Ontario Right to Repair and Lemon Protections

Summary#

• Bill 91 (Right to Repair Act, 2025) would add a “right to repair” to Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act. It makes makers and sellers share repair information, tools, and parts for many common products.

• It also creates stronger protections for buyers of cars that turn out to be seriously defective.

• Applies to new products made and first sold after the law takes effect: electronics, household appliances, farm equipment, motor vehicles, motorized mobility aids, and recreational motorized vehicles.

• Excludes medical devices, heavy industrial equipment, planes and boats, some utility and emergency equipment, and certain internet provider devices that are replaced free.

• Suppliers must give consumers and independent repair shops the same manuals, parts, tools, and software they use for diagnosis and repair—within 30 days and for at least 7 years after a model stops being made.

• Repair manuals must be free; software updates must be free. Parts, tools, and software can have a reasonable, non-discriminatory fee.

• Bans “parts pairing” (software locks that block otherwise working replacement parts) and protects warranties when you use independent repair or non‑brand parts.

• If a supplier refuses or can’t comply, you can demand a free replacement or a refund. You can also take them to court.

• Sets “lemon”-like rules for cars: if defects meet set thresholds within 3 years/under 60,000 km, a court can order repurchase or a free comparable replacement and require clear resale labels.

What it means for you#

• Consumers

  • You can get repair manuals, diagrams, part numbers, and troubleshooting info at no charge. Paper copies can be billed only for printing costs.
  • You can buy the same parts and tools the maker uses, at fair terms and without forced bundles or minimum buys.
  • Software updates needed for repair must be free. Tools and software for pairing or calibrating new parts must be made available.
  • A maker cannot void your warranty just because you or an independent shop did the repair or used third‑party parts.
  • If the maker won’t provide what’s required, you can ask for a free replacement or a refund, and you can sue. Courts generally won’t make you pay the maker’s legal costs unless your case is frivolous.
  • Later owners (not buying mainly for business or resale) inherit the same right to repair.

• Car buyers and owners

  • You can access vehicle repair data on request; makers must keep repair data for at least 10 years after the model ends.
  • If your car has defects that can’t be fixed after set attempts (for example, 3 tries for the same defect, or many different defects), and it happens within 3 years and under 60,000 km, a court can order a buyback (price adjusted for mileage) or a free comparable replacement. Leases can be ended without penalty.
  • Any car declared “seriously defective” must be clearly labeled if resold or leased later.

• People using motorized mobility aids

  • You and your repair shop can access repair tools, parts, and data to fix your device promptly.

• Farmers

  • You can get the software tools, parts, and service info to diagnose and repair farm equipment, not just at dealerships.

• Independent repair shops

  • You must be offered the same parts, tools, and information the maker uses, on the same terms as others. Makers can ask you to sign a confidentiality agreement only when truly needed to share secret business info.
  • Makers cannot block repairs with software locks (“parts pairing”) or limit who can buy parts.

• Digital locks and security

  • If a lock must be opened to repair a device, the maker must provide what’s needed on reasonable terms. A shop needs the owner’s written permission to unlock a customer’s device.
  • Makers are not required to provide tools that would disable anti‑theft or owner‑set security without the owner’s written OK.

• Limits and timing

  • The duty to support repair lasts at least 7 years after a model stops being made. Parts that the maker no longer has do not have to be supplied.
  • The law would start one year after it receives Royal Assent or one year after the new Consumer Protection Act takes effect—whichever is later.
  • It applies only to products first made and first supplied after the law takes effect.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Lowers repair costs and extends product life by making repair manuals, parts, and tools accessible, which can ease cost‑of‑living pressures.
• Reduces electronic and appliance waste by encouraging repair over replacement.
• Helps small and rural communities by supporting independent repair shops where dealer networks are thin.
• Promotes competition and customer choice; bans software locks that block third‑party parts and protects warranties after independent repair.
• Gives clear remedies if makers don’t cooperate (refund or replace) and adds “lemon”-style protections for car buyers with seriously defective vehicles.
• Keeps security in mind by requiring owner permission for unlocking and allowing confidentiality agreements to protect trade secrets.

Opponents' View#

• Sharing detailed repair data and tools could increase risks of tampering, theft, or misuse, especially for connected vehicles and devices.
• Safety concerns: poor‑quality parts or improper repairs might cause failures or injuries; the ban on parts‑pairing could limit quality control.
• Protecting intellectual property and cybersecurity may be harder when manuals, schematics, and software tools are widely available.
• Compliance could raise costs for manufacturers and dealers (maintaining parts, tools, data for many years), which might lead to higher product prices.
• The 30‑day deadline and 7‑year support period may be hard to meet for niche or fast‑moving products.
• Impact is limited in the short term because the rules apply only to products made and first sold after the law takes effect, and several categories are excluded.