Consumers have filed at least 10,519 automotive-related complaints between 2021 and now, according to Federal Trade Commission data.
We reviewed a sample size of 200 filings sent to the agency between February 2024 and September 2025. The information was shared in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by CDG News.
Not all grievances get verified, the agency said, nor does submission confirm wrongdoing by a dealership. It’s also worth noting that identifying details were redacted.
This is one of the 200 complaints reviewed by CDG News.
For context: The FOIA request was submitted after the FTC sent 97 warning letters to dealerships and dealership groups in March.
The majority of complaints (198), which span 38 states, territories, and provinces, were filed through four channels, with two outliers:
The FTC (55)
The Better Business Bureau (104)
State attorneys general offices (20)
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (19)
One via Apple Inc., and one through the Competition Bureau Canada
By the numbers: Used auto sales generated the most official gripes with 79 submissions, followed by new auto sales at 63, auto financing at 16, and auto parts and repairs at 14. (These reflect the FTC's transaction classifications, and may not include the full nature of each complaint.)
The three issue types that dominated were advertising and price mismatches (164), financing-related pricing issues (128), and undisclosed or disputed add-ons (66).
One consumer claimed they drove 96 miles to find the price had jumped by more than $10,000.
Somebody else reported a charge of $799 for a ceramic coating they said was never applied.
Another complaint in the finance category didn’t involve pricing scams, just a snippy interaction. The customer complained when a dealership rep allegedly told them they couldn’t even finance a toaster.
Where they filed: Florida leads all states with 21, followed by Illinois and Texas at 17 each, New York at 15, and Maryland at 10.
By region, the South had 89 complaints, the most of any.
The Midwest had 39, the Northeast had 32, and in the West, 27.
Thirteen were from Puerto Rico and Canada; and/or had no location listed.
How they met: Sixty consumers shared how they first encountered the dealer, and nearly a third (19) came via a website or app.
Eleven complaints were from in-person visits.
Ten were through social media.
Eight cited an online ad or pop-up.
The remaining 12 included phone calls, emails, and other methods.
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Nuts and bolts: Dollar figures were included in 79 of the filings. Among those, the reported amounts ranged from $1 to $147,269, with a median of $7,000. Some listed $0 as the cost, while others did not disclose any amounts.
Not all extra costs were directly associated with a pending car purchase. In one case, a consumer bought an Amtrak ticket from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, only to learn upon arrival that the wanted vehicle wasn’t available.
Additionally: Some entries included ages, with people ages 40-49 submitting the largest proportion of the sample size at 22.
Next were people ages 30–39, at 14.
Thirteen people ages 50–59 complained.
Five submissions were from active military members or dependents.
Worth noting: The FTC scraped a total of 10,931 complaints that contained the phrases “automotive dealer” or “automotive group” since 2009.
The agency typically keeps them on file for just five years, though some stay longer for various reasons. Because of that, the bulk of the numbers were from the last five years.
Bottom line: Just because a grievance was filed, it does not mean the details were proven. Some get resolved, too.
Either way, this sample size gives an idea of where to start hunting for compliance issues.
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