About this episode

The episode discusses the FTC's warning letters to car dealerships and what it means for compliance and pricing practices.

In this episode of the Independent Dealer Podcast, Jeff Watson and Luke Godwin sit down with Patrick O'Brien, Director of Government Relations and Compliance at NIADA, for a straight-shooting breakdown of the FTC's 97 warning letters to dealerships — what they mean, why they were sent, and what every dealer needs to do right now. From the vacated CARS rule to out-the-door pricing, Patrick pulls back the curtain on what Washington is actually doing to police market conduct in 2026. What You'll Learn: Why the FTC issued 97 warning letters to dealerships — and what happens next if they don't clean up their act How the Lindsay Auto Group consent agreement is a preview of what enforcement actually looks like What "out-the-door price" really means under Section 5 of the FTC Act — and why doc fees can no longer be hidden Whether independent dealers can (or should) report franchise stores that are still doing it wrongHow NIADA and NADA are working together — and where they disagree — on right to repair and safety recall legislation Why the NIADA Convention in Denver (June 21–24) is the place to get compliant and get ahead If you're an independent or BHPH dealer trying to…

Topics covered

• FTC warning letters
• dealership compliance
• deceptive pricing
• government relations
• independent dealers
• BHPH dealers

Sponsors

Buckeye Risk Services, Blytz

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