Back to the trend of the day: Chinese carmakers went bust, leaving hundreds of thousands of cars without repairs

Poly Rating · from the trend of the day

Right to repair electric cars: best places in 2026

Most right-to-repair laws order the carmaker to share data and parts, so when the carmaker is gone the duty goes with it: China's 10-year parts rule did not stop 850,000 cars being orphaned.

No. 1: European Union
10 places
Current as of October 24, 2026, 01:00 EDT

01Final list

The leading AIs each built their own list of ten independently. Here is one result that is easy to check: every place has a reason, a source, and the list of AIs that included it.

Order: from most to least AI agreement.

A bright badge means this AI put the entry on its list. A dim badge means it did not.

1
European Union
The most layers: open repair data since 2020, battery diagnosis added in June 2026 and the Data Act owner right. But battery-removability duties may cover only light-transport packs, not car batteries.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, MiMo, Kimi, DeepSeek, Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 1 · ChatGPT: 2 · Meta: 1 · Gemini: 1 · MiMo: 1 · Kimi: 1 · DeepSeek: 1 · Wenxin: 1
What each AI noted 8
- Claudeplace 1
  It has the most layers: independent-shop data access, a battery passport open to repairers from February 2027 and a repair directive from July 2026. None of the sources I found says what happens if the maker is gone.
- ChatGPTplace 2
  The EU's standardized repair-information rules provide a strong baseline for independent garages, even though they cannot conjure a missing manufacturer's software infrastructure.
  Source ↗
- Metaplace 1
  Only region where importer takes over 10-year parts duty when maker disappears — battery passport mandatory Feb 2027
- Geminiplace 1
  The EU Battery Regulation (EU 2023/1542) mandates battery passports and independent modular cell replacement from mid-2026, regardless of manufacturer status.
- MiMoplace 1
  Delegated Regulation 2026/699 tells carmakers to hand vehicle data and software to independent diagnostic-tool makers — the closest thing to a dead-maker-proof rule anywhere.
  Source ↗
- Kimiplace 1
  Two legal doors into every car — the manual door (2018/858) and the data door (Data Act) — plus a 12-month warranty bonus for choosing repair.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 1
  From Feb 2027, every EV battery gets a passport that independent repairers can read — the first legal right to battery data, but it still needs a maker to file it.
- Wenxinplace 1
  7–10 year parts mandate plus battery repair law — but only if someone enforces it after the maker is gone
8 AIs put it here
Source ↗
2
Massachusetts (US)
75% of voters backed car data access that needs no maker authorization, with $10,000 or treble damages per denial. Yet the appeal is still open, and makers can switch telematics off.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, MiMo, Kimi, DeepSeek, Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 2 · ChatGPT: 1 · Meta: 2 · Gemini: 2 · MiMo: 4 · Kimi: 2 · DeepSeek: 3 · Wenxin: 2
What each AI noted 8
- Claudeplace 2
  It is the only US state law that forces an open telematics platform on makers, and it has been stuck in appeal for years.
- ChatGPTplace 1
  A car's diagnostic data is legally accessible to the owner and an owner-authorized independent shop, rather than being exclusively a dealer's private resource.
  Source ↗
- Metaplace 2
  Only US state requiring standardized open telematics platform by law — independent shops get data with owner permission
  Source ↗
- Geminiplace 2
  Its voter-enacted Data Access Law forced automakers to create an open-access telematics platform, ending the dealer monopoly over remote wireless EV troubleshooting.
- MiMoplace 4
  A voter-passed data-access law meets its answer in court: the state itself argues automakers could comply by simply switching telematics off.
- Kimiplace 2
  75% of voters said yes, and every denial of access costs treble damages or $10,000 — automakers are still appealing in 2026.
- DeepSeekplace 3
  74.8% of voters backed access that “shall not require any authorization” by the maker — the closest law to the orphan-car test.
- Wenxinplace 2
  First US state to force open car data — yet federal bankruptcy can still kill the app
8 AIs put it here
Source ↗
3
United Kingdom
The block exemption keeps garages' data access until May 2029. Sources clash on whether the 10-year parts period is in statute or only an ombudsman's 'reasonable period'.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, MiMo, Kimi, DeepSeek, Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 4 · ChatGPT: 6 · Meta: 4 · Gemini: 6 · MiMo: 3 · Kimi: 4 · DeepSeek: 5 · Wenxin: 6
What each AI noted 8
- Claudeplace 4
  Rights are voluntary-leaning. In one 100-garage poll, 30% turned work away in a year for lack of data.
- ChatGPTplace 6
  A competitive repair-information framework helps garages work across brands, but it does not automatically transfer an insolvent automaker's software to a successor.
- Metaplace 4
  Mirrored EU 10-year parts rule post-Brexit, plus 8yr/100k mile EV battery warranty with 70% capacity floor
  Source ↗
- Geminiplace 6
