[timtom39]

Automobile dealers are separate business entities with different motivations from the manufactures. In particular, they have historically demanded access to training, access to parts, ability to negotiate price, trade ins, etc.

IMO danger of them disappearing is what we see with tech and luxury brands who go through a ton of effort to enforce their MAP and are not particularly motivated to make things repairable.

That being said, they are middlemen and there is defiantly a balance.