The Monroney Label - facts, thoughts, comments, etc.

[Richie K]

( I may have chosen the wrong thread for this, but here we are... )

What do you know about the origin of the Monroney Label, or “Window Sticker”?

Here is what I found using ChatGPT:


The Monroney Label, commonly known as the window sticker, was created by the Automobile Information Disclosure Act of 1958, sponsored by Senator Almer “Mike” Monroney of Oklahoma. It became law for the 1959 model year, requiring every new car sold in the U.S. to display a label listing key information such as the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), optional equipment and pricing, destination charges, and final assembly location.

The goal was to protect consumers from deceptive dealer practices and ensure transparent, standardized vehicle pricing.

Over time, the label evolved:

1970s: Added EPA fuel economy ratings amid energy concerns.

1990s: Included country-of-origin and parts content under the American Automobile Labeling Act.

2013 onward: Redesigned to show fuel economy, emissions ratings, estimated fuel costs, and QR codes for digital access.

Today, the Monroney Label remains a cornerstone of vehicle transparency, and regulators are exploring digital enhancements (such as expanded QR codes and online versions) but the physical window sticker is still legally required.


I researched it because I was curious about the potential to digitize the label and remove the large sticker from vehicles in the future. What I found is that QR codes are coming, or may even be used already, but according to laws, the actual sticker has to remain visible on the vehicle.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Alex Snyder]

The reasoning behind it, "to protect consumers from deceptive dealer practices and ensure transparent, standardized vehicle pricing," being something that was a problem in 1959, isn't surprising to me. However, what surprised me was learning how long our industry has been seen as deceptive by consumers. Even late in my automotive career, I still had not connected the historical dots to a time when our "wheels" ate hay.

Horsetrading was the original car sales. "Trade that old nag on a young mustang, fella!" Think about selling with a six-shooter on your hip in the Old West. Or a curved sword in the desert of the Middle East before those bearded men in armor came campaigning for Jerusalem.

You are part of one of the oldest professions in human history! And some of you may practice it in a way that rivals THE oldest profession

 

[Richie K]

The reasoning behind it, "to protect consumers from deceptive dealer practices and ensure transparent, standardized vehicle pricing," being something that was a problem in 1959, isn't surprising to me. However, what surprised me was learning how long our industry has been seen as deceptive by consumers. Even late in my automotive career, I still had not connected the historical dots to a time when our "wheels" ate hay.

Horsetrading was the original car sales. "Trade that old nag on a young mustang, fella!" Think about selling with a six-shooter on your hip in the Old West. Or a curved sword in the desert of the Middle East before those bearded men in armor came campaigning for Jerusalem.

You are part of one of the oldest professions in human history! And some of you may practice it in a way that rivals THE oldest profession

Unfortunately there are still deceptive dealers out there and sometimes customers come in to ours with a chip on their shoulder because they've been burned in the past. Dealerships have long been seen as deceptive and it's still an uphill battle for those of us who are not doing shady business.