  The post-Brexit Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Order keeps anti-monopoly repair channels open, but leaves failed EV startups with no parts escrow backstop.
- MiMoplace 3
  Ten years of spare parts and repair information survive the end of type-approval — obligations written to outlast the model, if not the maker.
  Source ↗
- Kimiplace 4
  Keeps the EU repair-information rulebook and adds a binding ombudsman — but nothing holds parts for a maker that no longer exists.
- DeepSeekplace 5
  10 years is only a “reasonable period” in an Ombudsman code, not a statute — and there is no car-software right to repair.
- Wenxinplace 6
  Consumer Rights Act gives 6 years of claims — but no one to sue if the maker has vanished
  Source ↗
8 AIs put it here
Source ↗
4
South Korea
A written statutory parts duty (8 years after final sale per the law text; 10 in another unsourced claim), but there is no independent data-access right and every duty falls on makers.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, MiMo, Kimi, DeepSeek, Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 8 · ChatGPT: 8 · Meta: 6 · Gemini: 5 · MiMo: 7 · Kimi: 6 · DeepSeek: 4 · Wenxin: 4
What each AI noted 8
- Claudeplace 8
  I could not find a Korean repair-data statute. The one clue is the Russian bill's note that Korean carmakers already supply documentation by practice.
- ChatGPTplace 8
  A strong domestic automotive manufacturing base is not, by itself, a legal promise that an unrelated failed startup's proprietary software will be maintained.
- Metaplace 6
  High-voltage EV devices free repair conditions improved, but parts supply centered on direct shops — small shops excluded
- Geminiplace 5
  The Motor Vehicle Management Act legally forces manufacturers to disclose proprietary battery cell origins and standardized BMS interfaces to certified garages.
- MiMoplace 7
  Hyundai built a whole company — Partecs — whose only job is keeping parts flowing for discontinued cars.
  Source ↗
- Kimiplace 6
  The Motor Vehicle Management Act orders makers to keep supplying parts for a decree-set period — the duty outlives the warranty, though not necessarily the maker.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 4
  8 years of spare parts by statute — longer than China’s 10-year rule is in practice.
  Source ↗
- Wenxinplace 4
  10-year parts rule plus data sharing — but no one tested it on a dead carmaker
  Source ↗
8 AIs put it here
Source ↗
5
China
Estimate: Ten years of hardware parts on paper, but no software cover. 850,000 orphan cars tested it, and a court reportedly had to advance 34.24M yuan to keep WM servers running.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, MiMo, Kimi, DeepSeek, Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 6 · ChatGPT: 5 · Meta: 10 · Gemini: 7 · MiMo: 5 · Kimi: 5 · DeepSeek: 8 · Wenxin: 5
What each AI noted 8
- Claudeplace 6
  Its rules guarantee cover at the start of an EV's life, with an 8-year, 120,000 km minimum on core components. That cover rests on the maker still existing, and owners were warned that opening parts without permission may be illegal.
- ChatGPTplace 5
  A ten-year hardware-support requirement and new battery-traceability rules help, but an owner can still face a six-month wait for a proprietary part.
  Source ↗
- Metaplace 10
  10-year parts law on paper, but becomes unsecured debt in bankruptcy — owners told opening component without permission may be illegal
  Source ↗
- Geminiplace 7
  Strict MIIT rules mandate 8-year warranties and 10 years of spare parts, yet courts treat unauthorized battery pack disassembly as potential trade secret theft.
- MiMoplace 5
  Rules oblige a maker to keep parts flowing after it stops building a model — yet owners are told that opening a component without the maker's permission may be illegal.
- Kimiplace 5
  A 10-year parts-and-service duty on paper; 850,000 orphan cars show software wasn't in the fine print.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 8
  A 10-year parts rule on paper and 850,000 orphan cars on the road — the gap is the ranking.
  Source ↗
- Wenxinplace 5
  Hundreds of thousands of orphans show the law on paper means little without enforcement
8 AIs put it here
Source ↗
6
Japan
Hard recall law (fines up to ¥200m), but no statute forces makers to hand over parts or repair data. Manuals and scan tools flow through voluntary channels.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, MiMo, Kimi, DeepSeek, Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 9 · ChatGPT: 4 · Meta: 9 · Gemini: 4 · MiMo: 10 · Kimi: 7 · DeepSeek: 7 · Wenxin: 3
What each AI noted 8
- Claudeplace 9
  Same gap as Korea: no Japanese statute found, only a note that Japanese makers supply service documentation.
- ChatGPTplace 4
  Repair manuals, wiring diagrams and specialist scan tools are part of an established maintenance-information system, but not a guaranteed digital afterlife.
- Metaplace 9
  No law squarely forces makers to hand over spare parts or repair info — courts rely on IP doctrines
- Geminiplace 4
  Strict Shaken inspection standards and cross-manufacturer dealer associations ensure orphaned domestic vehicles are assimilated into shared repair networks.
- MiMoplace 10
  Repair information access rests on industry guidelines rather than statute — the ACCC's own international review files it under voluntary frameworks.
  Source ↗
- Kimiplace 7
