Fasten your seatbelts and keep your foot near the brake… because drivers are about to hit a major road bump.
President Donald Trump has slapped his 25 per cent tariffs on all foreign-made cars and auto parts — and motor costs are set to soar.
It’s not just the price of new cars, which are set to rise by as much as $13,000, that drivers need to look out for. Experts are warning that the real sticker shock will come at the repair shop.
Since mechanics need the same auto parts as manufacturers, the tariffs will make common breakdowns — such as bumper replacements, oil changes and engine repairs — more expensive.
‘Tariffs on auto parts will cost the consumer in a big way,’ Greg Horn, car parts specialist at online marketplace PartsTrader, told the Daily Mail.
‘Around 40 per cent of a mechanical repair bill is for replacement parts. And many parts — upwards of 70 per cent — are imported to the US.’
Horn warns Americans will pay on average $180 to $250 more for collision repairs. Car insurance premiums will rise by 8 per cent as insurers adjust for higher repair costs.
While there’s no definitive estimate on how much other fixes will cost, it might not be far off the tariffs’ 25 per cent figure. But which cars will be worst affected? Here are five popular models that are about to be hit by skyrocketing repair costs…
The Jeep Compass – produced in Mexico – could become more expensive to repair
Greg Horn, an auto parts specialist at online marketplace PartsTrader, warned that car parts are expected to get a lot more expensive
Jeep Compass
The Jeep Compass, a crossover SUV, is the company’s third-best selling car.
But the US version of this popular, $30,000 model is built in the Mexican city of Toluca — making it highly vulnerable to tariff costs.
Jeep — owned by multi-national parent company Stellantis — relies on international trade to supply its engine parts.
‘A Stellantis transmission module is created in Ontario, Canada, and makes a total of seven border crossings until final assembly,’ Horn said.
The Trump administration has not said whether tariffs will be applied at each crossing. But, if so, costs for both new Compass models and existing ones needing repairs will skyrocket.
The Nissan Sentra is the fifth-cheapest car in the US
Nissan Sentra
Nissan Sentra costs start at $21,590 — making it the fifth cheapest car in the US.
But new buyers will pay more this year and existing owners will see repair costs surge, mechanic John Morrison told the Daily Mail.
While Nissan is a Japanese brand, the factory that produces Sentra cars for the US is in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
That factory also builds Nissan’s low-cost Kicks SUV and Versa, which will face similar hikes for repairs.
‘People don’t realize how many of their parts aren’t made here,’ Morrison warned.
‘I’ve seen a lot of Sentras at my shop. They need a lot of fixes and new parts.’
BMW owners are likely used to expensive repairs – they will soon cost more
BMW 3 Series
BMW owners are used to pricy repairs, but the 3 Series will be particularly susceptible.
New 3 Series models, which have starting prices from $46,000, are built in Germany. But critical components — including engines and transmissions — are sourced from Europe and Asia.
Like Stellantis cars, BMW requires its parts to be shipped across multiple borders before reaching mechanic shops and factory floors.
Tariffs will add costs at every stage, making replacement parts significantly more expensive.
The Toyota Camry relies on a parts supply that ships limited items from Japan
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry, which is consistently one of America’s top-ten best-selling cars, may seem a safe model given it’s built in Kentucky.
However, a deep dive into the car’s parts production reveals a more complicated story.
The Camry depends on a vast international supply chain for key parts, including transmissions and batteries from Japan – where Toyota is headquartered.
The brand has also been particularly susceptible to supply chain shocks, which have already caused shortages on dealership lots. It’s certainly not good news for the Camry which, selling new from $29,000, has been a budget-friendly success for decades.
VW ships parts from Europe and builds several models in Mexico
Volkswagen Taos
Owners of Volkswagen’s diminutive SUV already pay more than most for repairs — thanks to the early model’s reliability issues.
Priced at just $25,000 — a bargain for an SUV — the Taos attracted 64,000 buyers in the US last year.
VW keeps prices low by building the Taos in Mexico, where many of its parts are also produced. Other components come from VW’s home base in Germany.
That means every single Taos part imported for repairs will be hit with tariffs.
Early Taos buyers — particularly drivers who bought the 2022 model — have complained about the vehicle’s persistent mechanical repairs. Now, it seems, they might have to pay a far greater price.
[H/T Daily Mail]
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