Ridiculous Dealership Charges & Fees

I arrived at a dealer’s parts department before they opened. That gave me a chance to look over the sticker on one of their vehicles. Unbelievable number of silly charges and overcharges.



I seriously don’t understand why anyone buys a new vehicle.

 

This is asking price, not the final price. Just talk about out-of-the-door price and then all this silliness is just haggling.

 

Yep, the usual dealer shenanigans. (with some variety and exceptions though)

Whether it’s just aimed high because negotiation or firm because they think it’ll sell means sitting down with a salesperson and spending the time.

And then repeat at multiple dealers as they all vary.

I went for an alright deal used at CarMax instead.

But I don’t doubt that people can have good experiences. Maybe with less “desirable” models.

 

And some sucker will still buy it with an 84 month loan paying ~1000 bucks a month for a depreicating piece of garbage

 

Are you new? Were you born yesterday?

Dealerships have been doing this for decades. They slap on accessories to help pad their bottom line. They ask for the moon. Doesn't mean you have to pay it. I had all those same things added to my 2023 when I bought it. I negotiated with them and they removed them all. Well, they stayed with the vehicle, but I didn't get charged.

Sales people will always ask for the most.
Buyers will always ask for the least.

That's when you start negotiating. But in the end, either buy or don't. Complaining about it and shaking your fist at it won't change this tactic. The dance will continue.

 

Comical. Id have them take it all out

 

No, I’m not new. I’m likely way older than you are. Old enough to remember when the stupid extras were maybe $500-600 for “paint protection” and maybe a doc fee. That’s not new. What is new is how inflated and layered it’s become.

This sticker shows $4,600 for wheels, black badges, and trim pieces that cost a fraction of that. $80 for four charging cords? Nearly $2,300 in “lifetime” add-ons?

Yes, you can negotiate—but the point is that the inflated starting number drives the whole deal higher. Even after negotiation, you’re paying more.

Calling that out isn’t naïve—it’s being aware of how the game has escalated.

Do you sell cars? You sure seemed offended.

 

i like the charge for basically air. Lifetime nitrogen, yeah right!

 

I fill my tires with the air from the lungs of Chuck Norris. My tire pressure never gets low. It's too afraid of the consequences.

 

I agree, people tolerating this as the starting point has shifted pricing negotiation curve up.

Toyota allows its dealers to do this because lemmings will do whatever it takes to get into "Toyota quality". Lots of eager buyers from Atlanta will flock here no doubt.

 

Today Toyota dealerships remind me of Chrysler dealerships from the 90s when you go to them.

 

Sounds like a lifetime of ripoffs and debt.

 

No rustproof undercoat spray???

 

How do you even start a negotiation when they are asking 11K over msrp? Do you ask for $20k off?

 

"Carbon Neutral Program"

 

You have to admire all the creative ways to charge idiot tax.

What, you don't care for the planet? Why won't someone think of the children!

 

Sadly, Southeast Toyota controls what comes into Georgia, and they always put a bunch of shit on the cars (everything extra on the factory sticker is from them). Seems like Marietta is pretty shitty too, looking at their adds.

I had good luck with Cobb County Toyota over a decade ago, don't know how they are now. Seems like most of them got pretty greedy during the covid market-adjustment time. Last nee Toyota I bought was from NC, sure it was 6 hours away, but all they added was a few hundred dollars in window tint (which I actually appreciated).

It doesn't actually sound like you're shopping, but you're right: buying new can suck these days.

 

@Schlappesepple - You’re right, I’m not in the market and my post wasn’t targeted at Marietta Toyota, that was just where I happened to be picking up a parts order.

My last new vehicle was a 2002 Xterra that was the last ‘02 they had left. It was a white 2WD 5-speed listed for $23K and I got it for $19K. Drove it for 11 years and 151K miles then got $3500 for it in 2014. That’s when I bought my ‘07 4R.

But of more interest was the one before that - a 1993 Saturn. Few people remember that Saturn’s hook was no-haggle pricing and excellent customer service, which I experienced for a number of years.

Then I had it in to the dealer for something fairly minor but they came out in full BS mode, trying to sell me everything short of a frame-off rebuild.

I was genuinely surprised - until I happened to overhear a frustrated service writer say to her colleague, “I hate it that they changed us to commission.” Mystery solved. Before then, they got a straight salary with no incentive to hose people.

I can say with 100% certainty that I will never buy another brand new car.

 

Southeast and Gulf states Toyota distributors are known nationwide for the insane amount of port installed accessories.

Interestingly, by contrast west coast gets more expensive factory builds, but port accessories are often minimal. I remember between 22 and 24 people from the Southeast states were looking everywhere for ORPs with KDSS and Sunroof. Out here it was the opposite, it was impossible to find an ORP without both sunroof and KDSS, but on both of my 23 there was only about 800 dollars of port accessories, and it was that way on window stickers across multiple dealership in stock units that I looked at. I left the dealership on mine for 50k all in including 10.5% sales tax and another 800 or so for licensing and registration.

All I can say is thank goodness I am not in the market for a new 4R right now, I saw the other day a 2WD TRD Sport that was stickered for 52k, and ORPs are all over 59k on the lot before tax/fees. The fecal matter is getting crazy y'all. An equivalent ORP to mine today would be about 70k after tax and state fees.