Car companies attempted to void warranties if -any- work was done by not the dealer, effectively locking buyers in to the dealership as their only source of rep

Car companies attempted to void warranties if -any- work was done by not the dealer, effectively locking buyers in to the dealership as their only source of repairs. Congress had to pass a law telling them they weren't allowed to. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson%E2%80%93Moss_Warranty_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson%E2%80%93Moss_Warranty_... is a good place to start.