I don't know about you, but when I walk by a gorgeous new car on a dealer lot, my eyes kind of glaze over when I see the sticker in the window. From a distance, all those codes and numbers look like Martian to me. Sticker shock shouldn't begin by just trying to read the window sticker. What does it all mean? Let's find out.
Decoding Car Window Stickers
Auto Sticker History
You have U.S. Senator Mike Monroney to thank for the big stickers that have appeared on the windows of all new automobiles since the late 1950s. Known today as the Monroney sticker, the idea was to keep automakers and dealers honest from deceptive practices. Before the stickers became mandatory, dealers could invent hidden costs and nonessential fees. Monroney sponsored the Automobile Information Disclosure Act of 1958, mandating the disclosure of information about the car, its specific equipment, and all pricing. Interestingly, the stickers were mandated for passenger vehicles only and the act did not apply to vehicles with a gross weight of over 8,500 pounds.
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Since the mid- 1970s the United States Environmental Protection Agency provides fuel efficiency ratings in the sticker as well. More detailed fuel economy and emissions ratings have been included from 2013 onward for hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric cars. Today's window stickers even include a QR Code that can be scanned by smartphones to access further information online.
What the Sticker Contains
The Monroney sticker on a new car must include the specific vehicle's make, model, trim level, and vehicle serial number. It includes the manufacturer's suggested retail price, engine and transmission specifications, all standard equipment, optional equipment and pricing, warranty details, and transportation charges. It also includes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ratings for city, highway, and combined fuel economy ratings as well as crash test safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Photo:Â Monroney Labels
How to Read the Sticker
The Monroney label on a new car can look different depending on the automaker. Each auto brand designs its own stickers and one size does not fit all. We hope to help you discern all the pertinent information here to discover the ten areas of particular interest on an automobile window sticker.
Let's begin with all the model information for the vehicle. This section usually takes up about half of the sticker information and tells you what you need to know about the overall package. It tells you about the engine and transmission, the color of the car both inside and out, and the year, make, model, and trim level of the vehicle. It offers a quick way for you to make sure the car has the engine size, color and trim level you are looking for.
This section shows you the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) and lists all the features included for that price. Items are usually grouped by Exterior, Interior, Safety/Security, Comfort/Convenience, and Performance. It is important to go through the list of optional equipment and make sure everything that is listed is actually on the car you're looking at. If the package price includes a sunroof, or additional performance package, make sure you are getting it.
This is where you'll find out about the vehicle's manufacturer warranties including a comprehensive, also known as a bumper-to-bumper warranty, and the powertrain warranty for the engine and its components. These are listed by time and mileage such as a three year or 36,000-mile warranty. If you are buying a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or all-electric vehicle, there are mandatory warranties for the battery technology. The federal government requires manufacturers to offer an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty on al EV batteries. Also note that some automakers include a roadside assistance package and limited maintenance programs.
This section of the sticker focuses on all the details regarding the car's factory-installed optional equipment. You'll often see these appear as "packages" such as "off-road suspension" packages on trucks or specific "executive" packages on luxury sedans. Seeing these optional equipment packages helps you understand what you are getting and if you want or need such packages as they can be expensive options to include. If a dealer has added additional accessories such as upgraded wheels and tires or window tinting, the dealer must add a separate column to include those items.
You'll find the manufacturer suggested retail price listed on the sticker as well as a breakdown of optional equipment and fees such as the destination charge, which is the cost of transporting the vehicle to the dealership. Other taxes and fees might include that if the car has been rated by the EPA to get less than 22.5 miles per gallon, there may be a "gas-guzzler tax" included. Keep in mind that the MSRP does not show any rebates or special savings from the dealership that might save you money. By the same token, a vehicle that is in high demand may be priced higher than the total sticker price by the dealership. Remember that the sticker price is negotiable.
This section shows you where the various parts on the vehicle have been manufactured. Today's American cars have parts that were produced in countries all over the world. For instance, 38 percent of the engines and transmissions in many U.S. cars were made in Mexico. Other countries that contribute to building everything from engines to electrical components include China, Canada, Japan, Germany, and south Korea. The Parts Content section of the window sticker reveals where the vehicle was assembled and where the various components came from. More info can be found on the NHTSA website which breaks down the domestic and foreign content in today's cars, trucks, and SUVs.
The EPA Label shows you the estimated fuel efficiency of the vehicle in miles per gallon in city driving, highway travel, and the combined rating. You'll also find an estimate of annual fuel cost and even a greenhouse gasses rating. There is special data for hybrid and electric vehicles and how much it will cost to charge an EV and estimated charging times. For all-electric vehicles, there is also an estimate of the electric miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent (MPGe). This shows the distance an EV can travel on 33.7-kWh of electricity.
Scanning this small square with a smartphone camera links you to the mobile EPA site for more information about the vehicle's EPA rating. You can even personalize your fuel economy data and compare the vehicle you are considering to other cars.
The window sticker will show you where your vehicle was built and assembled as well as where some of its major components come from. The manufacturing and shipping section will show you the vehicle's point of origin including when it was shipped to and where it was delivered. This will also show you the car's stock number. Different from the VIN number, the stock number is assigned at the dealership when the car arrives.
The NHTSA tests new vehicles every year at its in-house laboratory, conducting crash tests with the mission of saving lives and preventing injuries. It helps support federal motor vehicle safety standards to assure safer vehicles. As such, the NHTSA has developed a safety rating section of the car's window sticker. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also scores the safety of vehicles, and some auto window stickers show these results as well.
Last Words
Whether you are strolling through a car dealer lot or shopping for your new car on the Internet, request a copy of the window sticker of the vehicle you are interested in. Once you are armed with all the information contained on that sticker, you'll have a much better idea of what you'll pay and if it is the right car for you.
