Subaru in court for allegedly failing to give independent repairers equal access to car repair information

The ACCC has commenced proceedings in the Federal Court against Subaru (Aust) Pty Ltd (Subaru Australia) for allegedly failing to give independent car repairers equal access to the information they need to repair Subaru cars. The ACCC alleges that between 1 July 2022 and 31 August 2024, Subaru Australia did not offer to supply independent repairers the required software and other technical information in the same way as it did to Subaru Australia dealerships, in breach of the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme (MVIS). “We allege Subaru Australia failed to comply with the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme, which is designed to promote competition between Australian car repairers. As a result, consumers may have been unable to use an independent, local or family-run repairer rather than using Subaru’s dealerships,” ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward said. “This is the first court proceeding the ACCC has taken for alleged breaches of the service and repair information sharing scheme.” Under the MVIS, data providers (which can include vehicle manufacturers) have to offer service and repair information needed to diagnose, repair, or ser...