It used to be that nobody paid sticker price for a car—because they paid less. In today's topsy-turvy market, a whopping 82% of new car buyers paid more than MSRP.

BUSINESS | AUTOS & TRANSPORTATION | AUTOS INDUSTRY

A New Brand of Sticker Shock Hits the Car Market

With vehicles in short supply, prices are skyrocketing. Last month, 82% of new-car buyers paid more than sticker price.

By Mike Colias and Nora Eckert
Feb. 26, 2022 12:00 am ET

How hard is it to buy a car today? For Kevin Peters, it recently involved a one-way flight and 330-mile road trip to avoid overpaying for a new truck.

Mr. Peters initially spent three weeks shopping around San Diego for a new F-150 Lariat pickup, only to encounter extra charges of $5,000 to $8,000 above the suggested retail price. He decided to fly to a dealership in Las Vegas, where he got what is considered a bargain: He paid the sticker price of $73,520.

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