by Kiani Tran
The phone rings at dealerships across America, and managers already know what callers want to discuss. Dealers report that 1 of every 3 inbound calls to their stores is now about tariffs and the anxiety in customers’ voices is unmistakable. The uncertainty is gripping the entire automotive world as consumers scramble to understand how trade policy will impact their next purchase.
Welcome to the new reality of car culture in 2025, where Trump’s 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts are expected to cut US sales by millions of units and increase costs by more than $100 billion for the industry. For the Fast & Furious generation that grew up modifying imports and building dream cars on a budget, this isn’t just economics—it’s a direct assault on everything that made car culture accessible.
The Numbers That Change Everything
Goldman Sachs estimates that Trump’s 25% auto tariffs could increase the cost of a new foreign-made car by as much as $15,000, while cars made in the US with overseas parts could see price hikes of up to $8,000. That’s not a subtle market adjustment—that’s the difference between affording your build and watching it slip away.
Goldman Sachs assumes new vehicle net prices in the US will rise by roughly $2,000 to $4,000 over the next six to 12 months just to reflect tariff costs. But here’s what they’re not telling you: this is just the beginning. As inventory turns over and tariff-impacted vehicles hit dealer lots, those numbers are going to climb.
The US imported $217 billion worth of cars in 2024, from countries like Mexico ($49.7 billion), Canada ($28.3 billion), Japan, South Korea, and Europe. Every single one of those imports is now subject to the 25% tariff hammer, and guess who’s paying for it? Not the manufacturers—you are.
The Rush Before the Storm
Smart buyers saw this coming. Consumers are hitting dealerships to purchase vehicles “before the storm hits,” with some automakers reporting a surge in end-of-March sales due to early consumer anticipation. Floyd Wallace said he would’ve waited another month or so but decided to buy a used 2019 Honda Pilot because of tariffs. “After looking at it and seeing the price, I was like, this is right around the budget I had set for myself,” Wallace said. “So I’m just going to do it and not wait,” he said, fearing he’d otherwise have to pay a few thousand dollars more. “Before the storm actually drops, I want to get in and just get out,” he added.
Industry experts are warning that there’s “no way you’re going to see a better discount if you wait three months,” with tariffs expected to drive up auto costs by $4,000 to as much as $12,500 depending on vehicle, engine type and country of origin.
The window is closing fast. Most dealers will see impacts within 60-90 days as existing inventory sells through, with models like the Ford Transit Connect (imported from Turkey) and certain GM pickup configurations experiencing immediate adjustments (Source: How 2025 Tariffs Are Reshaping the U.S. Automotive Industry).
What This Means for Your Build
For the DUB community, this isn’t just about buying new cars—it’s about the entire ecosystem that makes car culture possible. Think about your typical build: JDM engines from Japan, body kits from overseas manufacturers, wheels from various countries, performance parts sourced globally. Every single component that crosses a border is now 25% more expensive.
Even Ford’s F-Series pickup truck, the best-selling vehicle in America with 730,000 units sold in 2024 and proudly marked as “made in the USA,” relies on thousands of parts imported from across 24 nations. If America’s most iconic truck can’t escape tariff impacts, nothing can.
Ford has already told dealers it would raise sticker prices by $600 to $2,000 on the three models it imports from Mexico—the Mustang Mach-E, Maverick pickup, and Bronco Sport SUV. And Ford stressed that this doesn’t even represent the full cost of tariffs being passed along.
The Dealer Dilemma
Dealerships are scrambling to adapt. Industry analysts project a 2.8% annual increase in used vehicle values through 2025, driven by new sedan prices exceeding $30,000, scarce lease returns as owners extend contracts, and customers aged 25-34 now representing 38% of used vehicle purchases.
The smart money is moving to used cars, where values are expected to climb as new car prices soar.
The Bigger Picture: Economic Reality Check
Despite tariffs costing automakers billions, they’ve announced little in the way of car price hikes because there doesn’t appear to be enough consumer demand to support major increases. Translation: people are already priced out, and the market knows it.
The share of consumers who expect to be rejected for auto loans hit 33.5% in the latest New York Federal Reserve survey—the highest in its 12-year history. Car culture is becoming a luxury for the wealthy, not a passion accessible to working-class enthusiasts.
Telemetry expects the higher costs for production, parts and other factors to result in upward of 2 million fewer vehicles sold annually in the US. That’s not just statistics—that’s millions of potential car enthusiasts who won’t enter the culture because they simply can’t afford it.
The Industry Response
GM CEO Mary Barra told CNN’s Erin Burnett that “we believe pricing is going to stay at about the same level as it is,” suggesting automakers will absorb costs rather than pass them all to consumers. But that means lower profits and potentially fewer resources for performance development.
Some automakers have responded to the tariffs in a variety of ways. Manufacturers that are mostly domestic, such as Ford and Stellantis, have announced temporary deals for employee pricing, while others, such as British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, have ceased U.S. shipments. Hyundai Motor also has said it would not raise prices for at least two months to ease consumer concerns.
Fighting Back: What Enthusiasts Can Do
The smart play right now is acceleration, not hesitation. If you’ve been thinking about that build, that swap, those wheels—do it now. Experts warn against trying to “game” tariffs completely, but the reality is that waiting will only cost more.
Consider pivoting to domestic alternatives where possible, but understand that “domestic” is largely a fiction in today’s global supply chain. Focus on completing builds with existing inventory, stockpile commonly needed parts, and get serious about the used market where values haven’t fully reflected the new reality yet.
The Long Game
Industry analysts expect the 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico to potentially drop to 12% in 2026, with tariffs from other countries possibly reducing to about 15% by 2027. But that’s still substantially higher than pre-tariff levels, and there’s no guarantee these predictions hold.
American Automotive Policy Council president Matt Blunt says American OEMs are committed to producing vehicles domestically and increasing investment and jobs, but shifting manufacturing of imported components to the US is a long process that may take many years.
The Bottom Line
The golden age of affordable car modification built on global supply chains is ending. The tariff wars aren’t just changing car prices—they’re restructuring the entire foundation of American car culture. The question isn’t whether this will impact what you can build, but how dramatically it will change what’s possible for the next generation of enthusiasts.
For the Fast & Furious generation that grew up believing any car could be transformed with enough passion and ingenuity, 2025 marks a harsh reality check. The American dream of automotive self-expression is becoming more expensive by the day, and the clock is ticking on the world we’ve known.
The storm isn’t coming—it’s already here.
