TECHNOLOGY
Right to Repair Is Wrong for Me
Am I angry with Subaru or Maura Healey?
I signed a lease on a new 2023 Subaru Outback this past weekend. I didn’t really want that model; I’d prefer something smaller and less expensive in a hybrid, but comfort is important for my wife’s arthritic bones, so this is what we chose.
We’ve leased Outbacks since 2008, but dropped down to a Forester in 2020. That was a comfort disaster for my wife, so here we are back in a new Outback.
Some perks
The used car shortage helped me out: the lease buyout was less than what the dealer was willing to give me for the Forester, so that chopped $3,400 off. I had a $500 disgruntled customer certificate from Subaru, another $3,500 down, and their loyalty program cut out one payment, so I drove away in a $35K car for 35 payments of $319.
So far, so good. But while going over some changes from previous cars, the saleswoman mentioned that the Starlink service that would normally be included in the lease is not currently available in Massachusetts because of our Right to Repair law.
I voted for Right to Repair
I am in favor of Right to Repair. That’s a given. However, I’m unhappy about losing Starlink.
