Auto Dealers against new car efficiency letter grades

The 17,000-member National Automobile Dealers Association opposes a proposal unveiled this week by federal regulators to assign new vehicles a grade of “A+” through “D” on the basis of fuel efficiency.

The group said in a statement that instituting a new grading system proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to start in 2012 model year would “confuse the buying public, make vehicle purchasing decisions more difficult or treat certain automakers or fuel types unfairly.”

The dealers also worry that the grades could make a difficult transition for buyers who would be comparing used cars without grades and new cars with grades.

The dealers said during the 60 day public comment period it will back the alternative option raised by the agencies — a more modest redesign of the current sticker that doesn’t have grades.

The agencies say the 34-year-old stickers are badly in need of updating. Some updates