FTC settles with Orlando's Greenway Auto Group over hidden fees and deceptive car price ads

Orlando-based Greenway Auto Group has agreed to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit alleging that its Central Florida and Jacksonville dealerships advertised car prices thousands of dollars below what buyers actually paid, then tacked on hidden fees in the vast majority of sales. The proposed order, filed in federal court in Orlando, would force the dealer group to advertise full prices but includes no fine and no refunds for customers.

The FTC alleges that Greenway charged buyers more than $3,350 above the advertised price, on average, in more than 92% of transactions. Greenway neither admitted nor denied the allegations in agreeing to the settlement, according to reports on the case. The order still needs a federal judge's approval before it takes effect.

The dealerships named

The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division, as case number 6:26-cv-02337, and the commission voted 2-0 to authorize it. The FTC announced the complaint and proposed settlement on Oct. 8. The case names the following dealerships along with the parent company, Greenway Automotive:

What the FTC alleges

According to the FTC's complaint as described in the agency's announcement and trade coverage, Greenway advertised vehicle prices that left out a series of charges that were added at the time of sale, including administrative fees, dealer fees, delivery fees and processing fees. Buyers who came in expecting the advertised price ended up paying thousands more.

The agency also alleges that Greenway sent prize mailers to consumers that promised winnings that were not real, a tactic designed to draw people onto the lot.

The FTC says the dealer group was on notice. In March 2026, the agency's Bureau of Consumer Protection sent Greenway a letter warning it about misleading price advertising. The complaint alleges that the practices continued afterward, and that Greenway added claims such as "ALL-IN PRICE" and "ZERO HIDDEN FEES" to its websites after receiving the letter while it kept charging more than the advertised price.

Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in the agency's announcement that consumers cannot make informed choices when the real price is hidden, and he called price transparency a top priority for the agency.

What the settlement requires

Under the proposed stipulated order, Greenway would be required to:

• Show in its advertising the total price a buyer must pay, excluding only government charges such as taxes and registration fees.
• Stop misrepresenting whether any charge, fee, product or service is optional or required.
• Stop misrepresenting whether financing is required to get an advertised price.
• Stop sending deceptive prize mailers.
• Follow reporting and recordkeeping requirements so the FTC can monitor compliance.

The order does not require Greenway to pay a civil penalty or return money to customers, according to trade coverage and a law firm analysis of the settlement. The restrictions on advertising are permanent once the order is entered by the court.

Part of a wider FTC push on dealer pricing

The Greenway settlement arrived the same week the FTC dropped a separate, long-running case against Asbury Automotive Group and three of its North Texas dealerships. The commission dismissed that administrative complaint on Oct. 5, citing the prospect of years of additional federal litigation and its limited resources, while saying it remained committed to pursuing price transparency for auto dealers in the appropriate forum. Asbury's own lawsuit challenging the FTC continues: a federal judge denied the company's request for a preliminary injunction and dismissed several of its constitutional claims, and Asbury has appealed. The Greenway case, by contrast, was brought directly in federal district court, where the agency can seek a court order that is enforceable by a judge.

The FTC's broader rule targeting dealership pricing, known as the CARS Rule, never took effect. In January 2025 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the rule on procedural grounds, finding that the agency had skipped a required step in the rulemaking process. Without the rule, the FTC has relied on its general authority to police deceptive advertising, case by case, as in the Greenway lawsuit.

What it means for Florida car buyers

Greenway's five stores serve shoppers in Orange, Seminole and Duval counties, but the case matters well beyond those buyers, because add-on fees are routine at dealerships across the state. The FTC's allegations describe a pattern many shoppers will recognize: an online price that looks competitive, followed by a buyer's order with several added line items.

Consumer advocates and the FTC's own guidance offer several practical steps:

• Ask for the out-the-door price in writing, including every fee, before visiting or agreeing to a deal.
• Compare the final buyer's order line by line with the advertised price and question any fee that was not in the ad.
• Ask which add-ons, such as service contracts or protection packages, are optional, and decline anything you do not want.
• Do not let a financing offer change the price of the car; ask whether the advertised price requires dealer financing.
• Be skeptical of mailers that announce a guaranteed prize for visiting a dealership.

Buyers who believe they were charged hidden fees can report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the Florida Attorney General's consumer protection division. Because the Greenway settlement includes no restitution, customers who believe they were overcharged would need to pursue any refund on their own, such as by disputing the charges with the dealership or consulting a consumer attorney.

What's next

The proposed order takes effect only after a judge in the Middle District of Florida approves and signs it. As of the latest reports, no judge had entered it. Once entered, it will carry the force of a federal court order, and the FTC could return to the court if it believes Greenway has violated it. Greenway had not publicly commented on the settlement in coverage reviewed by The Florida Press. The FTC has signaled that more dealer cases are likely: in the week it announced the Greenway deal, the agency said price transparency in auto sales remains a priority, and its March warning letter to Greenway shows the agency is monitoring dealer advertising before it files suit.