‘Right to repair’ in the automotive repair sector became law in La Belle Province this week, ushering in what is expected to be a new dynamic for automtive repair.

In fact, it has been “the law” since Bill 29 was passed in 2023, but the intervening two years have been dedicated to ensuring that the law, in practice, accomplishes what it set out to do.

Accordingly, as of October 5, 2025, Quebec’s long-awaited right to repair legislation—Bill 29, officially titled Loi protégeant les consommateurs contre l’obsolescence programmée et favorisant la durabilité, la réparabilité et l’entretien des biens—has come into force.

The law is, by word, intended to focus on eliminating planned obsolescence for products across the entire spectum of consumer goods.

And while broad in scope, there are a number of key sections that carve out specifics for the automotive service business.

For automotive aftermarket professionals, this marks a pivotal shift in how vehicle service, diagnostics, and parts access will operate across the province.

The law mandates that manufacturers provide independent and franchise repair shops with fair access to vehicle data, diagnostic tools, and replacement parts. While not specifically designed to address automotive concerns exclusively, here has been active, in-depth participation from aftermarket bodies working to ensure that concerns of the industry are addressed.

AIA Canada, played a key role in advocating for the bill, emphasizing that the law was only the beginning; ongoing representation in the regulation writing was key to making it work for the aftermarket.

According to the Quebec Government Consumer Protection Office website, automakers have specific obligations for providing diagnostic data:

• Manufacturers cannot avoid the obligation to provide vehicle data. They must give access for diagnostics, maintenance, or repair to owners, lessees, or authorized mechanics.
• Data must be readable and available free or at a reasonable cost. Techniques that hinder access are prohibited unless justified for safety or legal compliance.

In addition, some practices are prohibited if they make maintenance or repair more difficult, unless proven necessary to:

• Protect the consumer or their agent (excluding professionals like mechanics) from serious, direct, and immediate physical harm
• Comply with laws or regulations

Quebec’s auto care industry contributes over $8.1 billion annually to the provincial economy and supports more than 100,000 jobs. With several national aftermarket banners headquartered in Quebec, the new legislation strengthens the foundation for a competitive, transparent, and consumer-friendly repair ecosystem.

Quebec’s right to repair law sets a precedent for the rest of Canada—and positions aftermarket professionals at the heart of a more open, sustainable automotive future.

Comments? Industry members are invited to comment on this development at the comment section below, or by email.

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The Details

The following are the details directly from information on the Quebec Government website (translated from the original french.) Readers are advised to use this information as a guideline only as some variation may have crept in through translation.

Special features of automotive data

Under no circumstances can a manufacturer escape the obligation to make car data available. It must provide access to this information for diagnostic, maintenance or repair purposes, for example, to the owner or lessee of the car or to a mechanic or garage appointed to repair it.

Data must be accessible in a readable format, free of charge or at a reasonable cost.

A car manufacturer is prohibited from using a technique that makes access to such data more difficult, unless the manufacturer demonstrates that this technique is:

• necessary to protect the consumer or his agent (other than a professional, such as a garage or repairer) from a serious, serious, direct and immediate risk to his physical safety;
• required to ensure compliance with a law or regulation.

Consumer Recourse

The good is broken, for example, because it was dropped, and the trader or manufacturer does not meet its obligation regarding the availability of spare parts, repair services or information necessary for the repair?

The consumer can then ask them to repair the goods, free of charge. Following this request, the trader or manufacturer has 10 days to inform the consumer, in writing, of the timeframe within which they propose to carry out the repair. The consumer can accept or reject the proposal.

A consumer who refuses the offer may have the repair carried out by a third party. The trader or manufacturer shall bear the reasonable costs of this repair.

The consumer is entitled to demand replacement or reimbursement of the goods in the following cases:

• he has not received any compliant response from the trader or manufacturer, 10 days after requesting the repair of the goods;
• the trader or manufacturer has not respected the deadline within which he had undertaken to repair the goods.

The consumer who obtains a replacement or refund for his goods must return them to the trader or manufacturer.

Contract concluded remotely

The information that the trader must disclose to the consumer before concluding a distance contract (e.g.: purchase made over the Internet) is modified by the addition of new information, when it concerns goods likely to require maintenance work.

The trader must in fact indicate the spare parts, repair services and necessary information whose availability is guaranteed by the trader or manufacturer, in addition to all other mandatory information , before the conclusion of the contract.

This information should also be included in the contract once the purchase is completed.

The absence of this information authorizes the consumer to cancel the contract .

Itinerant trade contract

The information that must be included in an itinerant trading contract is modified by the addition of new information, when it concerns goods likely to require maintenance work.

The trader must in fact indicate the spare parts, repair services and necessary information whose availability is guaranteed by the trader or manufacturer, in addition to all other mandatory information which must appear in the contract.

The absence of this information authorizes the consumer to cancel the contract within one year following the day it is signed by the two parties.