  Hard recall law — up to a year in prison and ¥200m in fines — but repair data flows through voluntary channels that die with the company.
- DeepSeekplace 7
  No statutory parts period — makers voluntarily supply roughly 10 years, and diagnostic access is paid pass-through.
- Wenxinplace 3
  10-year parts law keeps shelves stocked — but diagnostic keys stay with the maker
8 AIs put it here
Source ↗
7
India
A voluntary Right to Repair portal with 66 brands and a competition ruling against parts lock-ups, but nothing covers software or parts once a maker fails.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, MiMo, Kimi, DeepSeek, Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 10 · ChatGPT: 7 · Meta: 8 · Gemini: 10 · MiMo: 8 · Kimi: 9 · DeepSeek: 9 · Wenxin: 8
What each AI noted 8
- Claudeplace 10
  Repairers are asking for a law, while a Competition Commission record shows allegations that makers withheld parts, tools and software from independent workshops.
  Source ↗
- ChatGPTplace 7
  The national Right to Repair portal helps owners find service information and parts details, but information access is not a substitute for a binding continuity guarantee.
- Metaplace 8
  Right to Repair Portal lists manuals and spare prices for 66+ brands including Tata, Mahindra — voluntary, not binding
- Geminiplace 10
  The Department of Consumer Affairs launched a Right to Repair portal to register EV makers, but lacks mechanisms to prevent bricked smart scooters and cars.
- MiMoplace 8
  Battery responsibility outlives the seller: extended producer rules require 70% collection of EV batteries by 2027-28 whether or not the maker still sells cars.
  Source ↗
- Kimiplace 9
  Consumer courts and a competition ruling opened the parts market — after years of litigation.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 9
  A voluntary Right to Repair Portal, no statutory parts period and no enforcement.
- Wenxinplace 8
  10-year parts rule on the books — but nobody has tested it when a maker actually folds
8 AIs put it here
Source ↗
8
United States (federal)
No federal car right-to-repair law and no 10-year parts law. The 2023 data pledge is voluntary, so it is worth nothing from a maker that no longer exists.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, MiMo, Kimi, DeepSeek, Wenxin. Did not include: Gemini.
In their lists: Claude: 5 · ChatGPT: 3 · Meta: 7 · MiMo: 9 · Kimi: 8 · DeepSeek: 10 · Wenxin: 7
What each AI noted 7
- Claudeplace 5
  Federal protection is a 2023 voluntary pledge between makers and repairers. The binding bill has been scaled back.
  Source ↗
- ChatGPTplace 3
  Warranty law can constrain repair restrictions, but a legal warranty is not the same as a functioning factory or a warehouse full of parts.
- Metaplace 7
  2014 MoU gives OBD-II access nationwide, but telematics locked behind maker cloud — no escrow if maker fails
- MiMoplace 9
  The REPAIR Act has been a bill since February 2025 — with a White House meeting in June 2026, but still no federal law.
  Source ↗
- Kimiplace 8
  Magnuson-Moss guards the warranty while the maker exists — and the famous '10-year parts law' does not exist.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 10
  No federal right to repair and no parts-duration law — the last warranty backstop was a 2009 GM/Chrysler program.
- Wenxinplace 7
  FTC is writing repair rules — but Chapter 11 still lets a maker kill your app overnight
7 AIs put it here
Source ↗
9
Australia
Sharing repair data has been law, not a pledge, since 1 July 2022, and the ACCC has pushed Mazda, Kia and BYD on prices. But a liquidated maker cannot be fined.
Included it: Claude, Meta, Gemini, MiMo, DeepSeek, Wenxin. Did not include: ChatGPT, Kimi.
In their lists: Claude: 3 · Meta: 3 · Gemini: 8 · MiMo: 2 · DeepSeek: 2 · Wenxin: 10
What each AI noted 6
- Claudeplace 3
  An enforcer with teeth: the ACCC probes pushed Mazda, Kia and BYD to cut what they charge for repair data.
- Metaplace 3
  2021 law compels makers to sell all dealer-level diagnostic info to independents at fair price within 2 business days
  Source ↗
- Geminiplace 8
  The Motor Vehicle Information Scheme (MVIS) legally compels automakers to share software service data on fair terms under threat of heavy financial penalties.
- MiMoplace 2
  Since 1 July 2022, sharing repair information is not a promise — it is a legal obligation under the Competition and Consumer Act.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 2
  Up to AUD 10 million per breach — Australia fined Honda AUD 18,780 and warned five Chinese carmakers in 2025.
  Source ↗
- Wenxinplace 10
  Australian Consumer Law covers 2-year warranties — but orphaned EVs get no extra help
  Source ↗
6 AIs put it here
Source ↗
10
Maine (US)
Copied Massachusetts by ballot in 2023, but its owner-access platform is now due only on 1 September 2027, after a January 2026 veto and an April rewrite.
Included it: MiMo, Kimi. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, DeepSeek, Wenxin.
In their lists: MiMo: 6 · Kimi: 3
What each AI noted 2
- MiMoplace 6
  Voters passed a vehicle data-access right-to-repair law at the ballot box — and in January 2026 the governor vetoed the amended version.
- Kimiplace 3
  Copied Massachusetts by ballot in 2023 — its open-access platform is now due 1 September 2027.
  Source ↗
2 AIs put it here
Source ↗

