Colorado Springs car repair shops warn of higher prices and delayed repair timelines due to tariffs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Auto body shops in Colorado Springs are bracing for impact after Trump imposed 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports Wednesday morning.
Status Auto Body in Colorado Springs says that prices for parts on car repairs could go up in the next few months as tariffs go into place.
"The main concern is seeing what the domino effect is going to be on the overall cost of price of parts," Aaron Premo with Status Auto Body said.
Aaron says that about a third of the body shop's profits are made off the margins between the parts and how much they charge for them. If the cost of parts goes up, it will either be passed onto to the consumer or auto body shops like theirs will have to eat the cost of the tariffs. That's just the beginning of the problem, however.
"We may also be looking at less manufacturing of these components, which could also reduce availability and increase turnaround times as well as delays in terms of getting the necessary supplemental parts for vehicles once we have them in the shop," Premo said.
Premo said he's concerned that the supply for parts will continue to dwindle, making repairs take longer.
Richard Heizer from Heizer Hail Repair says he anticipates the consumer will face higher repair prices, though often, the consumer passes the price onto insurance companies.
"I could foresee, you know, the customers having to pay a little bit more for the insurance because of the fact," Richard Heizer, the owner of Heizer Hail Repair, said.
The reality is that it's more complex than that.
Insurance expert and broken JP West, owner of Westco Insurance in Colorado Springs, says that consumers might feel the cost in their insurance premium in one to two years, if they feel it at all. He says consumers can save by shopping around or bundling their insurance.
