Emergency Update: How Tariffs Will Affect The Car Market, Prices, And Your Ability To Hack Your Next Car

It's all anyone is talking about the last few days.

25% tariffs on all imported cars

Now I'm not going to lie to you and say this isn't a big deal....because it is.

But I want you to take a deep breath.

Because while this may seem bad, I can assure you that the sky is NOT falling.

In fact, I predicted this was going to happen last year when Trump got elected.

I thought it wasn't going to happen until April, but I guess I was a few days off, lol.

Now here is what you can expect if these tariffs stay (and what will happen if it gets even worse).

Don't worry, it's not the end of the world.

But you need to understand how tariffs will affect the car market.

Here are my predictions of what will happen:

#1 - People think dealers will become rich

But the reality is the tariffs will likely hurt car sales in the short-term creating a "gridlock."

You'll see people waiting to see how it plays out and delaying their car purchases  so any new car dealers who have price hikes will get hurt.

However, smart dealers who understand the game and have long-term vision will win (like any other business who gets affected by government policy).

Here's what the largest exotic car dealer in Las Vegas (Vegas Auto Gallery)  had to say on the tariffs:

#2 - Used cars will see a boost In Price

Almost-new cars and low-mile variations of the latest model cars will go back up closer to sticker price. 

This is because paying 10K off MSRP (for a used car) is better than 75K above MSRP (for a new car).

So if you hacked a car or got a Car Finder recently on a hot model... congrats :)

#3 - Tariffs will gridlock the industry if it lasts more than 90 days

Used car dealers will make good money on the cars they already have in stock.

But the cost of getting new cars will go up, and inventory will shrink.

Also, big franchise dealers won’t want to sell their used cars to smaller dealers anymore.

That’s a big problem because it means small dealers, especially those without a lot of cash or resources, won’t be able to keep up.  Many will struggle or even go out of business because they can’t compete.

Look back at 2020 and see what happened.

My Recommendations Going Forward....

My recommendation now more than ever going into the next 6 months, focus on traditional hacks.

Do NOT go after new cars unless you can get them without the tariff price hike and unless you know they will be in high demand.

If you have been holding a new exotic, holding it longer may also not be a bad idea depending on your baseline cost.

Last year, I predicted that April would be the month that assets would rise, and I predict the April- June time frame will be a HUGE shift in monetary policy. 

This is aligned exactly with my predictions and unfortunately the worst is yet to come.

I suspect that worst economic policy is coming and that you are about to see more than just cars start to go up if this ego war continues between the US and Europe.

Still, fundamental car hacking principles don't change.

So if there's ever been a time to hack a great car, it's now.

Here's the good news...

We've been through market shifts before, and our predictions are 99% rock solid. Just go back and watch my old YouTube videos and see for yourself if you're a newer member.

If you're nervous about doing this yourself, and want to make sure you're hacking a car that can survive the test of time (and tariffs), consider using our Car Finder Service.

We will find you a car based on the make and model of your choosing that we would hack ourselves, with the right options, colors, miles, and condition to make it a safer hack, with no surprises, ready to drive.  

- PJ

Want To protect your money, Survive The Tariffs, And Cut your cost of car ownership in 2025?