Chamber
ontario
Stage
Introduced
This Ontario bill requires suppliers to provide consumers and repair businesses with tools, parts, and information needed to repair electronic products, appliances, vehicles, and more.
Key Changes
- Suppliers must provide documentation, parts, and tools needed for repair to consumers and independent repair businesses within 30 days of a request
- Suppliers must retain repair-related resources for at least seven years after a product model is last manufactured
- Suppliers cannot void a product warranty solely because a consumer or independent repair business performed the repair or used non-approved parts
- Software 'parts pairing' that blocks functional replacement parts or creates false warnings is prohibited
- Embedded software updates must be provided free of charge
- Courts can declare a motor vehicle 'seriously defective' after repeated failed repair attempts and order a repurchase, replacement, or lease termination
- Consumers who sue under this law cannot be ordered to pay the supplier's legal costs unless the claim is frivolous or vexatious
Gotchas
- The bill only applies to products manufactured and supplied after the law comes into force, meaning older products are not covered
- Suppliers are not required to share confidential business information beyond what is strictly necessary for repair purposes, and may require a confidentiality agreement
- Suppliers are not liable for damage caused during a consumer or repair business's repair work unless the damage stems from a design or manufacturing defect
- Several product categories are explicitly excluded, including medical devices, marine vessels, airplanes, mining and construction equipment, and certain security and emergency communications systems
- Suppliers are not required to provide parts that are no longer available to them, which could limit the practical effect of the law for older covered products
- The law does not come into force until one year after either Royal Assent or the proclamation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2023, whichever is later, giving suppliers time to prepare
Who's Affected
- Ontario consumers who own electronic products, appliances, vehicles, or mobility aids
- Independent and small repair businesses, especially in rural areas
- Manufacturers and authorized dealers of covered products
- Farmers and agricultural equipment users
- Persons with disabilities who use motorized mobility aids
- Used product buyers (successor owners also receive rights under this bill)
Vibes
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Gotchas
- The bill only applies to products manufactured and supplied after the law comes into force, meaning older products are not covered
- Suppliers are not required to share confidential business information beyond what is strictly necessary for repair purposes, and may require a confidentiality agreement
- Suppliers are not liable for damage caused during a consumer or repair business's repair work unless the damage stems from a design or manufacturing defect
- Several product categories are explicitly excluded, including medical devices, marine vessels, airplanes, mining and construction equipment, and certain security and emergency communications systems
- Suppliers are not required to provide parts that are no longer available to them, which could limit the practical effect of the law for older covered products
- The law does not come into force until one year after either Royal Assent or the proclamation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2023, whichever is later, giving suppliers time to prepare
Summary
Bill 91, the Right to Repair Act, 2025, adds new rules to Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, 2023 that give consumers and independent repair businesses the right to access the parts, tools, documentation, and software needed to diagnose, maintain, and repair a wide range of products. The bill covers electronic products, household appliances, agricultural equipment, motor vehicles, motorized mobility aids, and recreational motorized vehicles manufactured after the law comes into force. Suppliers — including manufacturers — must provide these resources within 30 days of a request, keep them available for at least seven years after a product is last made, and cannot void a warranty just because a consumer or independent shop did the repair or used non-approved parts. The bill was introduced in response to concerns about rising costs of living, product waste, and limited access to affordable repair services, especially in rural and smaller communities where authorized dealerships may not exist. If a supplier refuses or cannot comply with the repair access requirements, they must either replace the product for free or fully refund the consumer. The bill also includes special protections for motor vehicle owners, allowing courts to declare a vehicle 'seriously defective' if repeated repair attempts fail, and ordering a refund, repurchase, or free replacement in those cases.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
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