McLEAN, Va. — New-car dealer franchise laws protect consumers during safety recall and warranty claims, create price competition and benefit automakers, says the National Automobile Dealers Association in a new animated video released Wednesday as part of its “Get The Facts” initiative.

“Buying a car is a ... complicated purchase with financing, titling, registration, insurance and trade-ins. Because cars are expensive and car buying is complex, governments set up dealer franchise laws to protect consumers, and dealers make this complex process simple,” the video explains. “But recently, some have suggested weakening these laws or eliminating them to bypass dealers completely — a bad idea and nowhere simple as it sounds.”

The new video explains the central reason why states adopt dealer franchise laws: to protect consumers and provide a competitive business environment.

The dealer franchise network is also supported by automakers as the best and most efficient way to buy, sell and service cars in the marketplace, and “dealer franchise laws just make good business sense,” according to the NADA.

“Factories get to focus on design and building great cars, while dealers invest billions in showrooms and websites to compete for local business and sell cars at a great price,” the NADA said in a statement. “And locally owned dealers have a huge positive impact on local communities—local businesses that create more than 1 million jobs nationwide, and provide more than 15 percent of local tax revenue.”

NADA’s “Get The Facts” initiative is designed to inform the media, opinion leaders and policymakers about the numerous benefits of America’s franchised new-car dealers through a new webpage and variety of multimedia resources available here.