Advertised Price, Then Thousands More: FTC Says Orlando's Greenway Dealerships Hid Fees and Mailed Fake Prizes

Published Oct. 9, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

You find a car online at a price you can afford. You drive to the dealership. Then the price sheet arrives, and it's thousands of dollars higher. The Federal Trade Commission says that happened in the overwhelming majority of sales at a group of Orlando-area dealerships, which also allegedly lured shoppers with mailers announcing cash prizes that didn't exist.

On Oct. 8, 2026, the FTC announced that Greenway Auto Group has agreed to settle the agency's lawsuit by prominently advertising the actual price a consumer must pay, excluding only government-required charges, and by stopping deceptive prize mailers [1].

Important: This is a civil case. The FTC's claims are allegations. Under the proposed settlement, the defendants "neither admit nor deny any of the allegations in the Complaint," except as stated in the order [4]. No individual was named as a defendant.

What the FTC alleges

According to the FTC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division (Case No. 6:26-cv-2337) [2][1]:

1. Low online prices. Defendants advertised vehicles online at artificially low prices, then refused to honor them.
2. Add-ons at the desk. The complaint says prices were inflated by "thousands of dollars of dealer-imposed fees," by claiming advertised prices reflected conditional rebates or discounts available only to some buyers, by charging for mandatory add-on packages that dealers said could not be removed, by inflating government charges such as title and registration, and by "simply increasing prices without explanation."
3. The numbers. The FTC alleges Greenway charged consumers more than $3,350, on average, over the advertised price in more than 92% of transactions.
4. Examples. In one case cited in the complaint, a couple who drove more than an hour to Greenway Kia North for an advertised car were handed a price sheet with $4,739.85 in added dealer fees, including a $2,495 "recon" fee, a $995 "loyalty" fee, a $249.95 "Admin Fee," an $899.95 "Dealer Fee" and a $99.95 "PTA Fee." The complaint also says several Kia stores charged $2,295 or more for a mandatory dealer add-on package on new vehicles [2].
5. Hard to walk away. The complaint alleges that in many cases paperwork was withheld until after the deal was done, and that consumers who tried to leave were kept at the dealership by tactics including withholding the keys to their trade-in vehicles or refusing to return deposits [2].

The prize mailers

The FTC also alleges Greenway "lured consumers into dealerships with scam mailers representing that recipients had won thousands of dollars in cash prizes that could be collected at a Greenway dealership, but the prizes were not real" [1]. According to the complaint, mailers showed "winning codes" with prizes including $2,500 in instant cash and a vehicle, and one was sent as recently as July 2026. The complaint says that when one consumer went to collect a $2,500 prize, a salesman "laughed at her for crediting the flier" [2].

After a warning

The FTC says it warned Greenway in a March 2026 letter to ensure that the "price consumers see in advertising is the actual price they will pay." According to the complaint, Greenway responded by adding "false assurances of price transparency" to its websites while continuing to advertise vehicles for thousands less than their actual prices [1][5].

The companies sued

The complaint names seven corporate defendants [2][3]:

• Greenway Automotive, Inc.
• Greenway Automotive Management, LLC
• Jacksonville Phillips Hwy Auto Acquisitions, Inc., d/b/a Greenway Kia at the Avenues
• Longwood Auto Acquisitions I, Inc., d/b/a Greenway Kia North
• Semoran Auto Acquisitions, Inc., d/b/a Greenway Kia East
• West Colonial Auto, Inc., d/b/a Greenway Kia West
• West Colonial Hyundai, Inc., d/b/a Greenway Hyundai Orlando

What the settlement requires

The proposed stipulated order requires price ads to prominently include the actual price, excluding only government-required charges; bans deceptive prize mailers; and prohibits misrepresentations about whether fees, products or services are optional and whether particular financing is required [1]. It also includes compliance reporting and recordkeeping obligations [4]. The FTC release and the order we reviewed do not describe any money paid to consumers. The Commission voted 2-0 to file. The FTC notes that stipulated orders "have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge"; as of Oct. 9, the FTC's case page lists the matter as "Pending" [3].

Red flags when buying a car

• An online price that the dealer won't put in writing before you visit.
• Fees with vague names: "recon," "loyalty," "admin," "dealer," "PTA," "inspection."
• "Mandatory" add-on packages that weren't in the advertised price.
• A discount that turns out to be conditional (loyalty, military, dealer financing) after you arrive.
• Mailers saying you've "won" cash or a car that you have to collect at a showroom. The FTC says sweepstakes mailings "can't claim you're a winner unless you've actually won a prize," and that "Real prizes are free" [6].
• Keys, paperwork or your deposit held back when you try to leave.

What to do

1. Get an out-the-door price in writing, by email, before you go.
2. Compare the buyer's order line by line with the ad. Ask for every fee to be explained, and ask which are optional.
3. Be ready to walk away, and keep your own keys in hand until you decide.
4. Keep copies of ads, screenshots, mailers, texts and paperwork.
5. Report problems to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.

Case status (as of Oct. 9, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 9, 2026	Source
Greenway Automotive, Inc.	U.S. District Court, M.D. Fla., Orlando (6:26-cv-2337)	Sued by FTC Oct. 8, 2026; proposed stipulated order filed (neither admits nor denies); awaiting court approval	[1], [2], [3], [4]
Greenway Automotive Management, LLC	Same	Same	[2], [3]
Jacksonville Phillips Hwy Auto Acquisitions, Inc. (Greenway Kia at the Avenues)	Same	Same	[2], [3]
Longwood Auto Acquisitions I, Inc. (Greenway Kia North)	Same	Same	[2], [3]
Semoran Auto Acquisitions, Inc. (Greenway Kia East)	Same	Same	[2], [3]
West Colonial Auto, Inc. (Greenway Kia West)	Same	Same	[2], [3]
West Colonial Hyundai, Inc. (Greenway Hyundai Orlando)	Same	Same	[2], [3]

Allegations in a civil complaint are not findings. Statuses can change.

Sources

1. Federal Trade Commission, "FTC Secures Settlement with Auto Dealership Group in Price Transparency Win for Consumers," press release, Oct. 8, 2026. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/10/ftc-secures-settlement-auto-dealership-group-price-transparency-win-consumers
2. FTC v. Greenway Automotive, Inc., et al., No. 6:26-cv-2337 (M.D. Fla. filed Oct. 8, 2026), Complaint for Permanent Injunction and Other Relief. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Greenway-Complaint.pdf
3. Federal Trade Commission, "Greenway Auto," case page, last updated Oct. 8, 2026. https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/greenway-auto
4. FTC v. Greenway Automotive, Inc., et al., Stipulated Order for Permanent Injunction and Other Relief (proposed), Oct. 8, 2026. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Greenway-StipOrder_0.pdf
5. John Huetter, "FTC settles with Greenway Automotive, says dealer continued deceptive pricing after March letter," Automotive News, Oct. 8, 2026. https://www.autonews.com/retail/finance-insurance/an-ftc-settles-greenway-automotive-advertising-1008/
6. Federal Trade Commission, "Fake Prize, Sweepstakes, and Lottery Scams," consumer advice, accessed Oct. 9, 2026. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/fake-prize-sweepstakes-and-lottery-scams

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