Compliance
Daniel Winchell, the former owner of three Northwest Iowa dealerships, was accused of selling vehicles out of trust and charged with multiple counts of theft and ongoing criminal conduct. +
Lithia Motors will pay restitution to customers of five dealerships plus a $300,000 civil penalty to settle charges related to fees not included in advertised vehicle prices. +
Mitsubishi says John Deery Motor Co. has violated its dealer agreement by failing to provide showroom space and erect proper signage at a rooftop shared with Nissan and Lincoln franchises. +
Carfax reports more than 2.45 million U.S.-registered vehicles have rolled-back odometers, an increase of 14% from 2024, led by California’s 532,200 units. +
State officials have stepped into the void left by a slowdown in federal rulemaking. Attorney highlights some of the 119 recent changes affecting the auto finance industry. +
Tesla has been ordered to revise marketing language implying its vehicles can operate autonomously or face a 30-day suspension of its California dealer license. +
The Colorado Motor Vehicle Board voted 6-2 to grant a dealer license to Volkswagen subsidiary Scout Motors, allowing Scout to sell directly to EV buyers in that state. +
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton announced bank and wire fraud charges against Tricolor’s former CEO and COO and guilty pleas for two executives who are cooperating with prosecutors. +
President Donald Trump has signed “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence,” a new executive order that forbids individual states from regulating AI. +
Miami Police have accused Yuddy Mejias of issuing more than $1 million in checks to her husband and son and manipulating Brickell Motors’ accounting system to hide the theft. +
700Credit executives say an October cyberattack exposed the personal data of dealership customers and they have been working with NADA to craft a dealer action plan. +
DataBreach.io reports records stolen from 700Credit in an October cyberattack are being offered for sale on the dark web with an asking price of $8.4 million. +
More than 1 million U.S.-sold and Panoramic View Monitor-equipped Toyota, Lexus and Subaru units are subject to a new recall due to an issue with rearview camera images. +
The Michigan Department of State briefly suspended LaFontaine Chevrolet’s license after accusing the store of selling “new” vehicles that don’t qualify as such under state law. +
Martin D’Amato has been sentenced to seven years in state prison for stealing $1.3 million from the New Jersey dealership where he served as internet director. +
A gust of wind and negligence are to blame for damage to vehicles parked on a Vancouver dealership lot, according to a lawsuit leveled against two studios and a rental company. +
California Gov. Gavin Newsom now says there will be no state-funded replacement for the expiring $7,500 federal tax credit for EV buyers, reneging on a promise he made in November. +
Vegas Auto Gallery has sued Floyd Mayweather Jr. in an attempt to collect $1.2 million for a Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet, one of four vehicles the boxing legend acquired earlier this year. +
Chief Warrant Officer Shane Sprague is suing Doral (Fla.) Volkswagen more than two months after being arrested for stealing a truck he had purchased from the dealership. +
Landmark Dodge of Independence, Mo., will pay a total of $275,000 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging a policy set by ownership required some jobs to be staffed by men or women. +
Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the California Combating Auto Retail Scams Act, which was modeled in part after an FTC initiative that stalled in a federal appeals court in January. +
Representatives of major trade associations tell Automotive News a study that found evidence of discriminatory auto lending practices relies on flawed methodology and incomplete data. +
JPMorgan Chase, Fifth Third and Barclays are among the credit line providers facing massive losses as retailer and subprime lender Tricolor Auto enters bankruptcy proceedings. +
Valerie Drewlow, the former office manager at Greeley (Colo.) Nissan and Greeley Volkswagen, was arrested and faces charges of stealing $182,815 from the dealerships. +
The owner of New York’s Bul Auto Sales and Jacksonville’s Karma franchise has been arrested in Florida, where he faces charges of fraud and dealing in stolen property. +
The California New Car Dealers Association is suing to prevent further collections of deposits for the upcoming Afeela 1 EV, which the factory plans to sell directly to consumers. +
A unanimous state supreme court decision finds NJ CAR lacks standing to sue Ford Motor Co. for alleged violations of New Jersey franchise laws relating to the Lincoln Commitment program. +
