In a precedential ruling tackling not one but two issues of first impression, the Commonwealth Court limited protections for car dealerships under Pennsylvania’s Board of Vehicles Act, while strengthening carmakers’ contractual power.

In a dispute between General Motors and several local dealerships over reimbursements for warranty repairs, a three-judge panel of the court ruled 2-1 that GM was within its rights to enforce contractual terms that are not specifically authorized by the act.