I strongly disagree with the eff. Safety trumps all and there simply isn't a compelling need (that I can think of) that requires the need to tinker with the auto software. All of the "arguably restricts vehicle inspection, repair, and modification" is just a red herring.

"The reach of copyright law has expanded so far that it now threatens people's ability to repair their own cars and protect them against malware. Yesterday, EFF launched a legal campaign to fend off that threat."

Can't even think that I have read any stories (so far) about malware having an impact on auto operation. Hard to believe that opening up the software won't result in something bad happening either.