Automakers are hiking prices on new cars, but in a way consumers are unlikely to notice, USA Today reports.
The price hikes come not in the form of elevated sticker prices but through mandatory fees known as destination and delivery charges.
The nonnegotiable fees, typically listed on window stickers, are set by automakers and almost always go unmentioned in advertising. The fee purportedly covers the manufacturer’s cost to transport the car from the factory to the dealership.
According to data obtained by the USA Today Network, destination and delivery charges have increased at a faster rate for the 2025 model year than during any other time in at least a decade.
Detroit automakers, for example, have increased their destination and delivery charges across their pickup lines from $1,995 in the past to $2,595 for 2026 models. The last time an average destination and delivery charge was under $1,000 was in 2017.
Read more from USA Today.

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