More about the top three ↓

02More about the top three

The ranking is above. Here is more about the three places at the top: what they are, why they are here, and what is worth knowing.

These places are compared using different measures, including data access, financial remedies, and parts availability.

1European Union

No. 1 — European Union. On the lists of 8 of 8 AIs; median place there: 1. The EU leads because layered data-access rules offer the closest thing to repair rights that survive a maker’s disappearance.

Did you know

A court case began when Stellantis asked two independent repairers to log into its server through a paid subscription before doing diagnostics. In 2023 the EU's top court ruled that repairers must get both read and write access through the car's diagnostic port.
Source ↗

What it is: A regional framework of vehicle data and repair rules.
Its edge: It combines the most layers, including a repair-data rule and the Data Act.
Who should know: Useful to anyone comparing how much repair access may last when a maker disappears.

Founded1993
HeadquartersBrussels

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

Since 2018, EU law has required makers to give independent operators access to vehicle diagnostics, tools, software downloads and repair information. The access must be unrestricted, standardised and non-discriminatory. — (voice only)
Source ↗

History

In 1973, an oil crisis brought economic problems across the European Community after Middle East oil-producing nations raised prices and restricted sales. The shock helped push leaders to set up a fund to support poorer regions. — (voice only)
Source ↗

Keep in mind

A 2026 rule sets tiers of vehicle data access. Independent tool makers get access from 23 December 2026, and makers have until June 2027 to open standard access portals. So full access is not here yet.
Source ↗
Parts makers and other trade groups said in 2024 that repair information for electric vehicle batteries is growing scarce, and that carmakers' control of car-generated data gives them an edge over independent shops.
Source ↗

Where to go further

Open the full EU Data Act and search the page for the word "repair". It shows which car data rights apply and how the law is written, in its own words.
Source ↗

Video: CountryBalls - History of European Union · CountryZ

Compare the top three ↓

2Massachusetts (US)

No. 2 — Massachusetts (US). On the lists of 8 of 8 AIs; median place there: 2. Massachusetts ranks highly for its voter-backed, maker-independent data access and stated financial remedy, though the appeal remains open.

The original uploader was Meganfoxx at English Wikipedia . · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know

The measure targeted the part the original 2013 repair law left out, telematics. Car owners could share repair-relevant data with independent shops through a smartphone app, and the rules start from model year 2022.
Source ↗

What it is: A state law giving car owners a way to share repair data.
Its edge: It sets a stated financial remedy for each unlawful denial of access.
Who should know: Useful to readers weighing a clear remedy against unresolved legal challenges.

