Hyundai Owner Finds Out You Might Have To Hack Your Car In Order To Repair It

• Cars

If you typically take your car to the dealership or mechanic for maintenance and repairs, you may be unfamiliar with "right to repair" laws. But if you have the skills to do more than simply change your oil in your own driveway, chances are you've been following the right to repair movement. Right to repair laws cover more than just vehicles and require that manufacturers allow the general public and businesses not officially affiliated with the manufacturer to access what they need to make repairs. Essentially, it's the right to fix your things, and one frustrated Hyundai owner recently took to Reddit to complain that they are not being given that opportunity.

A user going by the name SoultronicPear posted on an IONIQ 5 N Reddit community, explaining their efforts to replace the rear brake pads on their 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, claiming that Hyundai is obstructing the spirit of right-to-repair laws. According to the frustrated user, the only way for drivers to replace their own brake pads is to use a Hyundai software tool that costs $60 per week. Owners would also have to purchase one of three special adapters for the repair, which cost about $2,000. This user bought the software and the adapter, and still could not make the repair. After talking to the software developer, they found that it had not been updated to work with current models, leaving owners of new vehicles unable to facilitate their own repairs, at least not without resorting to hacking. What does this mean, and can Hyundai owners push back?

The fight for the right to repair

Right-to-repair laws differ from state to state. According to PIRG, a consumer-advocate organization, as of February 2025, all 50 states have considered right-to-repair laws in the last eight years. However, only six states have passed such laws: California, Colorado, Minnesota, Maine, New York, and Oregon. Some laws are directed only at automobile manufacturers, while others cover different types of electronics.

While the right to repair movement traces its roots back to a 2012 automotive diagnostic tool argument, much of the general public wasn't aware of such battles until McDonald's — and its McFlurry machines – got involved in 2022. A copyright law made it illegal for all but one company to fix those famously inoperative ice cream machines, and people started to question why. Giants like Apple and GM have been known to fight against right-to-repair legislation, while others, like Microsoft, are trying to work with those advocating for consumer rights.

Users who want to fight for right-to-repair laws should start with the Digital Right to Repair Coalition, a non-profit that advocates "for freedom of choice and fair competition for repairing anything with a computer chip." This coalition has a Know-Your-Rights program, where you can check what the law says in your state and also report a violation.