The Auto Marketplace
Buying or leasing a car is the biggest financial transactions for many consumers aside from owning a home, and having access to a vehicle also is essential for many Americans to carry on their daily lives. The FTC plays several important roles in making sure consumers get a fair deal in the auto marketplace:
- The agency brings auto-related enforcement actions, including against companies falsely promising to reduce auto loan payments, car dealers and others making deceptive advertising claims, telemarketers pitching bogus auto “warranties” that are actually extended service contracts, and companies promoting illegal pyramid operations through lease offers.
- The agency also enforces the Used Car Rule, which requires the familiar windshield stickers that appear on used cars at dealers throughout the country and give consumers critical information about who will pay for repairs if something goes wrong with the car they buy.
- In addition, the Dodd - Frank Act passed by Congress in 2010 gives the FTC new and expanded authority regarding motor vehicle dealers. Since 2011, the FTC has been gathering information on possible consumer protection issues that may arise in the sale, financing or lease of motor vehicles through a series of roundtables and by seeking public comments.
- Traffic Jam Events, LLC, In the Matter of ( )
- Tate’s Auto Center ( )
- Traffic Jam Events, LLC ( )
- Bronx Honda ( )
- Federal-Mogul Motorparts LLC: In the Matter of ( )
- LightYear Dealer Technologies, LLC, In the Matter of ( )
- Universal City Nissan, Inc., et al. ( )
- Uber Technologies Inc. ( )
- CDK Global and Auto/Mate, In the Matter of ( )
- Cowboy AG LLC, In the Matter of ( )
- Norm Reeves ( )
- Regency Financial Services, LLC ( )
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. ( )
- Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., In the Matter of ( )
- West-Herr Automotive Group, Inc., In the Matter of ( )
- CarMax, Inc., In the Matter of ( )
- Jim Koons Management Company, In the Matter of ( )
- Lithia Motors, Inc., In the Matter of ( )
- General Motors LLC, In the Matter of ( )
- New World Auto Imports, Inc., d/b/a Southwest Kia, et al., In the Matter of ( )
- FTC Action Leads to Lifetime Industry Ban for Operators of ‘Extended Vehicle Warranty’ Scam ( )
- FTC Returns More Than $9.8 Million To Consumers Harmed by Napleton Auto’s Junk Fees and Discriminatory Practices ( )
- FTC Approves Final Orders in Right-to-Repair Cases Against Harley-Davidson, MWE Investments, and Weber ( )
- Federal Trade Commission Takes Action Against Passport Automotive Group for Illegally Charging Junk Fees and Discriminating Against Black and Latino Customers ( )
- FTC Announces Tentative Agenda for October 20 Open Commission Meeting ( )
- FTC Declines to Extend Comment Period on Proposed Auto Rule, Deadline For Comments Sept. 12 ( )
- FTC Proposes Rule to Ban Junk Fees, Bait-and-Switch Tactics Plaguing Car Buyers ( )
- FTC Takes Action Against Multistate Auto Dealer Napleton for Sneaking Illegal Junk Fees onto Bills and Discriminating Against Black Consumers ( )
- Auto Marketing Company Banned from Industry Under FTC Order ( )
- FTC Obtains $450,000 Settlement in Tate’s Auto Group Case ( )
- FTC Staff Issues Note on Holder Rule and Large Transactions ( )
- FTC Sends Nearly $1.5 Million to Victims of Bronx Honda’s Illegal Financing and Sales Practices ( )
- Auto Dealer Group to Cease Business Operations As Part of FTC Settlement ( )
- FTC Adds Charges Against Auto Marketer For Deceptive “Prize” Mailers ( )
- FTC Announces Staff Reports on Car Buying and Financing Experience, Results of Auto Buyers Study ( )
- Marketer Used Deceptive COVID-19 Stimulus Mailers To Lure Consumers to Used Car Sales, FTC Alleges ( )
