket parts suppliers.
General Motors also played a role, establishing the concept of “dynamic obsolescence” (now often referred to as “planned obsolescence”) under executive Alfred P. Sloan. Sloan’s idea was a simple one, if also a bit nefarious: to intentionally design products to become obsolete or unappealing after a certain period, therefore forcing buyers to upgrade to the latest-and-greatest model.
Ford also worked to standardize pricing throughout its certified shop, and often made just enough year-to-year updates to make it difficult for independent repair shops to maintain a healthy stock of parts. Combine these two strategies, and you’ve basically developed a surefire recipe for a dissatisfied customer base.
It didn’t take long for the first RTR case to reach the Supreme Court. In 1947, the Sanders family’s Perfect Recondition Spark Plug Company (PRSPC) had developed a unique niche in repairing, reconditioning, and reselling Champion spark plugs. The Champion Spark Plug Company took issue with what it saw as a violation of its trademark and demanded that Sanders cease operations.
Champion Spark Plug Co. v. Sanders made its way to court, Sanders triumphed, and a new precedent was established. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers now officially possess the right to resell repaired and refurbished items, as long as they were appropriately labeled as such.
While this court case drew an important line in the sand, various RTR-related cases would continue to pop up over the decades. The issue would only become more relevant throughout the years, especially as increasingly sophisticated components, electronics, and software found their way into vehicles. In the 1950s, electronic components accounted for around 5% of a vehicle’s total bill of materials. By 2000, that number had risen to 22%, exacerbating the need for a strong RTR policy.
Any mechanic worth their torque wrench knows how to change a spark plug or replace a filter, but a new generation of tech-heavy cars has quickly created a stark divide between the automotive haves and have-nots. It wasn’t just a matter of increasingly complex parts. Automakers weren’t very forthcoming about specific technical information and repair procedures.
From accessing the software necessary to reset maintenance reminders and diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) to calibrating the complex array of electronics used to power radar and camera systems, security authorizations, and firmware updates, it practically takes a computer engineering degree to perform some of the simplest automotive maintenance and repair tasks. As vehicles became increasingly computerized, the RTR debate shifted beyond just replacement parts, with drivers demanding access to the information and software needed to keep their ride on the road.
Current RTR Laws
The first federal RTR bill specific to the automotive sector was introduced by Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone in 2001. Described as an attempt to end car manufacturers’ monopoly on repair-related information, the bill ultimately failed to pass, though it wasn’t without merit. A 2001 study by the Tarrance Group found that 59% of independent repair shops struggled to access diagnostic tools and parts from automakers, and 67% reported being forced to send vehicles back to the dealership.
The issue has since expanded far beyond the auto industry, especially in the digital age. The rise of the modern smartphone has seen the RTR push expand into the consumer electronics sector, while increasingly computerized farming equipment has led to no shortage of frustration for the agricultural industry.
The FTC outlined the issue in its 2021 “Nixing the Fix” report, and suggested industry self-regulation along with an expansion of the existing Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. The Biden Administration responded with an executive order to the FTC and the Department of Agriculture, directing the agencies to improve access to repair for both farmers and regular consumers.
Aside from the 2021 executive order, automotive RTR laws have mostly been limited to state-level legislation, with Massachusetts being the first to pass a comprehensive automotive right-to-repair law in the U.S. back in 2012. Colorado enacted a wheelchair repair law in 2022 and followed up with an agricultural equipment RTR law in 2023. Minnesota passed a more tech-centric law in 2023, and Oregon, Texas, Washington, and New York have all followed suit.
While a few states have been right on top of the RTR movement, the federal government has been lagging behind. California’s own Right To Repair Act, which passed in 2023, could well serve as a model for federal legislation, though it’s more focused on consumer electronics than the auto industry itself.
What’s Different Now?
As of mid-2026, several RTR bills were making their way through Congress, but the REPAIR Act (H.R. 1566) could have the biggest impact on the auto industry. Why is the RTR movement suddenly gaining so much traction? It’s really a confluence of different economic, social, and technological factors.
First, consumer habits are changing. As both new and used vehicle prices flirt with all-time highs, drivers are keeping their old cars, trucks, and SUVs around a lot longer than before. With the average age of a vehicle on U.S. roads now exceeding 12 years, affordable, accessible repairs have become increasingly important.
Repair costs have also risen right along with the MSRP, largely due to today’s tech-forward models. Hybrid and EV powertrains, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and other complex tech have led to increasingly complex and expensive repairs. While the average repair bill in the year 2000 cost drivers around $530 (in 2026 dollars), a trip to the auto shop now costs nearly $840.
You can also thank farmers and smartphone users for renewing the RTR push. Farmers often invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into large agricultural equipment like row-crop tractors, and can scarcely afford the downtime that comes with a breakdown. Modern tractors rely on dozens of sensors, electronic control units (ECUs), and proprietary software, which means the agriculture industry is particularly invested in the RTR effort.
Farmers were able to organize around the issue in impressive fashion, forcing politicians to take a side. While lawmakers might be able to brush off concerns from other sectors, there’s little to be gained, and a whole lot to be lost, by going toe-to-toe with the American farmer.
Smartphones have also fueled the RTR movement. While the average American doesn’t own a $500,000 tractor, most rely on their smartphone daily. The iPhone remains one of the most popular, but Apple is widely seen as championing planned obsolescence and employing proprietary tools and hardware that can make repair difficult. From specialized screws and tools to gluing batteries in place, restricting access to repair manuals, and limiting the sale of genuine replacement parts, smartphones became an early battleground for RTR advocates.
The Fight Continues
There seems to be a lot of energy around the RTR movement, and it could be good news for U.S. drivers. If RTR laws continue to take hold at both the state and federal levels, consumers will be able to enjoy more options, lower prices, improved availability, and potentially even a longer service life for their vehicle.
Strong RTR laws could also have a positive environmental impact, reducing electronic waste by making repair a more practical and affordable option rather than replacement. One thing is for sure: RTR will only become more relevant in the coming decades as EVs, hybrids, and software-defined vehicles continue to take hold. Today’s all-electric models have far fewer
parts than a traditional internal-combustion model, but the parts it does have, especially the software, battery management systems, and electronic controls, are more complex than ever.
At the time of printing, the federal REPAIR Act is currently pending in Congress after successfully advancing through the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. That said, it has been scaled back, with lawmakers stripping certain provisions related to access to wireless and telematics data. Critics of the REPAIR Act say that a narrower bill, H.R. 7389, would suffice, though that law would largely be based on previously established industry standards.
It’s hard to predict where the RTR movement will go in the coming years. As vehicles become increasingly sophisticated, the debate over who controls the repair process isn’t going away anytime soon. You might as well grab a little soft serve at your local drive-thru and ride it out.
