SAN DIEGO -- La Mesa-based Carl Berger Dodge has agreed to pay a $107,250 fine after the District Attorney's Office accused the dealership of false advertising.

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Learn More About The 'Cover Your Ad' Program

The case stems from the fact that an ad for Carl Berger Dodge had prices that didn't match the car shown.

"The advertisement contained a picture of a Dodge Van Conversion with a raised roof at a specified price but the dealership offered a less valuable van conversion for the advertised price," a statement from San Diego District Attorney Paul Pfingst said.

"Subsequent investigation revealed that during the same period of time, the dealership also published advertisements for Dodge Ram trucks and Dodge Neons with alloy wheels when the advertised price applied to vehicleswithout this feature," the statement read.

As a result, the District Attorney's Office filed a complaint against Carl Burger Dodge, claiming that it had committed false advertising. While the dealer admitted no wrongdoing, it was ordered to shell out $102,000 in penalties and $5,250 in costs.

Fear of such legal problems and consumer backlash has inspired a number of people in the auto industry to form the "Cover Your Ad" program.

Attorney Toni-Diane Donnett said Wednesday that car dealers have to comply with a number of laws to make sure that their ads deliver what they promise.

The laws are there to protect you, but some car dealers complain that they can make doing business difficult, because they are afraid of accidentally finding themselves on the wrong side of the law.

"A lot of dealers joke that it's almost illegal to sell cars in California, there are so many laws there," Joe Lerner, of Cover Your Ad, said. " It's a competitive business, they try to be creative. So what we do is letting them be creative within the boundaries of the law."

Donnet said that the Internet-based program benefits not only dealers, but consumers.

"The idea is that anybody can pick up a newspaper, and they know what they are looking at," she said. "They know when they go down to the dealership what they are going to find, with no surprises."

A number of San Diego auto dealers participate in the program, including the Bob Baker Auto Group, Courtesy Jeep Chrysler and Midway Chevrolet.