Are Some Toyota Dealers Increasing the Price of the In-Demand Prius?

Now it appears as if Cash for Clunkers has led to another Prius shortage and subsequent price markup.

Affordable, fuel-efficient cars like the Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus got a lot of media attention while they occupied the program’s top-sellers’ spots, and the Prius was flying off dealership lots, too. Once again, inventory ran low, which led some dealerships to add a market value adjustment (in other words, a price increase) of up to $5,000.

We also reported earlier that Toyota is having trouble making enough battery packs for its legendary hybrid, which is slowing production. This could also factor in the Prius-shortage.

With the Clunkers program over, though, and a little diligent searching on the part of consumers, buyers in the market for a Prius should be able to find one. Meanwhile, the market for highly efficient hybrids remains Toyota’s domain thanks to the Prius.

Exclusive: Rogue Toyota Dealers Price Gouging on Scarce 2010 Prius’s (Daily Tech via Autoblog)