Tariffs raise repair shop costs in Ferndale

Automotive News reported on May 21 that President Donald Trump’s tariffs are raising costs for both dealership service departments and independent repair garages, using Wetmore Tire and Auto in Ferndale, Michigan, as a local example. The report, by staff reporter Richard Truett, said higher import costs are feeding through to the service side of the auto business, where shops buy replacement parts, tires and other components before setting prices for customers. Wetmore’s, at 23459 Woodward Ave., has operated in Ferndale since 1928, according to the shop’s website. Automotive News said the pressure is reaching both franchised dealers and neighborhood garages. ### Why is a Ferndale repair shop showing up in a tariffs story? Wetmore Tire and Auto was the shop featured in the Automotive News video published May 21. The outlet said Truett visited the Ferndale business to examine how tariffs were affecting day-to-day repair work at an independent garage. Automotive News framed the shop as one example of a wider cost problem facing vehicle service operations. (autonews.com) Ferndale, Michigan, gave the report a concrete setting, but the article tied the issue to a broader North American auto trade debate. Automotive News said the Wetmore’s visit was part of its larger series on tariffs and trade changes across the industry. ### Where do repair bills start to move when tariffs hit? Imported auto parts are one direct pressure point. (autonews.com) Automotive News said dealership parts and service departments and independent garages are “paying the price” of the tariffs, indicating the cost increase begins before a vehicle ever reaches the service bay. IMR, an automotive aftermarket research firm, surveyed 500 general repair shops in April 2025 and found 38.0% reported cost increases linked to tariffs. (autonews.com) The same survey found 36.8% raised product prices because of those costs, while 20.4% reported higher shipping expenses. ### Are bigger shops feeling it differently than smaller ones? (autonews.com) IMR’s survey said larger operations reported the heaviest impact. Shops with eight or more bays reported tariff-related operational cost effects at a 73.7% rate, price adjustments at 70.2%, and higher shipping costs at 63.2%, according to the research. Smaller shops with one to three bays reported lower rates across those categories. (automotiveresearch.com) Those numbers do not mean small garages are untouched. Fleet Maintenance, citing the same IMR data, said cost increases and pricing adjustments remained significant concerns across the repair sector even though tariffs had not “universally disrupt[ed]” independent shops. ### What does that mean for customers bringing in a car? (automotiveresearch.com) Repair shops usually face a choice between passing along higher parts costs or absorbing them in thinner margins. IMR found 2.6% of surveyed shops said they absorbed the higher costs rather than raising prices, while 0.4% said price changes had cost them a customer. Wetmore’s business mix helps explain why tariff pressure can spread across routine service. (fleetmaintenance.com) The Ferndale shop says it handles brakes, belts and hoses, oil changes, alignments, diagnostics, tires and OEM wheels, all categories that can depend on nationally or globally sourced parts and supplies. ### What comes next in this story? Automotive News said the Wetmore’s report is part of an ongoing series, “Trade. (automotiveresearch.com) Tariffs. The Road Ahead.,” examining how tariff and trade-policy changes are remaking the North American auto industry. That means the next developments are likely to come through additional reporting on dealerships, suppliers and repair businesses as the trade debate continues in 2026. (autonews.com) (wetmorestireandautorepair.com)