YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – John Stanko has witnessed big sales days before at his Boardman auto dealership, but never like this.
“Friday and Saturday were two of the busiest days we’ve ever had,” said Stanko, vice president at Boardman Subaru, 7811 South Ave. “It was quite a weekend.”
Stanko said customers poured into the dealership seeking deals on new and used vehicles before tariffs on foreign-made automobiles and components proposed by the Trump administration take effect Thursday. “It was the topic on everybody’s mind,” he said.
President Donald Trump on March 25 announced his administration would levy a 25% tariff on all imported automobiles and parts, a policy that most economists say will drive the price of cars and trucks up considerably. However, Trump sees these tariffs as tools to help encourage domestic manufacturing and reshore production to the United States.
In response, consumers over the past several days have scrambled in a last-minute effort to lock in deals at foreign auto showrooms just under the wire of these tariffs being imposed, Stanko said.
“We probably sold 30 cars each day, between Friday, Saturday and Monday, new and used combined,” Stanko said. On average, the dealership sells approximately 10 new and used vehicles per day, he said. “A very busy day would be about 20 cars.”
Subaru, a Japanese automaker, is among the top-selling brands in the Mahoning Valley, data show. In February, the Boardman dealership recorded the most new vehicle sales of all the local showrooms to buyers in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties, with 135 units sold, according to the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association. Boardman Subaru also sold the most used vehicles during the month, with 96 units sold.
The dealership was more subdued Tuesday morning, but Stanko said that more might come in as the day progresses. “We’ll see how the afternoon plays out,” he said, “since there are a lot of people who feel like it’s the last day or two to get in before the tariffs start taking effect.”
Stanko said it’s still uncertain how these tariffs – should they be implemented as planned – will impact business. “Subaru has tried their best to communicate with us,” he said. “There’s no clear idea of what’s going to happen or if it’s going to happen. They’re trying to evaluate the market.”
Approximately half of Subaru vehicles are manufactured in the United States, he noted, but these vehicles also use imported components. Another half of the vehicles sold are imported to the U.S. from Japan.
A 25% spike could mean another $8,000 to $10,000 per vehicle, Stanko said. While he’s optimistic that retail prices would not rise by that amount, it’s likely that they will increase.
“They will definitely jump by some significant amount,” he said. “I’m sure Subaru is going to do their best to mitigate that.”
Interest rates have also risen, Stanko said. He added that the dealership will know more details within the next two weeks as to how Subaru intends to address the tariff issue.
“We should know by the 10th or 11th – what and when and if prices are going to change, when they’re going to change and how much they’re going to change,” he said. “Right now, it’s kind of wait and see if they actually take effect or change a few days later.”
Consumers, Stanko noted, have over the past several years shopped for affordability as prices increased in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and inflation pressures.
“It’s a very big question mark right now – just how much these prices are going to change or need to change,” he said.
Nationwide, Subaru of America reported Tuesday that its sales of new vehicles jumped 16.6% during March.
Other foreign automakers saw their sales increase in March as well. Honda posted its best sales for that month since 2021, a 13.2% increase compared with March of last year. Toyota North America reported a 7.7% increase for the month, and Hyundai Motor North America said its sales increased 13%.
Domestic automakers saw their sales rise during the first quarter, too.
Ford Motor Co. reported that its sales in March rose 19%, and General Motors said its sales increased 17% during the first quarter.
At press time, Trump had affirmed that he would initiate tariffs on all foreign vehicles and components effective Thursday. Reciprocal tariffs – those duties placed on countries that have placed duties on U.S. goods – would take effect sometime Wednesday, a day he has proclaimed as “Liberation Day.”
Trump scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m. Wednesday in the White House Rose Garden to announce the measures.
Pictured at top: John Stanko, vice president of Boardman Subaru.