Dealer Adds $20,000 Safety Package To GR Corolla's List Price

Mar. 18, 2023 6:23 PM ET by Jarryd Neves Pricing / 18 Comments

Can't put a price on safety? This dealership doesn't seem to agree.

The Toyota GR Corolla is one of the most exciting cars money can buy, so it comes as no surprise that it's already been subjected to greedy dealer markups.

First reported by Carscoops, it seems some dealers are hiding markups under the guise of pricey add-ons, with one example in Florida allegedly wearing a $20,000 "safety package." A Facebook user recently shared the discovery on the Toyota GR Corolla Owners page, showing the absurd window sticker (pictured below) that includes the overpriced package.

The vehicle in question has an MSRP of $53,751, backed up by dealer Ed Morse Delray Toyota's website listing. However, the listing fails to include the $20,000 add-on, which the sticker describes as wheel locks and anti-viral treatment.

Toyota

Now, we're pretty sure that those two features - while useful - aren't worth $20,000. The final price is a whopping $73,751, which is an absurd amount of money for a Corolla, no matter how nice. Interestingly, this doesn't include the $999 dealer fee that also appears on the window sticker.

At $53,751, it's safe to assume the vehicle in question is a Morizo Edition, the range-topping variant with a host of performance upgrades, including more torque, a carbon fiber roof, and no rear seats. The online listing, however, does not mention that it's the hardcore model.

Based on the price of this "safety package," we're guessing the dealer won't allow a customer to waive the optional extra and just pay the sticker price. It's safe to assume this is a disguised market adjustment, which remains a big problem in the American new car market.

Toyota

The comments beneath the post are overwhelmingly negative, but one individual summed up our thoughts rather nicely. "Crazy how dealers simply kill the buzz around [enthusiast] cars," they wrote.

While consumers have a choice and don't have to purchase the vehicles, so-called dealer adjustments are a scourge on the community and have led many to simply give up on buying desirable cars.

However, some manufacturers and dealerships are fighting back. Recently, a Bronco Raptor customer was dismayed when he was presented with a contract that said he could not sell the SUV to anyone but the dealer from which he purchased it. This is to discourage the practice of flipping, which is just as bad as dealer markups.

Getting back to this pricey Toyota, it remains to be seen whether someone will actually fork out more than $70,000 for a GR Corolla. There probably will be, as these kinds of deals would not have been a viable way of doing business unless customers were willing to bite.