PHOENIX (AZFamily) — With the Trump administration enforcing new auto tariffs this week, Phoenix auto repair shop Mazvo Auto Care Center is warning drivers to budget more for repairs under the new tariffs.
Owner Shahe Koulloukian said about 47% of cars in the US were shipped from overseas. He also said that back in 2023, 2 million cars were sold to the US. Knowing many of the cars and parts he services are from overseas, he said drivers should be ready for higher costs.
“When I go to purchase vehicles or an auto repair shop purchases vehicles, you’re going to purchase it at a low cost at whatever the price is and then have your normal markup,” Koulloukian said. “Unfortunately when that price is higher, it gets forwarded to the client, so what a normal alternator may have cost $250 may now cost $380 or $400.”
Koulloukian said when repair shops service cars, they work with dealerships and parts warehouses to get the parts needed for repairs. Typically, warehouses and dealerships have over a million parts in inventory.
However, when inflation-related changes are made, suppliers start to prepare for decreased demand and cut their inventory by more than half. Koulloukian said this can not only lead to higher costs but also even longer wait times for drivers.
“Now comes the average consumer and says, ‘I need a water pump.’ Sorry, the water pump is not available because I couldn’t get it, and I couldn’t stock it, so now I, as the consumer, have to sit and wait for that part to be done, and if it’s a repair that’s important, you can’t drive your car, so the car is going to sit there like a paperweight for three, five, sometimes 10 days,” Koulloukian said.
Although tariffs on car parts don’t take effect until May, Koulloukian said he’s already started to see the impact on shipping costs.
When changes like this happen, Koulloukian said it’s important for drivers to have a trusted auto repair center to help guide them through the options and lead them to a repair route that’s within budget.
He also advised drivers not to panic and buy a new car to avoid costly repairs. He encouraged drivers to research their cars and calculate the cost it takes to maintain them because he believes it’ll be more affordable than buying a new car under these tariffs.
President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are set to start Wednesday. These tariffs will tax 25% on vehicles once imports start on Thursday, April 3. Tariffs on car parts are set to begin on May 3.
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