Appearing in Bankrate on March 4, 2026, Andrew Pentis talks to John Van Alst, senior attorney at NCLC and director of our Working Cars for Working Families project, for a story about a predatory loan that can ensnare you in a matter of hours and lead to crushing debt — and perhaps wrecked credit —…
A recent investigation into auto lenders found companies making billions even as they set customers up to fail.
Read More about More Perfect Union: We Uncovered the Secret Scheme Trapping Americans in Car Loans
California Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Act will make buying a new or used vehicle in California more affordable and less risky.
Complaint Alleges Jaffarian Volvo Toyota Charged Black and Hispanic Customers Higher Prices and Markups for Add-On Products and Services Than Similarly Situated White Customers BOSTON — Attorney General Maura Healey announced today that her office is suing a Haverhill car dealership for engaging in unfair, deceptive, and discriminatory pricing practices against Black and Hispanic customers by illegally…
Read More about AG Healey Sues Haverhill Car Dealership for Pricing Discrimination
This NCLC Digital Library article lists 12 ways to recover for used car defects despite the dealer selling the car “as is.”
Read More about Digital Library: 12 Ways to Recover Even When Lemon Used Cars Are Sold "As Is"
The Rule will bring some long overdue relief to car buyers who are tired of dishonest pricing, and will pave a path for the FTC to pursue future rulemakings to regulate car dealers.
Read More about Broad Coalition of 104 Organizations Tell Congress to Support FTC CARS Rule
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 18, 2018 Boston – The U.S. Senate today voted to repeal guidance issued in 2013 by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to help auto finance companies avoid racial and ethnic discrimination by holding them accountable to fair lending laws. “It’s outrageous that the Senate voted to claw back this five-year old…
Today, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its final rule targeting deceptive conduct in the sale and financing of motor vehicles, titled the “Combatting Auto Retail Scams” (CARS) Rule.
Read More about Consumer Advocates Applaud FTC for Moving Forward with CARS Rule
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal led 17 members of Congress in a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan asking for commonsense rules against abuses in the sale and financing of motor vehicles. A large majority of American consumers rely on their car to get to…
Read More about Consumer Advocates Applaud Members of Congress for Supporting FTC Auto Dealer Rule
In an op-ed originally appearing in Colorado Politics on March 14, 2023, Carolyn Carter and David Seligman discuss Colorado’s consumer protection laws that, for too long, have lagged behind other states.
Originally appearing in NBC News on April 8, 2023, Shannon Pettypiece looks at the growing cascade of financial pressures around owning a car that are squeezing already strained consumers and quotes John Van Alst. “Because of the current labor market, a lot of people are able to get a job, but the number one thing…
Originally airing on NPR during All Things Considered on February 4, 2023, Chris Arnold discusses deceptive auto sales and interviews John Van Alst. “It does happen all too frequently,” says John Van Alst, an attorney with the nonprofit National Consumer Law Center. Usually, when you finance a car through the dealer, technically you owe the…
