Caught in the Compliance Crossfire: Navigating Federal Pricing Scrutiny and California’s First-Communication Mandate

Dealerships today are caught between aggressive federal enforcement and rigorous new state mandates. On March 13, 2026, the FTC sent warning letters to 97 dealership rooftops nationwide (FTC), and the message from Washington was unmistakable: regulators intend to pursue non-transparent pricing aggressively, even without the vacated CARS Rule on the books. [...]

The CARS Rule Is Gone, the CARS Act Is Here: Why California’s New Law Reshapes Compliance for Dealers Everywhere on October 1

When the Fifth Circuit vacated the FTC’s nationwide CARS Rule in January 2025 (Crowell & Moring) — a rule that never actually took effect — many dealers assumed the threat of heavy-handed pricing regulation had quietly disappeared. That relief proved premature. California picked up the framework, added strict used-car parameters, and passed [...]

Caught in the Compliance Crossfire: Navigating Federal Pricing Scrutiny and California’s First-Communication Mandate

The CARS Rule Is Gone, the CARS Act Is Here: Why California’s New Law Reshapes Compliance for Dealers Everywhere on October 1

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