AutoNation Inc. is severing ties with TrueCar Inc. following a protracted contract dispute centered on access to customer information.
AutoNation, the country’s largest new-car retailer, informed TrueCar executives Thursday that its dealerships would stop using the Internet vehicle shopping service at the end of July. Today, 226 of AutoNation’s 240 U.S. dealerships use TrueCar’s services.
The split had been foreshadowed. In April 2014, AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson said the retailer planned to de-emphasize third-party lead providers such as TrueCar, AutoTrader.com and Cars.com, as it strengthened its own website and digital presence to build traffic and sales.
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