Mark Janbakhsh faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison after being convicted in a bank fraud conspiracy involving his brother, inflated inventory and unearned lines of credit. +
Tesla is allowed to sell its EVs directly to consumers in Ohio, but its competitor, Rivian, is not. The latter is suing to end the state's ban on DTC sales and its rival’s carveout. +
Electrek’s Fred Lambert says a review of documents following a $243 million judgment against Tesla reveals the EV maker withheld collision data critical to the plaintiffs’ case. +
An Ohio woman whose vehicle was repossessed by Taylor Kia of Lima following a conditional delivery is suing the dealership after successfully claiming its business name. +
New agreements set the levy on vehicles imported from South Korea at 15% and extend an Aug. 1 deadline that would have subjected Mexico-built units to a 30% tariff. +
Lamborghini accused Gold Coast Exotic Imports of selling 32 units in violation of its dealer agreement, including one purchased by a convicted criminal and unlicensed reseller. +
Trump administration officials announced the terms of an agreement that would reduce tariffs on vehicles and parts imported from European Union nations to 15%. +
Automotive News reports owners of the Boston-area Mirak Chevrolet are suing General Motors to prevent the establishment of a competing dealership less than six miles away. +
Capital One’s Dealer Navigator platform now features ProtectID, a new solution that uses AI to gauge risk by combining soft pulls with fraud models and deep data insights. +
Tariffs on vehicles imported from Japan are now set at 15% as a part of an agreement that AAPC chief Matt Blunt calls a “bad deal” for U.S. factories that build vehicles in Canada and Mexico. +
California DMV officials are pushing for a 30-day suspension of Tesla’s dealer license in an escalation of a yearslong legal dispute over the way “self-driving” vehicles are advertised. +
Alliance for Automotive Innovation’s John Bozzella says the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s unexpectedly rapid phaseout of the federal EV tax credit will slow adoption and hurt consumers. +
Automotive News’s John Huetter details the myriad benefits President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill brings to dealership owners, starting with “bonus” depreciation for floorplanned units. +
In a special July 4 ceremony at the White House, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, cementing the administration’s taxation strategy and budget priorities. +
Sheriff’s detectives donned polo shirts borrowed from Linus Cadillac Buick GMC to catch a man accused of fraud for attempting to acquire a $75,000 SUV with a stolen ID. +
Authorities have arrested and plan to charge a Texas man with stealing a Mustang at gunpoint while on a test drive, reportedly after leaving his driver’s license behind. +
A GMC Sierra owner claims the recall affecting nearly 600,000 Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac trucks and SUVs will not resolve an issue that could cause sudden loss of propulsion. +
A lawsuit that may qualify as a class action has been leveled by one customer of Branhaven CJDR of Branford, Conn., who claims security failures led to the theft of his personal data. +
Mosaic Compliance Services announced the launch of AuditF&I, a new continuous compliance monitoring solution designed to help dealers confirm and document compliance with state and federal requirements. +
President Donald Trump signed three resolutions revoking waivers that allowed California and 11 other states to set emissions standards and restrict sales of gas-powered vehicles. +
“The Dealership AI Security Guidebook” offers dealers a 15-point checklist for reducing the risk of an AI-powered cyberattack or data breach, starting with vendor and service provider assessment. +
Descartes Datamyne reports the number of vehicles shipped to the United States by sea fell by 9% in May compared with the same month a year ago as new tariffs take effect. +
Infiniti of Englewood attorneys say an out-of-trust lawsuit filed by Nissan against the dealership is “an attempt to strong-arm” ownership as it negotiates a floorplan financing agreement. +
Dealers, insurance providers, finance sources and rental agencies are under attack, leading Veridos America’s Jim Marsh to advocate for an industrywide effort to properly verify identities. +
Regulators will no longer pursue discriminatory pricing charges against three Texas dealerships owned by Asbury Automotive following an executive order challenging the legal theory of disparate impact. +
Less than a week after more than 1 million Ford and Lincoln vehicles were recalled due to the risk of malfunctioning rearview camera displays, Nissan and Stellantis separately reported similar issues. +
