FTC Approves Amendments to Used Auto Parts Guides

The Federal Trade Commission has amended its Used Auto Parts Guides, which are designed to prevent the unfair or deceptive marketing of used motor vehicle parts and assemblies containing used parts, such as engines and transmissions.  The Guides refer to such parts and assemblies as “industry products.”

The “Guides for the Rebuilt, Reconditioned and Other Used Automobile Parts Industry” declare certain acts and practices to be unfair or deceptive under the FTC Act, including misrepresenting that an industry product is new or the amount of use of an industry product, misrepresenting the identity of anyone who worked on an industry product after its removal from the original vehicle, and misrepresenting its condition or the amount of work done to it after its removal from the original vehicle.

In May 2012, the FTC sought public comment on the costs, benefits, need for, and regulatory and economic impact of the Guides as part of its systematic review of all current FTC rules and guides. After considering the comments, the Commission decided to retain and amend the Guides. Significant amendments include providing that the term “remanufactured,” like the term “factory rebuilt,” should be used only if the product was rebuilt “at a factory generally engaged in the rebuilding of such products”; applying the Guides to used tires; and shortening and updating the sample list of parts that may be industry products.

The Commission vote approving the amendments to the Used Auto Parts Guides was 5-0. The amendments to the Guides will be effective on August 22, 2014. The amended guides are available on the FTC’s website and as a link to this press release and will be published in the Federal Register soon. (FTC File No. P127702; the staff contact is Jonathan L. Kessler, East Central Region, 216-263-3436)

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

IR Press

Share
Published by
IR Press

Recent Posts

Treasury Targets Sanctions Evaders Supporting Key Hizballah Financial Advisor

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)…

1 day ago

Acting Senior Deputy Comptroller and Chief Counsel Testifies on Bank Mergers

WASHINGTON—Acting Senior Deputy Comptroller and Chief Counsel Ted Dowd today testified on the Office of…

2 days ago

Minutes of the Meeting of the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee April 30, 2024

The Committee convened in a closed session at the Department of the Treasury at 9:00…

2 days ago

U.S. Continues to Degrade Russia’s Military-Industrial Base and Target Third-Country Support with Nearly 300 New Sanctions

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury is taking action to further degrade Russia’s…

2 days ago

Report on Foreign Portfolio Holdings of U.S. Securities at End-June 2023

WASHINGTON – The final results from the annual survey of foreign portfolio holdings of U.S. securities at…

3 days ago