Really, I had a different impression from your OP.
The automotive dealer network laws are also about preventing direct competition from manufacturers - i.e. GM has their own stores that compete with GM dealerships. If you like, you can research that.
And they also prevent, as GM discovered during their bankruptcy proceedings, auto manufacturers from cutting them off for business needs. A company the size of GM can't possibly run their own dealership network due to the very scale of operations, but as we see over and over, there are a lot of dealerships that are pretty much immune to GM's attempts to punish them for crappy service departments. This has to change.
And they also prevent, as GM discovered during their bankruptcy proceedings, auto manufacturers from cutting them off for business needs. A company the size of GM can't possibly run their own dealership network due to the very scale of operations, but as we see over and over, there are a lot of dealerships that are pretty much immune to GM's attempts to punish them for crappy service departments. This has to change.
You would think that a consumer who felt screwed by either the sales or service department would never return, tell all their friends, and the dealership would die a painful death from lack of business. There must be enough trusting souls out there who pay too much, don't know much about cars and continue to keep these types of places in business.
I owned Volvos for years. My local dealer was awful and VERY expensive. I quickly found an independent Volvo mechanic and never returned to the dealer. As others have been saving, there are good and bad dealers. It all comes down to the people working there. My Volt dealer is very good.
A forum community dedicated to Chevy Volt electric car owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about hybrid performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, reviews, and more!