Volkswagen will extend its price freeze on new U.S.-sold units through the end of June. Sources say VW and fellow German automakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz may be close to a tariff exemption. +
Recall Masters’ annual report finds any of 238 voluntary manufacturer recall notices may have slipped past U.S. dealers in 2024, putting drivers at risk and exposing dealers to legal liability. +
Attorneys who accused Chicago’s Western Avenue Nissan of falsifying their client’s credit application have cited complaints from 12 online reviews to qualify their lawsuit as a class action. +
The U.S. Senate approved a measure that revokes an EPA waiver that would have allowed a group of states, led by California, to ban the sale of light duty gas vehicles and gas/electric hybrids. +
Reynolds and Reynolds has promoted Chris Walsh to acting CEO following the departure of former CEO Tommy Barras, who is seeking $300 million in damages for wrongful termination. +
The California New Car Dealers Association has officially demanded that Honda and its Sony Honda Mobility division stop collecting deposits for the Afeela 1 EV from California residents. +
The REAL ID Act sets a new standard for identity verification and represents a step forward in the fight against synthetic ID fraud. So why are so many dealers verifying IDs the old-fashioned way? +
A $60 million settlement agreed to by Toyota Financial Services following charges of noncompliant F&I product sales has been canceled by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. +
U.S. and Chinese officials announced a 90-day pause on steep tariffs imposed upon each other’s exports, including vehicles and parts, in a sudden de-escalation that could lead to a long-term agreement. +
The United States and the United Kingdom have agreed to a new trade deal that will lower U.S. import taxes on up to 100,000 U.K.-built vehicles per year from 25% to 10%. +
More than 1,700 New Yorkers who bought out leases arranged at eight Nissan dealerships will get a share of a $3.2 million settlement the dealers reached with Attorney General Letitia James. +
A consumer has filed a lawsuit claiming General Motors was aware of a propulsion issue years before a recent recall of hundreds of thousands of vehicles equipped with the L87 V8 engine. +
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed sued against the operators of six dealerships, all accused of failing to provide titles to customers in violation of the state’s Consumer Sales Practices Act and Certificate of Motor Vehicles Act. +
Attorney Tom Oscherwitz warns the auto finance industry not to take its foot off the compliance pedal despite the Trump administration’s systematic dismantling of federal regulatory bodies. +
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order offering some tariff relief for automakers, preserving a 25% levy on imported vehicles but offering offsets for the cost of imported parts. +
Multiple dealers tell Automotive News that Porsche has halted U.S. shipments of new units rather than pay a 25% tariff on imported vehicles that went into effect April 3. +
The California New Car Dealers Association filed a lawsuit against Volkswagen and its Scout Motors division, which produces EVs the company wants to sell directly to consumers. +
An ongoing dispute between Honda and Criswell Acura has escalated with the filing of a lawsuit against the factory, seeking to recoup losses from a 2024 Acura ZDX that failed at 400 miles. +
Herb Chambers will pay $11.8 million to settle allegations that eight of his companies improperly obtained federal COVID-19 relief funds. Executives and attorneys blamed confusion over shifting guidelines. +
Several customers of Oxford County Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Paris, Maine, tell the U.S. Sun their vehicles are locked up in the dealership, which was forced to close last week. +
The owner of two Los Angeles-area Nissan dealerships says the factory orchestrated a “deliberate and nefarious scheme” to “suffocate” his rooftops by purposely depriving them of needed inventory. +
Nikola founder and former CEO Trevor Milton says he has been pardoned by President Donald Trump, escaping a four-year federal prison sentence and $1 million fine. +
VicOne’s latest annual report finds cyberattacks cost the global automotive industry $22.5 billion last year — including $20 billion in data leakage — up from about $1 billion in 2022. +
Point Predictive’s latest Auto Lending Fraud Trends Report finds auto finance sources face an estimated $9.2 billion in loss exposure, fueled primarily by “first-party” credit application fraud. +
Attorney Tom Oscherwitz says generative AI-powered “deepfakes” are giving criminals new ways to defraud dealers and finance sources and spurring the development of new detection tools.+
