6 Car Brands That Will Be Most Impacted by Trump's Proposed Tariffs

For anyone in the market for a new car, the past few months may have been a crazy time. Lots of talk about tariffs has many drivers in the United States wondering about how much higher car prices may go in the near future. It's also left potential car buyers asking if now is the time to purchase their next vehicle and searching for ways to save money on car insurance and other expenses to help offset any potential increased costs.

President Donald Trump has talked about putting tariffs on goods coming from Mexico, Canada, and China. Tariffs are taxes charged on goods coming in from other countries. Some experts have predicted that car prices could increase between $2,000 and $12,200 for some vehicles. Here's a look at six brands that may be most impacted by proposed tariffs

Many of the vehicles sold in the U.S. by Audi are made in Mexico or Germany, including the Q5 which is made in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico. As such, the ongoing tariff dispute with Mexico, combined with Trump's tense relationship with European Union leaders, looks to have a direct impact on Audi prices.

It may be a somewhat similar story for BMW, which relies heavily on plants in San Luis Potosi, Mexico and Munich, Germany to produce cars like the 3-Series and 2-Series Coupe.

But, the news isn't all bad for BMW, since this automaker does have a few U.S. plants that manufacture certain lines, like the X-badged SUV.

Ford owns multiple plants in Mexico that send hundreds of thousands of vehicles, like the Bronco Sport, to North America each year.

And, the bad news doesn't stop there. Ford operates a number of plants in the U.S. that rely on engines that are built in Canada and then shipped to production facilities here. These Ford vehicles will also feel the financial burden of the tariffs, despite being mainly produced in the U.S.

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Chevy relies on facilities in Mexico to build some of its most popular vehicles, like the Equinox and the Silverado. The company sold a combined 767,000 of these in 2024, which means a lot of Americans could feel the pain from the increased price tariffs could bring.

Fortunately, Chevy says that it may be able to pivot production on some more popular cars, like the Silverado, to a U.S. facility where tariffs aren't likely to have as sweeping of an impact.

This auto manufacturer's vehicles come from some prime Trump targets, including Mexico, Canada, and Japan. While Japan wasn't among those countries initially swept up in Trump's tariff war, Honda officials fear it will be soon.

As such, the company is said to be looking for ways to adapt to get ahead of any increases on its auto line, which include models like the popular CR-V.

While Dodge does still have a strong production base in the U.S., it does use facilities in Canada and Italy to help build the cars driven by American shoppers.

As such, fans of vehicles like the Durango and Charger could find themselves looking at a bigger price tag, especially if Trump follows through on threats to levy tariffs against E.U. manufacturers.

As you can see, many automakers will be impacted by these tariffs. For those potential car buyers who can't hold off on getting a new car, there are ways to cut costs, which include shopping for a used or pre-owned car instead.

Of course, if all of these tariffs have you pressing pause on purchasing a new vehicle for the time being, you may want to consider some other smart money moves for car owners to help you save some money while you wait for the market to settle, including looking into getting a protection plan for your vehicle.