MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

FTC Approves Deceptive Advertising Settlement

May 14, 2014
1 min to read


WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved final consent orders settling charges that Nissan North America Inc.and advertising agency TBWA Worldwide Inc. deceptively advertised a Nissan Frontier truck pushing a dune buggy up a steep hill, something the truck actually cannot do.


First announced in January 2014, the settlements prohibit Nissan and TBWA Worldwide, which designed the 30-second television ad for the mid-sized truck, from misrepresenting any material quality or feature of a pickup truck through the depiction of a test, experiment, or demonstration. The orders do not prohibit the use of special effects and other production techniques as long as they do not misrepresent a material quality or feature of the pickup truck.


The commission approved the final order by a four-to-zero vote. Commissioner Terrell McSweeny did not participate in the vote.


Also last week, the FTC approved final consent orders involving 10 dealers’ deceptive advertising. The cases were part of Operation Steer Clear, a nationwide sweep focusing on misleading advertising associated with the selling, financing and leasing of motor vehicles. Auto-related complaints remain one of the Top 10 complaints received by the FTC, and the sweep was part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect consumers in the auto marketplace, agency officials said.

More Industry

man holding up car keys
Industryby Lauren LawrenceJanuary 9, 2026

2026 Consumer Priorities Revealed

The Global Automotive Consumer Study shows that U.S. car shoppers value in-person dealership visits, crave more affordability, and are still hesitant about EV adoption.

Read More →
Aerial picture of Norway with Tesla logo in top right corner
Industryby Lauren LawrenceJanuary 8, 2026

Norway Auto Sales Almost Entirely Electric

Tesla is the No. 1 selling car brand in the Nordic country and dominates its EV market with a 19% market share. The Model Y is the top-selling vehicle, setting the record for single-car model registrations last year.

Read More →
Protective Life Corporation building
Industryby StaffJanuary 6, 2026

Protective Expands Reach With F&I Acquisition

Protective Life Corp. closed its acquisition of F&I company Portfolio Holding Inc., expanding its Asset Protection Division across the automotive, RV, power sports and marine sectors.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Industryby Hannah MitchellJanuary 5, 2026

Late-Year Auto Sales Off

Purchases of new and used vehicles were down in December despite several positive market turns for consumers, whose optimism didn’t match their big-ticket spending.

Read More →
lineup of cars
Salesby Lauren LawrenceJanuary 5, 2026

Used-Car Prices Down in December

A Carfax index indicates that prices were higher than December 2024 but had been on a downward trend for the past few months.

Read More →
Split picture. Toyota on left. Lexus on right.
Industryby Lauren LawrenceJanuary 5, 2026

Dealer Survey Shows Increased Optimism

The 2025 Kerrigan Dealer poll reports the first improvement in valuation expectations since 2021, with 24% of dealers expecting an increase this year, up 41%.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Vintage convertible driving along a desert highway, capturing the freedom and cultural impact of early American car travel.
IndustryJanuary 1, 2026

Driving America Forward

As America turns 250, explore how the automotive industry shaped jobs, culture, innovation, and mobility from Detroit assembly lines to today’s EV era.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellDecember 26, 2025

2025 Sales Expected Up

The series of sales spikes this year that were inspired by shifting U.S. policies defied the drag of those same changes, according to one early forecast.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellDecember 24, 2025

Tundras in Tokyo

Toyota said it plans to sell some U.S. made models to its home-country consumers starting next year, despite the vehicles’ large size for a small-car culture.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Industryby StaffDecember 23, 2025

Black Book: Weekly Market Update

Despite the week's softening conditions, the market analyst said demand for used vehicles showed in competitive bidding for newer units in better condition.

Read More →