Auto Dealership Partners has won an $18 million judgment against Ford Motor Co. after accusing the factory of engaging in “deceit and fraud” by blocking the purchase of a Benton, Ark., franchise. +
Wisconsin Department of Transportation officials are warning car buyers to be on the lookout for fraudsters posing as dealers by cloning websites and social media profiles and accepting payments via wire transfer. +
Former Honor Finance CEO James Collins has been sentenced to four years in federal prison and restitution totaling $67 million after pleading guilty in two bank fraud cases. +
Hyundai Motor America has been ordered to pay a multimillion-dollar award to Universal Hyundai of Orlando, Fla., for breaching Universal’s franchise agreement as well as Florida’s Dealer Act. +
The FTC announced checks totaling more than $934,000 have been sent to 20,361 Vroom customers harmed by violations of rules and regulations intended to protect used car buyers.+
DealNow.com’s Brad Parker says platforms that connect dealers with sellers of privately owned vehicles need built-in identity verification and fraud prevention tools to avoid costly mistakes. +
700Credit’s Ken Hill warns dealers who utilize digital deal jackets that, without modernization of certain processes and safeguards, customer data may be at risk. +
Agent Summit will host the first ACE Trainer certification, a private event open to ACE-partnered agents and trainers who have earned ACE Compliance Officer certification. +
Citing plateauing sales and the imminent loss of federal tax credits, dealers tell the New York Post that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s goal of a zero-emissions new vehicle market by 2035 is “an unrealistic bust.” +
Former dealer and newly elected U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno’s Transportation Freedom Act would revise and standardize fuel economy standards and offer tax savings to domestic manufacturers. +
Agent Summit will host the first ACE Trainer certification, a private event open to ACE-partnered agents and trainers who have earned ACE Compliance Officer certification. +
The South Carolina Consumer Freedom Act has stalled following a subcommittee hearing, a setback for Scout Motors’ campaign to sell directly to consumers in the state where its EVs will be built. +
SubPrime’s Nick Zulovich reports on the latest developments as federal regulators that govern auto retail and finance are reshaped and reformed under a second Trump administration. +
The State reports that, barring the passage of a proposed bill, residents of the state where Scout Motors EVs are built will have to travel to Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia or Florida to buy one. +
The Oklahoma Insurance Department accused Select Auto Protect of selling vehicle service contracts without a license following an investigation spurred by consumer complaints. +
Automotive News reports a group of Florida dealers has formally challenged Scout Motors’ plans to sell EVs directly to consumers, citing state law establishing the EV maker as a “common entity” with Volkswagen. +
ACE will offer Automotive Compliance Specialist certification to Agent Summit attendees at the upcoming 2025 event, continuing a tradition that began in 2017. +
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed CARS Rule on procedural grounds, finding the agency violated its own policies by finalizing a new trade regulation rule without advance notice. +
Experts say identity fraud is on the rise and costing the American auto industry billions while inconveniencing legitimate customers. The Detroit Free Press investigates. +
The compliance training provider announced the launch of a new enterprise designed to forge partnerships through current, actionable content developed in partnership with industry experts. +
President Trump ordered an end to the federal “EV mandate,” targeting sales goals, funds for charging infrastructure and state-level emissions standards. EV tax credits could be next. +
The U.S. Commerce Department will finalize a ban on the sale of Chinese cars and trucks before President Joe Biden leaves office, leaving the incoming administration to decide which factories and vehicles to exempt. +
In a new lawsuit, the FTC and the attorney general of Maryland say the three-store Lindsay Automotive Group made millions by systematically overcharging customers. Executives denied the charges. +
Attorney Jim Ganther predicts a number of benefits to dealers and consumer will flow from economic, trade and environmental policies promoted, enacted and enforced by a second Trump administration. +
The California New Car Dealers Association sent a cease-and-desist letter to Volkswagen’s Scout Motors division, claiming plans to sell its EVs directly to consumers would violate state law. +
