First aired on WBZ 1030  and WEEI 850 in January, 2010:

#1 - (in a Male voice) 

It started with a check engine light on my pick-up truck. I took it to Sully’s garage, my mechanic since high school. Sully says that everything in my truck is controlled by computer— even brakes and tire pressure. To fix it, Sully needs access to computer codes that’ll help him diagnose and repair the problem. The real problem is that car manufacturers say they own my truck’s repair codes, and won’t share them all with independent guys like Sully—only the new car dealers get all the codes. That’s wrong. Now I’m forced to go to the dealer, and it’ll cost me a lot more than Sully — I can’t afford it. There’s a nine percent unemployment rate, can anyone afford it? So what can I do? The Massachusetts legislature is considering this Right to Repair legislation—it’ll tell the car manufacturers to share all the repair information with independent guys like Sully. I paid twenty thousand dollars for that truck, and I’m gonna let some CEO in Detroit tell me where I can get it fixed?  I don’t think so. I usually don’t get involved, but I’m letting Beacon Hill know I want a say in who fixes my car, and for how much—pass the right to repair legislation. Contact your state lawmakers at (617)722-2000 and ask them to support your right to repair. Paid for by the Massachusetts Right To Repair Coalition.

#2 - (in a Female voice) 

My car is in the shop again. The check engine light was on, so I took it to Mike’s garage - he could fix anything. Still could, but Mike tells me he can’t get the computer codes to repair my car. That’s wrong. The car company refuses to give him access to all the computer codes he needs to diagnose and complete repairs. The car company in Detroit thinks it still owns the car I paid for, but the last time I checked I was the one making the payments. Why should the new car dealer be the only one that has the codes to repair my car? That’s ridiculous. Now it’s going to cost me a lot more at the dealership, and I can’t afford it. Unemployment is up to nine percent in Massachusetts, can anyone afford it? Mike says there’s an easy fix to this problem - the Right to Repair legislation — it’ll require auto manufacturers to make available the necessary repair information for Mike to fix my car. That only fair. I paid twenty-two thousand dollars for my car, so shouldn’t I have the right to get my car fixed at the repair shop of my choice? I never get involved, but I’m letting Beacon Hill know that I want a say in who fixes my car, and for how much—pass the right to repair legislation. Contact your state lawmakers at (617)722-2000 and ask them to support your right to repair. Paid for by the Massachusetts Right To Repair Coalition.