Tariff Talk: The Latest

Nissan to boost Rogue production at Smyrna, TN Vehicle Assembly Plant. Credit: Nissan.

Since we last talked, here are some of the things that have taken place and some of the declarations made by automakers.  These are some of the headlines:

• Ford halted shipments of its SUVs, pick-up trucks and sports cars to China, as retaliatory tariffs mean its vehicles face taxes of up to 150%.
• Toyota will build more RAV4s in the U.S. starting immediately.
• Porsche dealers say they have not received shipments of new vehicles from U.S. ports for several weeks as the automaker grapples with tariffs.
• About a quarter of total U.S. automotive assembly capacity was not being used at the end of 2024, according to industry data, leaving automakers some opportunities — at least in theory — to shift production stateside and avoid tariffs without building new plants.
• Nissan will boost U.S. production of its bestselling Rogue crossover by more than half in response to the Trump administration’s tariffs on imported vehicles.
• Hyundai Motor Co. said it has launched a task force to respond to U.S. tariffs, adding that production of some Tucson crossovers has been shifted from Mexico to the U.S.
• BMW, in an April 29 memo, told U.S. retailers that it will “postpone” electric vehicle production in May. The memo did not provide a reason for the decision, and a BMW spokesperson declined to comment on the company’s communications with its dealers. BMW also said in the memo that it will not raise prices on most imported vehicles built through June.

Click here for more Tariff Talk on the following topics → 

• Trade-In Values going up, as I’ve told you all month on the Car Pro Show 
• Tuesday’s actions by President Trump, in summary
• GM CEO Mary Barra talks tariffs, pricing, and GM’s profit outlook

  Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: 8 Car Buying Tips For College Grads

It’s that time of year when thousands of people will take off the cap and gown and head out into the world.  For many, a new car is on the horizon, but you could be vulnerable without doing your homework.  If you are graduating, you’ll want to read this information.  If you know someone who is graduating, please feel free to share this:

Read Jerry's Advice→

 Top 10 Reasons For A Check Engine Light, Cost to Fix

  NHTSA Section 24220 - Does This Scare You?

As soon as next year, if the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has its way, your car could determine if you are OK to drive.  Your car could decide if you’ve had too much to drink, or if you are impaired otherwise.  This could commandeer your vehicle with you behind the wheel, pull you over, and call the police.  The system can serve as a kill-switch of sorts.

A gazillion questions race through my mind.  What if it malfunctions?  How much will this add to the cost of already expensive vehicles?  If your car senses some kind of impairment, is the information recorded and could it be used against you later?  Even if the system works 99.99% correctly, that .01% equates to hundreds of drivers every single day.

Is this a great way to make roads safer, or is this the biggest invasion of privacy on four wheels yet?  You be the judge: I’m just going to tell you about Section 24220 so you can be aware of it and follow it if you wish.

What Is NHTSA Section 24220—and Why It’s About to Change Your Car →

Speaking Of NHTSA:
Automated Driving Is On The Fast Track

Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's new Automated Vehicle Framework was unveiled. Here are the details.

Read more→

  Highboy For Heroes Sweepstakes!

Show your support for our veterans this month by entering the "Highboy for Heroes" sweepstakes!  Enter for your chance to WIN a fully restored 1972 Ford F250 or $100,000 in cash. Proceeds help veterans find healing & community by benefitting two organizations, Veterans Freedom Retreat and Roll Call.  For the month of May, get 1000 entries for $80 (normally $100). Click below to enter!

   Newsletter Exclusive!   

Each week I bring you the top stories in the auto industry along with my commentary or sometimes amusing thoughts about the craziness that goes on in the world of cars.  Here is this week’s edition:

Remember our article last week on things left in Uber cars?  We can add a child to the list!  It was just a simple Uber ride in Arizona that started innocently enough. Lady calls an Uber, gets picked up, rides along with her 5-year old daughter, her boyfriend, and three small boys in tow, and arrives at her destination. She hops out—probably juggling a purse, a juice box, and possibly distracted by her phone.  She gets the boys out and turns around to retrieve her daughter, she realizes the Uber is gone with her child still buckled in the back seat.  Panic ensues. Calls are made. Nerves are frayed.  She calls police who calls Uber and the search is on. 90 minutes later the kid was returned safely, no worse for wear. One might expect Uber to make some sweeping changes to their process when a customer leaves an Uber.  Call me stupid, but quickly jumping out of the car, opening the back door, and looking for items in the back seat before the rider gets too far away could save a lot of grief for paying customers.  You’d think Uber would be falling all over themselves to try to avert a lawsuit. Uber’s response? A seven-dollar credit. I can hear the lady explaining this: “The bad news is little Suzie got abducted in an Uber-the GOOD news is we have a seven dollar credit!”  If you use Uber regularly, have you ever read the terms and conditions before signing up for the app?  Of course you didn’t.  Neither did I.  You just click AGREE like we do with every other thing online.  I went back and read it so you don’t have to.  We all agreed we would not sue them for any reason.  It states:  Arbitration Clause:  You agree to waive your right to sue Uber in court or participate in class actions. Instead, disputes must be handled through individual arbitration (usually confidential and binding).  Oh, and they can change the rules on you too:  Modification Rights: Uber can change the terms anytime. Continued use = agreement to the new terms.  Moral of the story is don’t let a ride sharing vehicle leave without making sure you have everything, Uber doesn’t take kids as tips, and no matter what happens, don’t bother calling your Attorney.

