The issue in Thorne v. Pep Boys Manny Moe & Jack was whether the plaintiff could sue her tire dealer for ignoring a federal regulation that requires a tire dealer to help customers register their new tires with the manufacturer (49 U.S.C. § 30101, et seq.). The 3rd Circuit agreed with the District Court’s ruling that a dealer’s failure to help register a buyer’s tires in one of the three statutorily prescribed ways does not, by itself, create an injury in fact for purposes of Article III standing. However, the 3rd Circuit vacated the Court’s order and remanded the case for dismissal without prejudice because a district court does not have jurisdiction to rule on a claim’s merits when a plaintiff lacks standing.
