03-04-2025
WA Subaru shop braces for price hikes amid new tariff on foreign cars
The Brief
President Trump's announcement of a 25% tariff on all foreign-made automobiles has raised concerns for local businesses in western Washington.
A Subaru repair shop in Lake Forest Park has received many questions from customers worried about how much the new tariffs will cost them.
LAKE FOREST PARK, Wash. - President Trump's announcement of a 25% tariff on all foreign-made automobiles, set to take effect at midnight, has raised concerns for local businesses like Suburb Service, a shop specializing in Subaru repairs.
Local perspective
At the Lake Forest Park auto shop, owner Debra Christner has been fielding a lot of questions from her customers, many of whom are worried over how the new tariffs will affect the cost of repairs.
"There's just so much uncertainty. People just don't want to do repairs right now," said Christener. "This is just straight out, 'okay, we're going to raise all these prices 25%.' That's a huge hit to a lot of customers."
For the past 18 years, Suburb Service has focused on Subaru vehicles imported from Japan. Christner, who specializes in servicing this brand, explained that the impact of the tariff is still unclear, but it is expected to raise the cost of imported parts significantly.
Christner pointed to common items like oil filters, air filters, and wiper blades — all imported from Japan or other countries like Mexico.
In anticipation of the hike, Christner stocked up on essential parts. The hope was to give her customers two weeks of relief before the sticker shock sets in. However, once her stock runs out, the price increases will be unavoidable.
"What it is today is not going to be what it was last week," added Christner.
The Source
Information in this story is from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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