Easter is over, but the eggs continue on in cars.  Perhaps you didn’t know about Easter eggs found in certain cars.  In short, some automakers have a hidden feature you might not even notice if you’re not looking for it and they are referred to as Easter eggs, since you have to hunt for them. They usually offer a symbolic or deeper meaning than the typical eye sees. Surprisingly, many cars hide these features and some people have their vehicles for years and never even notice them.  Let me tell you about a few of the more famous ones today.  When fueling your Jeep Renegade, you may see a spider. But don’t get scared, as it’s not a real one. Jeep puts a spider near the fuel tank, and the itsy-bitsy spider says, “Ciao Baby!”  Also on the Renegade, you can find the mythical Bigfoot creature if you look at the SUV’s rear window, a small Sasquatch icon is visible for those seeking a glimpse of the beast.  In the Ram TRX, under the airbox cover, you’ll notice a giant T-Rex with a much smaller raptor in its mouth. This is a direct slam at the Ford F-150 Raptor.  When inspecting the Hummer EV, you may overlook the speaker system, but that’s where one of the Easter eggs is hiding. If you look at the speakers, you will see a map, that is actually a map of the moon!  The 2025 Subaru Forester has a host of Easter eggs.  A few of my favorites are:  Hiking Boot Prints are embossed on the front door panels. Dog paw prints can be found on the rear door panels. Subaru Stars are located on the roof step panels, and birds in flight can be seen on the windshield and other glass elements.  On some CrossTreks there is a telescope that may be located in the cargo area.  It turns out Elon Musk has a sense of humor, he’s hidden some hi-tech eggs in Tesla vehicles.  Most notable: Rainbow Road-activating Autopilot four times transforms the road display into a vibrant homage to Mario Kart’s Rainbow Road.  James Bond Mode-entering “007” in the Model S’s access code changes the vehicle’s display to resemble the Lotus Esprit submarine from “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Emissions Testing Mode-a humorous feature that simulates fart sounds from different seats, showcasing Tesla’s playful side. Santa Mode transforms your Tesla model into Santa’s sleigh on the dashboard, with reindeer in tow and a jolly soundtrack, spreading holiday cheer.  Does your car have any Easter eggs?  A quick Google search will tell you if it does or doesn’t.  Enjoy your Easter eggs if you are lucky enough to have them.  Turns out, your car’s been trying to make you laugh this whole time—you just weren’t looking hard enough.

Don’t Slam It: The Charger Daytona’s hood has fragile feelings. If you're the proud owner of the all-new 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV like I reviewed last week, congratulations — you’ve got yourself one of the boldest, loudest, and most unapologetically muscle-bound electric vehicles on the market. But before you go slamming the hood like it just challenged your family, pump the brakes. Yes, believe it or not, slamming the hood of your Charger Daytona can actually break it. Not the hood itself, but the latch mechanism that keeps it securely shut. Dodge, in its infinite wisdom, equipped the Daytona with a front trunk — or “frunk” if you’re hip to the EV lingo — and a surprisingly sensitive latch that doesn’t take kindly to brute force. The official owner’s manual literally advises owners to gently lower the hood and then press down lightly to engage the latch.  Of course, nobody read s their owner’s manual, so it really doesn’t help that it is there.  Unfortunately, some owners, perhaps fueled by years of aggressively shutting car hoods, have learned this the hard way. A few well-intentioned slams later, and suddenly the frunk won’t open from the inside button anymore. The reason? The hood latch gets bent out of shape — both figuratively and literally. Metal deformation in the latch assembly means your sporty EV now has a flappy, unsecured front end. And guess what? That probably won’t be covered under warranty, because Dodge is going to chalk that up to “driver-inflicted trauma.”  Repairing the latch isn’t the end of the world, but it’s not exactly a five-minute job either. You’ll need to pull apart some frunk trim, undo a few bolts, and replace the whole latch mechanism. Consider it a reminder that while the Charger Daytona looks like it was built to go really fast, it still wants to be treated with a little finesse. In a world of soft-close doors and massaging seats, maybe this isn't so surprising. But still — a Dodge muscle car with a hood that bruises like a banana? That's going to take some getting used to. So, remember, when you’re done stashing your groceries in the frunk, don’t slam it shut. Just ease it down, press gently, and walk away like a responsible adult who respects the emotional needs of their expensive electric muscle machine.  Because if there’s one thing worse than a broken hood latch, it’s explaining to the dealership that your $80K car broke because you gave it too much tough love.

