What's on a Car's Window Sticker?

When you’re shopping for a new car from a dealer, the car’s window is the first place you should look for important information. The sticker on the window, which is also known as a Monroney label, verifies the car’s make, model and year, and provides its suggested retail price — thus, its “sticker price” — and a comprehensive list of its standard and optional equipment.

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Each vehicle also has a vehicle identification number on its window sticker. All of these statistics officially identify the car or truck for shoppers on a dealer’s showroom floor and make it a valuable historical record. It’s a good idea to keep copies of the sticker in the glove box for reference when future repairs are needed and specific parts are required. The sticker also documents the list of original accessories that came with the vehicle if you eventually sell it.

U.S. law requires a Monroney label to be displayed on all new cars. These stickers must include certain information about the vehicle in these seven areas:

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price

The MSRP, or manufacturer’s suggested retail price, is the retail price for which the manufacturer suggests a dealer sell a car. It’s different from the price the dealer paid the manufacturer for the car, which is called the invoice price. Dealers can choose to sell cars for higher or lower than the MSRP, but most buyers negotiate with dealers to get them to sell for less than the MSRP to minimize the cost of purchase.

Engine and Transmission Specifications

The window sticker is required to show the type of engine in the vehicle with its size and number of cylinders, such as a 3.5-liter V-6 or 2.5-liter four-cylinder. The type of transmission is noted as well, such as a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic.

Standard Equipment and Warranties

This large section on the sticker’s left side has a list of safety features, such as airbags or a backup camera; interior features such as heated seats, a touch-screen display or satellite radio; and exterior features, including the type of wheels, side mirrors and headlights.

The Monroney also lists warranties for basic, powertrain and roadside assistance in years and miles. For example, a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty would cover repairs for factory-installed parts for up to three years or 36,000 miles driven, whichever comes first; a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty covers engine and transmission repairs for five years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Optional Equipment and Pricing

The optional equipment section lists additional features included on the car along with the price for those features. This could include anything from special paint finishes to a navigation system to a sport package.

Also listed on this part of the window sticker is the total price of the car, including itemized pricing for optional equipment and the destination charge, which is a fee for transporting the car from the factory to the dealership.

Fuel-Economy Ratings

Starting with 2013 models, Monroney stickers include a more comprehensive fuel-economy and environment section with fuel-cost estimates, emissions ratings and, for alternative-fuel vehicles, additional efficiency details.

On the left side of the fuel-economy section is the EPA’s estimated ratings for combined city/highway driving in mpg or miles per gallon-equivalent for electric vehicles; separate ratings for city and highway driving are immediately to the right. It also shows how many gallons of fuel (or kilowatt-hours for EVs) are consumed past 100 miles. For electric cars, the label also shows estimated charging time and driving range. To the right of the fuel-economy information is an estimate of how much money you’ll save on fuel costs over five years compared to the average new vehicle.

Below this section is an estimated annual fuel cost, as well as a smog rating and a fuel-economy and greenhouse-gas rating, both on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the best score.

Underneath these sections are the numbers used to calculate estimated fuel costs and a reminder that your mileage may vary. Finally, there is a QR code that can be scanned to get more information.

Crash-Test Ratings

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration uses a five-star scale to rate a vehicle’s safety, with five stars being the best. It performs various crash tests, including ones for frontal, side barrier and side pole collisions tests, and also assigns a rollover rating. NHTSA does not rate every car, but all cars must meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. These ratings must be displayed on the window of all new cars sold at dealerships; they’re located below the fuel-economy section on the window sticker.

Parts Content Information

To the right of the crash-test ratings is a box that includes six pieces of information about the origins of the car’s parts. These include the percentage of parts that come from the U.S. or Canada, the names of any other countries that contribute 15% or more of the equipment, the final assembly point, the countries of origin for the engine and transmission, and a note that parts content does not include final assembly, distribution or other non-parts costs.

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