- Auto Dealership Bronx Honda, General Manager to Pay $1.5 Million to Settle FTC Charges They Discriminated Against African-American, Hispanic Car Buyers ( )
- FTC Approves Final Consent Order against Federal-Mogul Motorparts LLC Related to Performance Claims for Its Wagner OEX Brake Pads ( )
- FTC Acts to Stop False and Unsubstantiated Claims for Wagner OEX Brake Pads ( )
- FTC Gives Final Approval to Settlement with Auto Dealer Software Company That Allegedly Failed to Protect Consumers’ Data ( )
- Money Matters offers the latest on spotting and reporting scams (January 11, 2023)
- $3.3 million FTC settlement with Passport drives home importance of fair lending(October 18, 2022)
- FTC announces three right-to-repair cases: Do your warranties comply with the law? (July 7, 2022)
- Proposed FTC rule looks under the hood at the car buying process(June 23, 2022)
- Record-setting $10 million FTC-Illinois settlement takes on car dealers’ unauthorized add-ons and discriminatory lending practices(April 4, 2022)
- Buckle up for a two-lane look at car buying(July 30, 2020)
- Looking at the VW case in the rearview mirror(July 27, 2020)
- They use a COVID-19 pitch to sell WHAT?!(June 17, 2020)
- FTC says Bronx Honda discriminated against African-American and Hispanic consumers(May 27, 2020)
- Putting the brakes on unproven superiority claims(March 25, 2020)
- Who’s in the mix at Nixing the Fix?(July 9, 2019)
- Data security settlement with service provider includes updated order provisions(June 12, 2019)
- Do you have a 2012, 2013, or 2014 VW Passat TDI?(November 5, 2018)
- Car dealer and marketing firm called out for bogus recall notices(October 10, 2018)
- Be discreet when you delete your fleet(August 27, 2018)
- FTC alleges car dealers falsified consumers’ income on financing forms(August 1, 2018)
- FTC goes used car shopping, “test drives” 2300 vehicles(July 12, 2018)
- FTC staff sends warranty warnings(April 10, 2018)
- Front and center for military consumers(February 2, 2018)
- FTC staff offers perspectives on connected car workshop(January 10, 2018)
- Connected Cars: Privacy, Security Issues Related to Connected, Automated VehiclesJune 28, 2017
- Auto Distribution: Current Issues & Future TrendsJanuary 19, 2016
- Sharing a Common Ground: A Common Ground Conference in St. LouisMay 1, 2014
- Consumer Protection in Immigrant Communities March 20, 2014
- Northwest Region Common Ground Meeting October 24, 2012
- Western Region Common Ground ConferenceSeptember 19, 2012
- Midwest Region 2012 Common Ground Conference June 11, 2012
- The Road Ahead: Selling, Financing & Leasing Motor VehiclesNovember 17, 2011
- The Road Ahead: Selling, Financing & Leasing Motor VehiclesAugust 2, 2011
- The Road Ahead: Selling, Financing & Leasing Motor VehiclesApril 12, 2011
- The Rebate DebateApril 27, 2007
- Public Forum on Vehicle Buyback DisclosuresOctober 3, 1996
- Protecting Military Servicemembers and Veterans from Financial Scams and Fraud: Prepared Statement of the Federal Trade Commission Before the House Subcommittee on National Security ( )
- Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Christine S. Wilson Regarding the Motor Vehicle Dealers Trade Regulation Rule ( )
- Joint Statement of Chair Lina M. Khan and Commissioners Noah Joshua Phillips, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, and Alvaro M. Bedoya Regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on a Motor Vehicle Dealers Trade Regulation Rule ( )
- Statement of Commissioner Rohit Chopra In the Matter of Liberty Chevrolet, Inc. d/b/a Bronx Honda ( )
- Statement of Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter in the Matter of Liberty Chevrolet, Inc. d/b/a Bronx Honda ( )
- Statement of Commissioner Rohit Chopra In the Matter of Uber Technologies, Inc. ( )
- Statement of Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter In the Matter of Uber Technologies, Inc. ( )
