Not every year in consumer protection is a net win. 2024 had genuine victories worth celebrating — and real losses worth acknowledging. If you care about your ability to choose where you get your car fixed and what you pay for it, here's the honest scorecard.
The Wins
State-Level Legislation Moved Forward
Maine passed meaningful right to repair legislation, becoming a landmark state for the movement. The law requires automakers to provide independent repair shops with the same access to diagnostic data that their own dealerships receive. It's not yet fully implemented, but it's a real precedent.
Several other states advanced bills or launched formal studies, a sign that the issue has enough political momentum to keep moving even without federal action.
FTC Enforcement Picked Up
The FTC pursued meaningful cases against dealership fraud — Lindsay Auto Group, Manchester City Nissan, and several extended warranty schemes — and extracted real money. These cases matter not just for the penalties, but because they establish documented patterns that support future enforcement.
State AG Offices Got More Aggressive
- New York's AG settled a $19 million case against Nissan dealers over predatory financing
- California pursued multiple fraud rings tied to staged collisions and counterfeit parts
- Maryland partnered with the FTC on the Lindsay case, modeling what federal-state cooperation can accomplish
"State AGs are doing some of the most effective consumer protection work in the auto space right now — filling gaps that federal agencies either can't or won't reach."
The Losses
The CARS Rule Was Paused
This is the big one. The FTC's CARS Rule was designed to ban junk fees and deceptive practices at dealerships nationwide. It was challenged in court and paused — and its future remains uncertain heading into 2025. For consumers, this means the practices the rule was designed to eliminate are still legal everywhere it hasn't taken effect.
EV Data Access Remains Severely Limited
As electric vehicles become more common, independent repair shops are increasingly locked out of the diagnostic data they need to work on them. Manufacturers control access to that data through telematics systems and proprietary software, and there's no federal requirement that they share it. This creates a repair monopoly that forces EV owners toward dealerships — often at significantly higher cost.
The Technician Shortage Got Worse
This one doesn't have a villain, but it has real consequences. The automotive technician shortage continued to deepen in 2024. Fewer technicians means longer waits, higher labor rates, and — critically — more openings for unqualified operators to fill the gap. Consumers who can't access legitimate shops quickly are more vulnerable to unqualified or dishonest alternatives.
What to Watch in 2025
- The CARS Rule's legal and political fate
- Whether additional states follow Maine's right to repair lead
- Federal movement on EV data access (the REPAIR Act is still in play)
- Whether FTC enforcement continues at 2024 levels or pulls back
EthicalMechanic.org will keep tracking all of it. Understanding what's changed — and what hasn't — is the foundation of being a better-protected consumer.