LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The new 25% tariff on foreign cars and auto parts went into effect Thursday morning and could drive up prices by thousands.
I caught up with one Las Vegas woman who raced to the dealership to beat the price hike and she says she got here just in time.
"If I don't do it now, I'm gonna feel the pain later," said Cabria Kirby.
She tells me her sales representative even warned her.
"Thank God you're doing this now. He's like, because any services, any of that, like if you try and get this car in the next month, it's gonna be like an increase of $5000 to $7000," said Kirby.
And it's not just the price of new cars going up.
"It affects services too, so they need to order parts for your car," said Kirby.
Victor Botnari, owner of Universal Motorcars says he ordered many of his auto parts from overseas.
Abel Garcia: You know you were just telling me one number may cost you about $3000. We did the math. You add 25% to that. That's looking at $3750 who is that going to impact down the road?
Botnari: We don't know how the dealers or what will happen with the price increase—if it will happen, will not happen—but eventually somebody will have to pay the difference.
Garcia: Victor, for people who are concerned right now and let's just say a part breaks in their car, what advice do you have for them so that they don't have to pay that much out of pocket?
Botnari: Maybe you go with an option for a used part or aftermarket parts.
As for Kirby, she has a message for anyone thinking about buying a car soon.
"If you do have like an older car you're looking to make that upgrade, like now's the time. because when you go in to get your car serviced, if you have an older car, they gotta start shipping these parts—and that’s what the tariffs are on," said Kirby.
One general manager at a local car dealership says current inventory may not be impacted just yet but any new cases brought in from out of the country could come with a bigger price tag.