Founded1863
HeadquartersAmherst, Hampshire County

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

The law makes each unlawful denial of vehicle data access compensable by treble damages or $10,000, whichever is greater. That gives the access right a stated financial remedy. — (voice only)
Source ↗

History

In 1919, a huge molasses tank burst in Boston’s North End, killing 21 people and injuring 150. A court later found the owners negligent, and the disaster led to changes in how industries were regulated. — (voice only)
Source ↗

Keep in mind

Carmakers sued to block the law, saying federal safety law overrides it. A lower court dismissed the suit in February 2025. The First Circuit appeal was argued in February 2026, and as of August 2026 no ruling had been reported.
Source ↗

Where to go further

Start with the Implementation section. It shows how the 2020 vote turned into rules, and what was still open with the courts and the car makers.
Source ↗

ChatGPT put it first. What they saw in it

ChatGPT: A car's diagnostic data is legally accessible to the owner and an owner-authorized independent shop, rather than being exclusively a dealer's private resource.

Compare the top three ↓

3United Kingdom

No. 3 — United Kingdom. On the lists of 8 of 8 AIs; median place there: 4.5. The UK makes the top three because its repair-information framework lasts through May 2029, while its parts promise is less certain.

Did you know

If a maker limits independent garages' access to information, tools or training, that clause is not exempt. The rest of the agreement can still benefit, and the CMA can cancel the exemption for a specific agreement.
Source ↗

What it is: A repair-information framework and an ombudsman code on parts.
Its edge: Its block exemption keeps a repair framework in place through May 2029.
Who should know: Useful to readers comparing current garage access and the uncertainty around parts after a maker fails.

Founded1921
HeadquartersUnited Kingdom

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

The UK’s motor-vehicle block exemption is set to expire on 31 May 2029. Its rules cover agreements involving spare parts and vehicle repair and maintenance services, giving garages a framework that continues beyond 2026. — (voice only)
Source ↗
For standard UK model lines, the Motor Ombudsman says parts are ordinarily available for 10 years after production ends. It describes this as a reasonable period in its New Car Code, not a general statutory deadline. — (voice only)
Source ↗

History

In 1952, a thick, toxic smog trapped London for days, disrupting travel and killing thousands. It helped spur the Clean Air Act of 1956, which restricted smoke emissions and encouraged cleaner fuels. — (voice only)
Source ↗

Keep in mind

The current UK exemption expires in May 2029, and no consultation on a replacement has been launched. The article says the UK is about a year behind the EU's tiered data access rollout.
Source ↗

What people say

"In short, this is a debate about who gets to fix your car, and at what price." — Amanda Webb, CEO of FixMyCar
Source ↗

Where to go further

Read Article 6 first. It says car makers must not stop independent garages from getting repair information, tools, or training. The rest of the order is harder going.
Source ↗

Video: CountryBalls - History of United Kingdom · CountryZ

Compare the top three ↓

The top three side by side

	European Union	Massachusetts (US)	United Kingdom
In the AIs' lists	8 / 8	8 / 8	8 / 8
Founded	1993	1863	1921
Headquarters	Brussels	Amherst, Hampshire County	United Kingdom
Put first by	Claude, Meta, Gemini, MiMo, Kimi, DeepSeek, Wenxin	ChatGPT	—

Places with the same number of AIs are ordered by their average place in the AIs' own lists.

03Worth knowing

What the AIs noticed while building the list.

Duties written against 'the manufacturer' die with the manufacturer. Only rights that owners or shops can exercise themselves, such as the EU Data Act and Massachusetts' private right of action, survive a collapse.

Noticed by:

Included it: Claude, Gemini, Kimi, DeepSeek. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, MiMo, Wenxin.

01Final list

European Union

Massachusetts (US)

United Kingdom

South Korea

China

Japan

India

United States (federal)

Australia

Maine (US)

02More about the top three

1European Union

Did you know

2Massachusetts (US)

Did you know

3United Kingdom

Did you know

The top three side by side

More ratings

03Worth knowing

04Questions people ask

05How we counted

1The question

2Why this topic

3Where it applies

4What we looked at

5Who ranked

6How the places were set

06Each AI's own list

What Claude noticed

What ChatGPT noticed

What Meta noticed

What MiMo noticed

What Kimi noticed

What DeepSeek noticed