California is running out of license plates—literally.  California, land of sunshine, supercars, and 87 different Tesla trim levels, is finally hitting a wall—and no, not a traffic jam on the 405. The state is running out of license plate numbers. It’s true. After years of cranking out combinations in the familiar 1ABC234 format, California’s DMV is about to max out. The final plate in this long-running seven-character saga—9ZZZ999—is expected to roll off the presses by late 2025. You have to think that plate could be worth a lot of money someday, perhaps they should auction it off?  For those not up to speed on plate nerdery, California’s current configuration starts with a number, followed by three letters, then three more numbers. It’s been a solid workhorse since 1980, back when mullets were acceptable and gas was under a buck. But now, thanks to booming population, surging car registrations, and perhaps a few too many folks registering vanity plates for their golf carts, the well is running dry.  Never fear: the DMV has a plan. They're flipping the script—literally. The new format will be 000AAA1. Yes, it’s basically the old format reversed, because when in doubt, just read it backwards and hope no one notices. This clever shuffle keeps the same number of characters while unlocking a fresh batch of over 400 million possible combos. Crisis averted—unless, of course, your OCD can’t handle the new sequencing.  Of course, this whole situation begs the question: what happens next time? Eventually, even the reversed format will hit its limit. Will we go to eight-character plates? Emojis? QR codes that link to your driving record? Who knows. But if there’s one thing you can count on in California, it’s that traffic will still be awful, gas will still be expensive, and the DMV will still take forever. So, enjoy your plate while you can. Because soon, someone’s going to be cruising the Pacific Coast Highway with “000AAA1,” and they’ll be part of a bold new chapter in license plate history. Or at least, a slightly shuffled one.

Until next week, remember: From fragile frunks to farting Teslas, lost kids to lost license plate combos—the real Easter egg is the chaos we survived along the way in the world of cars.

  HEB Truck Driver Safely Logs 4 Million Miles 

Two admissions from your favorite automotive content provider:  I hate going to the grocery store, AND I love to go to H-E-B.  It’s a cultural thing and I think it all comes down to their people.  Friendly, courteous, and caring is what I have always found at their stores.  What I did not know was this also carries through to the gals and guys who drive the trucks that deliver food to the stores.

One of H-E-B's truck drivers, Homero Flores, is in the well-deserved spotlight. He's accomplished a rare milestone - driving four million miles consecutively without a single accident or traffic incident!  

Read more about his incredible achievement → 

  Weekly Recalls

• STOP SALE / RECALL: **GM 6.2-LITER V8s** CRASH RISK→
• Acura **CRASH RISK**→
• Mercedes-Benz (2) **FIRE AND CRASH RISK **→
• Polestar **CRASH RISK**→
• Takata Air Bag Recall → 

 Our Incentive Guide

Check out our vehicle incentives and lease specials page for information on understanding incentives, plus links to every major manufacturer's incentive page for the latest offers by zip code.

Find Incentives By Automaker → 

 Kim Komando's Tech Tips and Useful Info

Besides the Car Pro Show and our weekly newsletter, my other favorite radio show and newsletter is Kim Komando’s.  We're on many of the same radio stations across America.  She does for her listeners and newsletter subscribers exactly what I endeavor to do:  Give you useful information to keep you up to date on the latest in cars, only she does it with technology and there is nobody who does it better.  Not sure how she puts out a top-notch newsletter seven days a week, but she does.

This is a very sad story about a lady who lost a LOT of money buying a car online from what she thought was a legitimate dealership:

The $55K FaceTime car scam →

  Tips On Renting An RV For Vacation

If you are planning your summer vacation, you may be considering renting an RV or camper. There are plenty of factors to should consider before you rent one, especially if you are a first timer.  The BBB has some great tips that we've shared for you here.

Read more→

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  Jerry's Must-See Video Of The Week!

 Closing Message From Jerry Reynolds

Thank you for reading this edition of the Car Pro Weekly, recommending it to your friends and family, and for listening to the Car Pro Radio Show. 

We hope you found it to be informative and entertaining. Remember we're always here for you at www.carpro.com.

Until next week, stay safe, don't drink and drive, remember our Troops and public safety officers, and may God Bless.

Sincerely.