How to read a window sticker

A window sticker, or Monroney label, is the label on a new car’s window that lists its price, equipment, fuel economy, safety ratings and where it was built. Federal law requires it on new cars and light trucks offered for sale in the US.

Knowing how to read one helps you compare two cars line by line. It also tells you how a pre-owned car left the factory, which matters when you price it.

Why every new car has one

The label comes from the Automobile Information Disclosure Act of 1958. Senator Mike Monroney sponsored the law, so the label carries his name.

The law asks the manufacturer to put the label on the car before it reaches the dealer. The label must stay on the car until the buyer takes delivery.

Dealer add-ons, such as paint protection or accessories installed at the store, are not part of the Monroney label. Dealers usually list them on a separate addendum sticker next to it.

Vehicle description

The top of the sticker names the exact vehicle: model year, make, model and trim. It also lists the engine, the transmission, the drivetrain, and the exterior and interior colors.

The VIN is printed on the sticker too. Always check that it matches the VIN on the car. If it does not, the sticker belongs to a different vehicle.

Standard and optional equipment

Standard equipment is everything the trim includes at its base price. Manufacturers often group it by area, such as safety, interior, exterior and technology.

Optional equipment is everything that was added at the factory for an extra charge. Each option or package is listed with its own price.

This list is the most useful part of the sticker for pricing. Two cars with the same trim can have very different packages, and that changes what they are worth.

The price block

The price block adds three things together: the base price of the trim, the price of each factory option, and the destination charge. The destination charge is the fee for shipping the car from the factory to the dealer.

The sum is the total MSRP, the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. It is a suggested price, not the price you pay. A dealer can ask more or less, and taxes and fees come on top.

MSRP is also not the dealer’s cost. The invoice price the dealer pays is usually lower, and incentives can move it further.

Fuel economy and environment label

The fuel economy label shows the estimated city, highway and combined miles per gallon. Electric vehicles show the same figures as MPGe, along with the estimated driving range.

It also shows an estimated yearly fuel cost and ratings for greenhouse gas and smog emissions. These are estimates from standard tests, so your own results will vary.

Safety ratings

The safety block shows government crash-test star ratings when the model has been tested. If a model has not been rated yet, the label says so.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight. They are most useful when you compare cars in the same class.

Parts content and assembly

The parts content section shows what share of the car’s parts came from the US and Canada. It also names the final assembly plant and the countries where the engine and transmission were made.

Buyers who care where a car is built read this block first. It is also a quick check that the car matches its listing.

Reading the sticker of a pre-owned car

For a pre-owned car, the original window sticker shows how the car was built and priced on the day it was new. It is the clearest record of its trim, packages and factory options.

Use it to confirm what the seller says the car has. A listing may call a car fully loaded, but the option list on the sticker tells you which packages it really has.

The prices on the sticker are the original MSRP. They are not today’s value. To see what similar cars sell for now, check car prices by model or what's my car worth.

If you need a copy of the sticker, read how to look up a window sticker by VIN.

What a window sticker does not tell you

A window sticker describes the car as it was built. It says nothing about what happened after it left the dealer.

• It does not show accidents, title brands or past auction sales.
• It does not show the mileage or the car’s condition today.
• It does not show parts that were added or removed later.

For that history, a vehicle history report is the next step. Dealers can use Vehicle History Reports for title brands, auction records and photos, and odometer readings by VIN.

For definitions of the terms on this page, see the glossary.