🚗 Tariff ruling decoded: what changes for dealers (and what doesn’t)

TOGETHER WITH

Howdy, Fam!

Tomorrow at 12 CST we’re releasing a new episode of The Truth About Car Dealers.

Check out last week’s S2E2 at CMA here, or S2E1 at Bozard Ford Lincoln here.

We can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on, and hope to see you in the chat during the livestream!

Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

_{Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here!
Reading time: 5 min and 07 sec}

The Supreme Court voted 6–3 to strike down the use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad global tariffs. That’s a meaningful legal change, but it’s not an automatic price reset for vehicles.

This narrows emergency tariffs, but most auto tariffs that affect pricing still stand.

Here’s why the ruling won’t instantly change what you see on the lot: the decision narrows emergency tariffs under IEEPA, but it does not unwind most of the auto-related tariffs dealers feel day to day.

Much of the remaining exposure is tied to tariffs linked to national security and “unfair trade practices.”

Even when this doesn’t show up as a clean sticker change, it can continue to pressure parts, repairs, and supplier costs.

Not quickly. Not reliably.

2026 model-year pricing is already set. If cost pressure eases later, relief usually shows up first through incentives, trims, and allocation changes before you see widespread MSRP declines.

If refunds happen, they would likely run through the U.S. Court of International Trade and take months or years, with no requirement that recovered funds translate into lower consumer pricing.

Tariff pressure is not hitting every vehicle the same way.

Auto news says VIN-level pricing analysis shows average increases of roughly:

Bottom line: uneven cost pressure creates real payment gaps between “similar” vehicles and changes how customers cross-shop.

The legal story changed fast. Retail pricing usually does not.

Plan for more model-to-model variance than market-wide price drops.

Track incentives and availability weekly, not headlines daily.

Explain what changed, what didn’t, and focus on what you can control today: availability, incentives, and payment options that fit the customer’s comfort zone.

Check out the full article here, including the week-of communication plan and scripts.

The Retail Automotive industry loses nearly $20 billion a year to employee turnover. And most dealers treat it like the cost of doing business.

Here's the problem: You cannot expect to have consistently satisfied customers if your employees are not satisfied.

Leading dealers who’ve figured this out invest in employee experience. And it shows in their employee retention, corporate culture, and profitability.

ESi-Q measures employee satisfaction and provides actionable insight into what’s driving engagement and turnover - before employees leave.

Discover how ESi-Q can help your dealership turn employee satisfaction into a competitive advantage.

Stellantis just swallowed a massive EV-related write-down (about $26.5B / €22B, depending on whose math you like) plus more warranty and recall baggage. Investors watched roughly a quarter of the stock value vanish. The “reset” plan? Slow the EV push, sell what people actually buy, and crank out more Hemi V8s. Vintage coping mechanism.

Tax season might turn into the auto market’s weird little spring tryout. Refunds are running higher so far, and some shoppers could use that cash as a down payment to escape $700-plus monthly payments. Or they pay down credit cards and keep driving the same car. March is big for sales, but confidence is not.

Carmakers want Level 3 “eyes-off” driving so you can text while your car does the work, until it suddenly asks for your help like a group project. Development can run up to $1.5B, and liability gets messy fast. Mercedes has already hit demand limits. Meanwhile, China is moving quickly, and nobody wants to be last.

Mobile service is getting real traction inside dealerships.

At NADA 2026, Paul J Daly sat down with Curbee CEO Amit Chandarana to talk execution. Curbee grew 12x last year, expanded to 90% DMS coverage, and launched Recall Intelligence so dealers can instantly see which recalls can be completed in the field.

They tackle the questions dealers are asking: Where do we find techs? What does upfitting cost? Will this actually make money?

With nearly 78 million recalls and service lanes under pressure, mobile service is helping stores create capacity, keep master techs focused, and meet customers where they are.

If you run service, this is worth 10 minutes of your time.