What Is a Monroney Sticker?
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What is a Monroney sticker, you ask? Every new vehicle has one, and you’ve likely seen them countless times in your life but didn’t know what they are actually called. If you’ve ever gone shopping for a new or used vehicle, you’ve seen Monroney stickers in all their glory. What if you don’t need to buy a vehicle and are just looking for the best car detail shops in your city? We’ve got you covered.
Monroney stickers help both dealerships and buyers understand each vehicle model according to what it entails and how it’s priced. The Monroney sticker is a simple yet effective tool that has been used for some time now.
In this guide, we are taking a closer look at this fabled sticker so that you’ll be better prepared the next time you shop for a vehicle.
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What Is a Monroney Sticker Exactly?
You might be thinking to yourself, “Couldn’t they just call it a vehicle sticker?” As it turns out, these vehicle stickers are named after the man who invented them: Former Senator Mike Monroney.
As a federally mandated law, every vehicle sold must have a full workup of what complements the automobile, allowing consumers to see vital information and data readily. Essentially, it’s a way to ensure that the car manufacturers remain transparent about the vehicles they sell.
So when the Automobile Disclosure Act of 1958 was passed into law, Senator Monroney came up with this ingenious concept, and the rest is history. On every Monroney sticker, you will see the following essential information regarding the vehicle it is affixed to:
Make and Model
The Monroney sticker tells the dealer and potential buyer the make and model of the vehicle and its VIN (vehicle identification number). You can also find where the vehicle was built and where its parts were made. But that’s not all. There are other pertinent details to be found in this section, including:
- Powertrain information (engine and transmission)
- Exterior and interior color
- Production year
- Trim level
MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price)
Commonly referred to as the sticker price, this is the total sale price that the manufacturer recommends the vehicle be sold for.
However, the dealer has the option to ask for more or less money than the MSRP. It’s important to note that the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price is not the factory invoice price. That price has to do with what the dealer pays the manufacturer for the vehicle in question.
Safety Ratings and Crash Test Scores
This portion of the Monroney sticker lists critical information about a vehicle’s NHTSA (National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration) rating in terms of crash test scores. This administration is a federal agency that tests the performance of vehicles, including rollover, side crashes, and front crashes.
While it’s true that every automobile has to meet certain government safety standards, not every vehicle is required to undergo NHTSA testing.
Fuel Economy and Environmental Impact
This is sometimes referred to as the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) sticker. Within this portion of the Monroney sticker, you will find the vehicle’s results in tests regarding greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants, and fuel economy.
What’s more, this portion didn’t come into effect until 2013 due to combined efforts by the EPA and NHTSA. Thanks to this addition, consumers have assistance in choosing green vehicles based on their environmental attributes.
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The Fuel Economy and Environmental Impact section displays numbers that tell potential buyers what the vehicle’s estimated highway, city, and combined miles per gallon are. Moreover, you can readily see the vehicle’s estimated annual fuel cost and how that number compares to similar vehicles’ average yearly fuel cost.
The benefits of this portion don’t end there. You will also be able to see the vehicle’s emissions ratings. Additionally, consumers can click on a QR code using their smartphone to learn other essential information about what these numbers mean.
You can even plug in your own driving mileage numbers to better determine what kind of fuel economy you can expect to get when you drive the vehicle in question. And if you are interested in buying a hybrid car, you’ll want to pay close attention to a subsection labeled “MPGe.” This is the vehicle’s miles per gallon equivalent.
It lets consumers see the fuel economy of a hybrid or electric vehicle compared to the fuel economy of a gas or diesel vehicle.
Standard Equipment
The Monroney sticker also lists the car’s standard equipment. This can include but isn’t limited to:
- Performance information
- Interior features
- Safety features
- Mechanical
Conversely, some instances of details listed in this portion of the Monroney sticker include:
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Power steering
- Audio systems
- Airbags
This section can also include content information about the parts used in the manufacturing of the vehicle. As such, you are able to tell where each of the main parts of the car was manufactured. This also includes the number of parts that were made here in the United States. This provides essential details for shoppers who prefer to buy vehicles built in America and not abroad.
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Pricing of Vehicle Options
What is a Monroney sticker without pricing? Thanks to these important details, you can see vital data on available equipment packages that are made specifically for the make and model of the automobile you’re interested in.
What’s more, you can tell what the added cost is for each of these packages. This portion also details the destination charge, which is a special fee that covers the cost to ship the vehicle from the manufacturer to the dealer.
Any options and accessories that the dealer added will often appear on a separate window sticker but still next to the Monroney sticker. On top of that, you should be able to see the base price of the car and a price for the itemized options, including the destination charge, taxes, and total sale price after all options and fees have been calculated.
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