Greenway Auto Group, a Florida chain of more than 35 dealerships, agreed on Oct. 8, 2026, to put the real price in its car ads: the total a buyer must pay, minus only government-required charges. The Federal Trade Commission announced the settlement the same day, alongside a complaint alleging Greenway advertised vehicles thousands of dollars below what it charged.
The deal carries no payment from Greenway to the government or to buyers. It is a stipulated order filed in federal court in Orlando, and it binds Greenway only once a judge signs it. For buyers who have shopped online listings and then met a different number at the desk, the order sets a specific rule for what a price in an ad has to mean, and it applies to every dealership in the group, from the Kia stores in Jacksonville and Longwood to Greenway Hyundai Orlando.
Greenway advertised prices versus charged prices
According to the FTC’s press release, Greenway charged more than $3,350 on average above the advertised price in over 92 percent of transactions. The added items were administrative, dealer, delivery and processing fees. Some advertised prices also reflected rebates and discounts that only a subset of buyers could receive, according to the agency, which says the average overcharge applies to the Kia dealerships’ online listings.
The complaint pins that figure down. From March 1, 2023, through May 6, 2026, more than 92 percent of consumers at Greenway’s Kia dealerships were charged above the advertised price on vehicles listed on CarGurus.com and Cars.com, paying at least $3,354 more on average, excluding government charges and optional add-ons. It lists examples. A 2017 Honda CR-V EX-L advertised at $18,800 at Greenway Kia North came with a price sheet totaling $23,539.85, including about $4,740 in dealer-imposed fees. A 2023 Kia Sportage EX listed at $15,444 was quoted $5,245 higher after a $3,995 “recon” fee and other charges. A 2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line advertised at $45,556 cost roughly $9,000 more. The complaint puts the group at 35 or more dealerships, with seven named defendants: two corporate entities and five dealership trade names in Jacksonville, Longwood and Orlando. The complaint adds a second count: prize mailers with scratch-offs and “Official Winning Codes” telling recipients they had won $2,500 in instant cash or a vehicle, to be collected at a Greenway dealership. The FTC alleges the prizes were not real, and says one mailer directing recipients to Greenway Hyundai Orlando went out as recently as July 2026.
The stipulated order and its Total Price rule
The proposed order, filed as FTC v. Greenway Automotive, Inc., Case No. 6:26-cv-02337 in the Middle District of Florida, defines “Total Price” as the maximum total price a consumer must pay for a vehicle, including all mandatory fees. Government-required charges may be left out. Greenway must disclose that Total Price clearly and conspicuously, as the most prominent item, in any visual advertising that states a price a buyer may pay.
The order also bars deceptive prize mailers and bars misrepresenting whether charges, fees, taxes, products or services are optional or required. It further prohibits misstating whether financing is required, or what type or source of financing is required. The injunction is permanent; Greenway owes a sworn compliance report one year after entry and must keep change-notice obligations for 10 years, with a sworn acknowledgment of receipt due within seven days of entry, five years of recordkeeping, and five years of distributing the order to personnel.
The order is silent on money: it sets no refund, restitution or civil penalty amount, and Greenway agrees to bear its own costs and attorney fees. The FTC’s page for the Greenway case lists the matter as pending, since the judge’s signature line was still blank on the filed copy.
Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in the release that consumers “can’t make informed choices when the actual price is hidden.” The Commission voted 2-0 to authorize staff to file the case. The release adds that a stipulated order has the force of law once the district court judge approves and signs it.
A warning letter that came first
The settlement follows a March 2026 FTC warning letter sent directly to Greenway Auto Group. The complaint alleges that after receiving that letter, Greenway added false price-transparency assurances to its websites while the misleading advertising continued.
That letter was one of many. On March 13, 2026, the agency warned 97 auto dealership groups that advertised prices must be the total price including all mandatory fees, and listed the practices it considers illegal, among them advertising prices that omit required fees or depend on rebates not available to all consumers. The letters cited pending FTC actions against Lindsay Chevrolet, Leader Automotive Group and Asbury Automotive Group.
The other 96 groups on the March list face the same standard in their own ads, and the FTC said it would keep monitoring the market. For Greenway, the next event is the Middle District of Florida judge’s decision on whether to sign the order that the FTC and the dealership group have both already agreed to.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
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