Fixing your own car, whether induced by economic necessity or tinkerer joy, has been an incredible part of individual vehicle ownership for over 100 years. If your radio crapped out you could usually call up the local junkyard and get one for a fraction of the price of what those crooks down at the stealership want for a new one, and even better, you could install it yourself and save the cost of labor. Or if you couldn’t do it yourself, at least you could work with an independent garage with lower labor rates. Volkswagen’s got a software fix to lock you, your car, and your wallet into a dealer repair.
Volkswagen Group‘s “Component Protection” system requires a $300-$500 ransom fee for salvage part installation, even if you do the work yourself. Any electronic component in the vehicle, from the infotainment system or switchgear to the gauge cluster or steering wheel, is locked to your vehicle’s VIN. Even if you (or your preferred indie shop) perfectly replace the component perfectly with a used item, it simply won’t work without that VIN being unlocked by server authentication.
Every used component install on the vehicle requires a dealership’s ODIS system to contact Volkswagen’s GEKO server in order to be unlocked, reports Gadget Review. As they so succinctly put it, “Why pay $400 to activate a $200 part when you could buy new for $600?” Not only does this kill the used parts industry, but it kills the business case for aftermarket component production as well. You’re stuck buying new and buying from the dealer. Do you really own your car if Volkswagen can force your hand like this? You aren’t allowed to save money on the repair, so unless you want to live without HVAC forever, you’ll have to pay the man.
What happened to our right to repair?
This is especially problematic for cars once they are past their warranty. The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association says that as much as 70% of post-warranty repairs are affected by independent garages. This is a big part of why we need sweeping federal Right To Repair legislation to pass as quickly as possible. Everyone is feeling the economic pinch right now, and at the bare minimum we should be allowed to fix our own stuff when it breaks without having to drop hundreds of extra dollars to get those parts to “talk” to our cars. Volkswagen is trying to redefine what it means to own your car, hamstringing buyers with ridiculous repair fees.
Massachusetts passed a Right to Repair Act back in 2020, and automakers have been fighting it in court ever since. Just over a year ago that law was upheld by a federal judge, but the decision has been in appeal after appeal, with dozens of delays. Until that law gets forced through on the federal level, automakers will keep pretending like it doesn’t exist, and the consumer will be the one that pays.
Definitely, at least for the time being, I will stick to only owning old vehicles that don’t have these kinds of issues. Not having the ability to fix my car when it breaks is a pretty big deal to me, and it is absolutely stopping me from going to the dealer and ordering a new vehicle. I like the ability to choose what parts go into my car, and who gets to put them there. What about you?
