The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Automakers secure the software-update routes that can change a vehicle’s control modules; tuners need a supported way to read those systems and write performance calibrations. That creates a tug-of-war, but it is not one universal lock or a contest in which every tuner is hacking cars. Just as importantly, a legal right to obtain diagnostic or repair information does not automatically grant permission to rewrite a vehicle’s performance software.
What it means to “lock” a car’s brain
Modern vehicles rely on software builds and configurations for both operation and performance. A tuner may need to communicate with electronic control units (ECUs) and install or adjust calibration data to change how the engine or another component performs. Automakers, meanwhile, authenticate updates and protect vehicle systems against unauthorized changes.
NHTSA’s 2020 firmware-update report describes tuners—including shops and individual owners—using off-the-shelf software to modify vehicle performance. It also explains that update functions that were not adequately secured could be used to install custom ECU software or calibrations. When update systems are secured, the manufacturer can provide a sanctioned tuning route or restrict access. The report summarizes that tension: “When software updates are properly secured, however, automakers will either need to bless performance tuners with ways to update and customize vehicles and their ECUs or lock them out entirely.” NHTSA’s firmware-update report
There is no single lock, bypass, or access policy that applies to every make, model year, software version, and tuning ecosystem. A restriction on writing calibration data is also not the same thing as blocking access to diagnostic codes or repair information.
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Why automakers secure update pathways
NHTSA defines automotive cybersecurity as protecting vehicle electronics, networks, control algorithms, software, users, and data from malicious attack, damage, unauthorized access, or manipulation. Authenticating updates and protecting safety-sensitive systems are part of that effort. NHTSA’s automotive cybersecurity material
Security measures can also affect legitimate modification. NHTSA’s report discusses performance tuning as an unauthorized-modification scenario and notes that improper or out-of-specification tuning can lead to costly warranty claims. It also observes that tuning may help build a performance brand, while manufacturers may seek to limit some tuning to manage warranty exposure or retain sales of performance upgrades. Those are considerations identified in the report, not proof that every automaker has the same motives.
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A tune does not automatically void every vehicle warranty. Whether a particular claim is covered depends on its circumstances and the applicable warranty terms; NHTSA’s discussion identifies potential exposure, not an across-the-board rule.
Why repair access is not the same as tuning permission
“Right to repair” discussions often involve access to diagnostic information, repair tools, and data needed to maintain a vehicle. Those functions can use some of the same electronic systems as tuning, but their purpose and permissions differ. Reading a fault code, viewing mechanical data, or sending a command needed for a repair does not by itself authorize writing a performance calibration.
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What Massachusetts law provides
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93K, Section 2, requires covered manufacturers to make specified diagnostic and repair information and tools available to vehicle owners and independent repair facilities on fair and reasonable terms. For covered onboard diagnostic and repair information beginning with model year 2018, the statute identifies non-proprietary SAE J2534, J1939, or ISO 22900-compliant interfaces, along with other permitted access routes. Manufacturers may offer proprietary devices if they meet the statute’s access requirements and make them available to independent repairers on fair and reasonable terms. Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 93K, Section 2
For qualifying vehicles sold in Massachusetts that use telematics, the statute provides a separate open-access platform for mechanical data beginning with model year 2022. Owners can use a mobile application to access the platform. An independent repair facility or qualifying dealer can access data with the owner’s authorization for maintaining, diagnosing, or repairing the vehicle; the law also provides for sending commands to in-vehicle components when needed for those purposes. The Massachusetts Attorney General says telematics data can include information about systems such as airbags, the battery, engine or motor, transmission, brakes, and tires. Massachusetts Attorney General’s consumer notice
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These provisions are for diagnosis, maintenance, and repair; they do not create a general right to change performance calibrations. The law also permits manufacturers to withhold information needed to reset immobilizers or security-related electronic modules from general access, directing that access through a secure data-release model or another accepted reliable system. That is an example of repair access and security controls coexisting in the same legal framework.
Where the Massachusetts lawsuit stands
On February 11, 2025, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced that a U.S. District Court had dismissed automakers’ long-pending lawsuit challenging the state’s voter-approved law. The Attorney General’s announcement said the court decision would be made available once public; it did not provide the opinion or explain the court’s reasoning. The announcement is a legal-status update, not evidence that every implementation question has been resolved. Massachusetts Attorney General’s February 11, 2025 announcement
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What federal safety law does—and does not—say
Federal safety law is not a blanket ban on aftermarket parts or all tuning. In a 2015 interpretation concerning aftermarket collision-repair parts, NHTSA Chief Counsel O. Kevin Vincent explained that a manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or motor-vehicle repair business may not knowingly make inoperative a device or design element installed to comply with a federal motor-vehicle safety standard. Whether the entity knew or should have known, and whether it used reasonable judgment and skill, can matter. The letter does not address every owner tune or emissions modification, and state rules or contractual terms may also apply. NHTSA’s April 17, 2015 interpretation
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can tuners still tune newer cars?
Sometimes, but the answer depends on the exact vehicle, model year, software version, and tuning support available. NHTSA’s report describes both the technical conflict and the possibility of automakers providing authorized routes; it does not offer a current make-by-make list of locked ECUs or compatible tuning tools. A standardized diagnostic interface such as J2534 is not, by itself, proof that a device can unlock an ECU or write performance calibrations.
Before relying on a tuning tool or service, verify that it explicitly supports the vehicle and software version and that its stated function is performance calibration—not just diagnostics or repair. Consider whether the change affects required safety functions and understand that an improper or out-of-specification modification may create warranty disputes.
Can secure access and independent repair coexist?
GAO reports that cybersecurity experts it interviewed said secure access to telematics diagnostic and repair data could be possible. GAO also recounts NHTSA’s position that cybersecurity should not be used to justify limiting who can conduct repairs, while repair access should not undermine cybersecurity controls. That is a case for carefully designed access—not proof that every proposed system or access model is safe. GAO’s report on vehicle repair access and cybersecurity
The practical distinction is what an access route allows and for what purpose: viewing data, diagnosing a fault, sending a repair command, installing a manufacturer update, or writing a performance calibration. Each can involve different permissions and risks. The dispute is not simply “security versus repair”; it is about defining and controlling access without treating one kind of access as authorization for every other kind.
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