The NOADA Code of Ethics
Trust is the foundation of the relationship between a dealership and its customers - and earning it has been central to the dealer-association movement since its beginning. NOADA member dealers, as members of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), subscribe to a formal Code of Ethics: a set of principles and standards that commit them to fair, open, and honest dealing with every customer. The code’s first requirement is full compliance with all federal, state, and local laws governing their business - and it goes further, asking dealers to hold themselves to a standard the law alone does not demand.
This page presents that Code of Ethics in full and explains what it means for the people who buy and service vehicles at NOADA member dealerships across Northeast Ohio. The standards below are not marketing language; they are the commitments our members pledge to keep.
The Code of Ethics
As members of the National Automobile Dealers Association, our dealerships subscribe to the following principles and standards. Implicit in this Code of Ethics is the requirement that we are fully compliant with all federal, state, and local laws governing our business.
We pledge to:
- Operate our business in accord with the highest standards of ethical conduct.
- Treat each customer in a fair, open, and honest manner - and prohibit discrimination of any kind.
- Meet the transportation needs of our customers in a knowledgeable and professional manner.
- Represent our products clearly and factually, standing fully behind our warranties, direct and implied, and in all other ways justifying the customer’s respect and confidence.
- Advertise our products in a positive, factual, and informative manner.
- Detail charges to help our customers understand repair work - and provide written estimates of any service work to be performed, upon request or as required by law.
- Resolve customer concerns promptly and courteously.
- Put our promises in writing and stand behind them.
What the code means for customers
Each pledge translates into something concrete you should be able to expect at a NOADA member dealership.
- Highest standards of conduct. The dealership’s word matters. Members commit to doing right by customers even when no rule forces the issue.
- Fair, open, honest, non-discriminatory treatment. Every customer gets the same fair dealing, regardless of who they are.
- Knowledgeable, professional service. The people helping you should understand the products and your needs - not just push a sale.
- Clear, factual product representation. What you’re told about a vehicle should match what you get, and warranties should be honored as stated.
- Truthful advertising. No bait-and-switch - advertising should inform, not mislead.
- Transparent repair charges. You’re entitled to understand what service work involves and, on request or as required by law, to a written estimate before the work is done.
- Prompt, courteous problem-solving. When something goes wrong, members commit to making it right quickly and respectfully.
- Promises in writing. A commitment that matters should be documented - and stood behind.
If you ever feel a member dealership has fallen short of these standards, that is exactly the kind of concern the association wants to know about. See Contact to reach NOADA, and the Lemon Law & dispute resolution guide for your options under Ohio law.
Why a code of ethics matters in this industry
Public perception of car sales has long lagged the reality of how most franchised dealers operate. National surveys of professional honesty - including Gallup’s annual ratings - have historically ranked car salespeople near the bottom, a reputation shaped by a small minority and by outdated stereotypes. The franchised-dealer community adopted a formal code of ethics precisely to push against that: to make explicit, and accountable, the standards that the overwhelming majority of dealers already hold.
A code is only as good as the institution behind it. NOADA member dealers are locally owned businesses, accountable to the communities they serve and to an association that has represented Northeast Ohio’s dealers since 1927. A member dealership that depends on repeat business and word of mouth in its own town has every reason - beyond the pledge itself - to deal fairly. The code formalizes that incentive into a shared standard.
How the code connects to the rest of NOADA
The Code of Ethics is one expression of a commitment that runs through everything NOADA does:
- For dealers, the code sits alongside the compliance support, education, and advocacy that help members operate correctly and well. See Membership and Advocacy.
- For the public, the same commitment to doing things right shows up at the Akron BMV, where NOADA’s clerks are entrusted with accurate identity verification on behalf of the State of Ohio - high-stakes work that demands integrity every day.
Ethical conduct toward dealers’ customers and careful stewardship of the public’s government services come from the same place: an institution that takes its responsibility to Northeast Ohio seriously.
Accountability and your rights
A code of ethics works because customers have somewhere to turn when a standard isn’t met. If you believe a NOADA member dealership has fallen short, you have several avenues - and they build on one another:
- Start with the dealership. Most issues resolve fastest when raised directly with the general manager or owner. The code asks members to resolve concerns “promptly and courteously,” and a locally owned store has every reason to make it right.
- Bring it to NOADA. The association wants to know when a member falls short of the standards it promotes. Reach us through Contact or at (330) 272-9011.
- Know your legal protections. Ohio’s Lemon Law and the Ohio Attorney General’s consumer-protection office provide formal remedies for unresolved disputes. Our Lemon Law & dispute resolution guide walks through your options.
These layers matter because the Code of Ethics is a floor, not a ceiling. The legal requirements it incorporates are mandatory; the additional commitments - written promises, transparent estimates, fair and non-discriminatory treatment - are the standard NOADA members choose to hold themselves to on top of the law. When a member earns your trust, it’s because the institution behind them has made that trust the point.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOADA Code of Ethics? It is the set of principles NOADA member dealers pledge to uphold as members of the National Automobile Dealers Association - committing to the highest standards of ethical conduct and to fair, open, honest dealing with every customer.
Do all NOADA dealers follow this code? NOADA members subscribe to the NADA Code of Ethics as a condition of their NADA membership, and the association promotes these standards across its membership.
What should I do if a dealership doesn’t live up to the code? Raise it with the dealership first; if it isn’t resolved, you can contact NOADA (Contact) and review your options under Ohio law on our Lemon Law & dispute resolution page.
Is the Code of Ethics legally binding? The code’s foundation is full compliance with all federal, state, and local laws. Beyond that legal floor, it is a voluntary professional standard that members pledge to uphold - a commitment to conduct above and beyond the legal minimum.
Does the code cover service and repairs? Yes. Members pledge to detail repair charges, provide written estimates on request or as required by law, and stand behind their work.