New car buyers advised of sticker shock as auto sales begin to rebound

MINOT, N.D (KMOT) - Sales of new cars are starting to make a rebound across the U.S., but buyers could be facing some sticker shock.

According to a recent article on the website Hot Cars since the pandemic, auto dealers have increased prices on new cars.

Kristi Burgess, General Sales Manager at Don Bessette Motors said she’s seen price gouging as high as $10,000-$20,000 over the manufacturer’s suggested retail price or MSRP.

She said consumers can protect themselves from inflated prices by looking at the price listed for the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.

“Inflated pricing down the road is going to cause some issues when it comes to trade in, so we’ve stuck with the sticker price, the MSRP on our vehicles,” said Burgess.

Burgess added that once consumers know the initial sale price, they’ll need to check if the extra charge for accessories are overpriced as well.