The US Federal Trade Commission cautioned 97 dealers in March about possible deceptive pricing tactics.
Names of the dealerships were made public by the FTC in late May.
The regulator seeks to promote clear and accurate advertised vehicle prices.

The Federal Trade Commission has published the identities of 97 dealerships that received warnings over suspected deceptive pricing methods. Prominent groups such as Lithia Motors, AutoNation, and Hendrick Automotive Group appear on the roster.

Back in March the commission explained that the notices aimed to prompt dealers to examine their advertising and pricing approaches, specifically to confirm that quoted figures encompass every mandatory fee a buyer must cover. The FTC withheld the recipient names during the initial release.

According to the correspondence, the commission is focused on achieving prices that remain transparent and accurate. It seeks to curb tactics that hide the actual purchase cost and informed recipients they might be displaying figures below the amount ultimately charged to customers.

Among the practices flagged as potentially unlawful are advertising a figure that omits required fees, tying the displayed price to use of dealer financing, and promoting vehicles that are unavailable or nonexistent. The letters do not establish that any dealer has committed violations and state that the communication is not a full assessment of concerns nor a determination of wrongdoing.

This letter is not intended to be a comprehensive statement of concerns that may exist about your dealership or dealership group. Nor is it intended to represent any conclusions on whether your dealership or dealership group is engaging in these practices

The commission released the names in late May. The following 97 dealerships received notices.

Aaron Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Adzam Inc. dba Doug’s Lynnwood Mazda
AutoNation, Inc
Autopia Motorcars
Benson’s Ingram Park Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram
Berkshire Hathaway Automotive
Best Price Dealer
Bud Clary Auto Group
California Beemers Inc
California Motors Direct
Capital Auto Mall Premier
Cardinal Buick GMC
Cardinale Automotive Group
CarHub
Cincy Automall
City Kia of Greater Orlando
Clay Cooley Auto Group-Clay Cooley Enterprises
Encore Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Fayetteville Dodge Ram
Findlay Automotive Group
Fontana Motors Direct
Ford of Elizabethton
Frisco Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Gettel Automotive
Gilroy Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Greenway Auto Group
Group 1 Automotive Inc.
Hanna Imports
Hardin Buick Pontiac GMC
Hayes Chrysler Dodge Jeep of Gainesville
Headquarter Hyundai
Hendrick Automotive Group
Hiley Automotive Group
Holman
Honda of Downtown Chicago
Honda of Manhasset
Houston Direct Auto
Huntley Ford
Hyundai of El Cajon
Hyundai Stockton
Integrity Automotive/MCS Integrity Co Inc
Jack Phelan Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM
Jeff Wyler Automotive
Jim Keras Automotive
John Sisson Mercedes Benz
John Sisson Motors
John Sisson Nissan
Ken Ganley Automotive Group
Ken Garff Automotive Group
Killeen Hyundai
King of Jamaica Auto Inc
Lancaster Mitsubishi
Legend Auto Sales
Liberty Nissan
Lithia Motors Inc
Lokey Automotive Group
Mac Haik Auto Group
McGrath Acura of Downtown Chicago
McGrath Acura of Libertyville
McGrath Arlington Kia
Miami Lakes Chevrolet
Midlands Volkswagen of Columbia
Morgan Auto Group, LLC
Nissan of Cool Springs
Noller Auto Group/Laid Noller Automotive Inc
NorthStar Kia
Old Orchard Nissan
Orr Auto Group
Ourisman Automotive Group
Page Honda of Bloomfield
Page Toyota
Prestige Imports Lamborghini Miami
Rairdon’s Honda of Burien
Red McCombs Motors Ltd
Route 23 Nissan
Route 46 Auto Group
Safford Automotive Group
Sanford Imports
Serra Chevrolet Buick GMC of Nashville
Serra Honda
Serra Kia of Trussville
Serra Toyota
Serramonte Subaru
Seth Wadley Auto Group
Sonic Automotive
South Shore Nissan
South Team Automall
Stream Auto Outlet
Superior Ford Inc
Supreme Motors LLC
Titanium Motors Inc
Universal Nissan Orlando
Vancouver Toyota
Victory Mitsubishi
Visalia Hyundai
Wagner Kia of Shrewsbury
Zeigler Automotive Group

Motor1’s Take: Few experiences annoy buyers more than spotting an advertised vehicle price only to discover substantially higher costs upon arrival at the dealership. Such situations waste time, irritate customers, and represent poor business practice that may steer purchasers toward direct sales brands to avoid the confusion.