[frankamartin]

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.
How the Chip Shortage Is Forcing Auto Makers to Adapt
The number of semiconductors in a modern car, from the ignition to the braking system, can exceed a thousand. As the global chip shortage drags on, car makers from General Motors to Tesla find themselves forced to adjust production and rethink the entire supply chain. Illustration/Video: Sharon Shi
By Mike Colias and Nora Eckert
Updated Feb. 26, 2022 1:21 pm 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.
TO READ THE FULL STORY
SUBSCRIBESIGN IN

The article in the WSJ included a reverse story. A dealer in Michigan who sold a Ford Bronco at MSRP ($54K ) to a delighted customer who regaled them with stories of how he was going to ride around a local park with his wife. They were surprised to see it only the next day at a $20K markup accompanied by the same photos the dealership used on their website.

Some consumers are swearing they will become loyal Tesla buyers simply because they don't have to work with dealerships any more.