- Remarks of Thomas Pahl at the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA) National Policy Conference ( )
- Remarks from the FTC Connected Cars Workshop ( )
- Road Cleared for VW to Compensate Consumers ( )
- Remarks of FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez at Volkswagen Press Conference ( )
- Keynote Remarks at Connected Cars USA 2016 Conference ( )
- Opening Remarks of FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez ( )
- Blog Post: Hackers Make Cars Safer. Don’t Ban Them From Tinkering ( )
- I’d like to thank… ( )
- Separate Statement of Commissioner Maureen K. Ohlhausen ZF Friedrichshafen AG/TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. ( )
- Statement of the Federal Trade Commission In the Matter of ZF Friedrichshafen AG and TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. ( )
- Protecting Every Community: An update on the FTC’s work to combat fraud targeting Latinos ( )
- FTC Policy Statement Regarding Advertising Substantiation ( )
- FTC Policy Statement on Deception ( )
- Buckle Up: Navigating Auto Sales and Financing ( )
- The Auto Buyer Study: Lessons from In-Depth Consumer Interviews and Related Research ( )
- Economics at the FTC: Non-Price Merger Effects and Deceptive Automobile Ads ( )
- A Closer Look At the Military Consumer Financial Workshop: The Federal Trade Commission Staff Perspective ( )
- The Connected Cars Workshop: The Federal Trade Commission Staff Perspective ( )
- Report on Motor Vehicle Industry ( )
- 2016 Audit of Better Business Bureau Auto Line Including the State of Florida and the State of Ohio
- 2018 Audit of the National Center for Dispute Settlement (Automobile Warranty Arbitration Program)
- 2018 Audit of Better Business Bureau Auto Line Including the State of Florida and the State of Ohio
- 2017 Audit of Better Business Bureau Auto Line Including the State of Florida and the State of Ohio
- 2017 Audit of the National Center for Dispute Settlement (Automobile Warranty Arbitration Program)
- 2016 Audit of the National Center for Dispute Settlement (Automobile Warranty Arbitration Program)
- FTC Staff Comment Supporting Michigan Senate Bill 268, And Recommending That the Michigan Legislature Consider Expanding the Bill To Permit Automobile Manufacturers To Sell New Motor Vehicles Directly To Consumers ( )
- FTC Staff Comment Before the New Jersey General Assembly Regarding Assembly Bills 2986, 3096, 3041, and 3216, Which Would Create Limited Exceptions to New Jersey’s Prohibition on Direct-to-Consumer Sales by Manufacturers of Automobiles ( )
- FTC Staff Comment Before the Missouri House of Representatives Regarding House Bill 1124, Which Would Expand the Current Prohibition on Direct-to-Consumer Sales by Manufacturers of Automobiles ( )
- Answering Dealers’ Questions about the Revised Used Car Rule ( )
- Small Business Computer Security Basics ( )
- Conceptos básicos sobre seguridad informática para pequeños negocios ( )
- Buyers Guide (Fillable form) ( )
- Guía del Comprador (Versión para llenar) ( )
- Guía del Comprador ( )
- Dealer's Guide to the Used Car Rule ( )
- Guía del Comprador (Con notas sobre el formato) ( )
- Buyers Guide ( )
- Buyers Guide (Format Notes) ( )
- Complying with the FTC Fuel Rating Rule ( )
- Comience con seguridad: una guía para negocios ( )
- Start with Security: A Guide for Business ( )
- Advertising Consumer Leases ( )
- .com Disclosures: How to Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising ( )
- Businessperson's Guide to Federal Warranty Law ( )
- Complying with the Credit Practices Rule ( )
- FTC's Privacy Rule and Auto Dealers: FAQs ( )
- Advertising FAQ's: A Guide for Small Business ( )
- 16 CFR Part 455 Trade Regulation Rule; Sale of Used Motor Vehicles ( )