The Federal Trade Commission announced a recordbreaking settlement with AutoCanada over a slew of fraud charges the agency leveled against the dealer group’s 10 U.S. rooftops. +
The latest report from CARFAX finds incidents of odometer rollbacks continue to multiply, affecting more than 2 million units so far this year, up 18% since 2021. +
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to weigh in on an appeal brought by conservative states, teeing up a likely reversal to EPA policy in the early days of the second Trump administration. +
Agents get the VIP treatment at Agent Entrepreneur eXchange, with free hotel, airfare and limo for those who are selected to participate, plus access to Reinsurance Symposium. +
Reuters reports members of the Trump transition team will recommend a reversal of Biden administration policies designed to encourage EV production and sales. +
Members of the Trump administration’s transition team have recommended that NHTSA no longer require automakers to report fatal crashes involving self-driving technology. +
Andrew Ferguson has been tapped to promote from commissioner to chair of the Federal Trade Commission by President-elect Donald Trump. +
Dealer technology provider Tekion has filed a federal lawsuit against its rival, CDK Global, as part of an escalating dispute over data rights and vendor transition. +
The Michigan Department of State reinstated a suburban Detroit Hyundai dealership’s license after suspending it for “imminent harm to the public” two days ago, Fox 2 Detroit reported. +
The office of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody delivered a nearly nine-month heads-up before a Sept. 1 enforcement deadline pertaining to pricing accuracy in dealership advertising. +
President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate Sean Duffy to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation, succeeding Biden administration appointee Pete Buttigieg. +
Senator-elect Bernie Moreno, a former dealer and factory executive, says he wants to scrap policies that produce “cars people don’t want." +
British financial institutions may flee the auto lending sector after a bombshell appeals court ruling put them on the hook for massive consumer payouts. +
The former owner of Mitch Simpson Motors was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison after being convicted of stealing $3 million from three floorplan lenders. +
Attorney and consultant Steve Levine tries to predict how a second Trump administration will change the way auto finance is regulated. +
Despite trade groups’ best efforts, new regulations taking effect in 2025 will effectively prevent RV dealers from selling diesel coaches — and not just in California. +
Best Ford of Nashua (N.H.)’s Facebook followers quickly tracked down a customer suspected of using a fake check to steal a $50,000 truck. +
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser says the owners of a service contract provider misrepresented its products and services as well as its charitable endeavors. +
Former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau attorney Tom Oscherwitz says a review of the agency's own data proves its stated priorities fail to reflect the issues car buyers are actually complaining about. +
Volkswagen’s decision to bypass its U.S. dealer network and sell Scout Motors EVs directly to consumers drew a swift rebuke from national and state dealer associations. +
A NHTSA investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with optional Full Self-Driving software follows the latest of four reported collisions. +
A federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit alleging a Chicago dealership wrongly claimed bonus payments after misreporting sales to known resellers. +
A New York City Hyundai dealership accused a former employee of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty for allegedly accepting kickbacks from a product provider. +
Arguing on procedural grounds, dealer association attorneys asked the 5th Circuit to overturn the Federal Trade Commission’s new vehicle shopping rule or remand it to the agency for revision. +
Every registered attendee of the upcoming Industry Summit is invited to complete their choice of Automotive Compliance Education (ACE) certification for no charge. +
Asbury Automotive outlined internal processes as part of a formal denial of wrongdoing following accusations from the Federal Trade Commission of systematic payment packing. +
ACE Executive Director Gil Van Over III will get dealers and agents up to speed on the Federal Trade Commission’s new CARS Rule in a keynote address at Industry Summit. +
Automotive Compliance Education (ACE) has updated its logo and launched a new website with unique experiences for agents, dealers and individual users. +
A lawsuit claims the transfer of dual Long Island, N.Y., Alfa Romeo and Maserati dealerships was unfairly blocked by their factories. +
