Greenway Auto Group, a dealership chain with more than 35 stores, charged customers more than $3,350 above its advertised prices, on average, in over 92% of transactions, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The agency says the gap came from fees and add-ons that never appeared in the price shoppers saw online or in the mail.
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The FTC announced a settlement on Oct. 8, 2026, after filing a complaint and a proposed stipulated order in federal court in Orlando. The money figure and the percentage are allegations from the complaint, and they cover the Kia stores the agency analyzed rather than every Greenway customer in every year. No judge had ruled on the allegations as of Oct. 16, and the order the FTC describes is a proposed settlement.
Kia transactions behind the 92% figure
The complaint, filed as FTC v. Greenway Automotive, Inc. in the Middle District of Florida’s Orlando Division, grounds the dollar and percentage figures in a specific data set. The agency analyzed Kia dealership transactions between March 1, 2023, and May 6, 2026, and found that over 92% of consumers paid more than the advertised price, averaging at least $3,354 more. In its announcement of the settlement, the FTC rounds that to more than $3,350, on average, in over 92% of transactions.
The complaint names five Florida dealerships: Greenway Kia at the Avenues in Jacksonville, Greenway Kia North in Longwood, Greenway Kia East and Greenway Kia West in Orlando, and Greenway Hyundai Orlando. It also names two corporate defendants, Greenway Automotive, Inc. and Greenway Automotive Management, LLC, and says complaints about the pricing practices go back to at least 2021.
Dealer, administration and reconditioning fees
The complaint itemizes the charges. One price sheet shows a Dealer Fee of $899.95, an Administration Fee of $249.95 and a PTA Fee of $99.95, which the complaint says were charged to over 99% of Kia customers. On used cars, a $2,495 reconditioning fee turned a Honda CR-V advertised at $18,800 into a $23,539.85 total, and a Dodge Ram advertised at $51,392 carried a $1,595 inspection fee. A $995 loyalty fee fell on customers who had not bought from that dealership before, and a Greenway Advantage Package of $2,295 or more was described as mandatory on new Kias.
The FTC’s announcement groups the same conduct under administrative, dealer, delivery and processing fees, and adds that some advertised prices reflected conditional rebates and discounts that only a subset of consumers could receive. In other words, a shopper comparing a Greenway advertisement against a rival’s could not tell from the listed price alone which store would actually cost less once the paperwork arrived at the finance desk.
Prize mailers and a warning that did not change the ads
A second count in the complaint covers direct mail. Greenway allegedly sent scratch-offs and “Official Winning Codes” promising prizes such as $2,500 in instant cash and a vehicle, and told recipients to call a number and visit a Greenway dealership to collect. The FTC says the prizes were not real and that the mailers were a way to bring people onto the lot. The most recent mailer cited in the complaint is from July 2026.
Greenway was already on notice. In March 2026 the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection sent a letter to Greenway Auto Group as part of a mailing to 97 auto dealership groups, telling them advertised prices must be the total price consumers will pay, including mandatory fees. Christopher Mufarrige, the bureau’s director, said at the time that “The Trump-Vance FTC is committed to preventing auto dealers from misleading consumers with low advertised prices.”
The FTC says Greenway responded by adding “all-in price” assurances to its websites while continuing the practice. As one example, the complaint describes a 2026 Sportage X-Line advertised at $37,752 and quoted at $39,854.40 before tax and other charges.
Terms of the proposed order
Under the proposed stipulated order, Greenway’s price advertisements would have to prominently include the actual price a consumer must pay for a vehicle, excluding only government-required charges. The company would also be barred from deceptive prize mailers, from misrepresenting whether charges, fees, taxes, products or services are optional or required, and from misrepresenting whether financing is required or what type or source of financing is involved.
Mufarrige framed the case as a market issue. “Consumers can’t make informed choices when the actual price is hidden,” he said in the FTC’s release, adding that price transparency is “a top priority for the Trump FTC.” The agency lists grocery delivery, rental housing, ticketing and auto sales and leasing as other areas where it is pressing the same principle.
The Commission voted 2-0 to authorize staff to file the complaint and the stipulated order. Because the order is described as proposed, it carries the force of law only after a district court judge approves and signs it. The agency keeps a case page for Greenway Auto where the filings and any court action are posted.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
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