Ford's Struggles Could Hike Prices

The automaker boasts American production but it still faces many material problems. The problem is that the White House isn't listening.

Author

Bernardo Montes de Oca
April 14, 2026

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Four Wheel Trends Automotive Newsletter
Issue #193

​Shoutout to our reader J. Hearn, and thanks for commenting on our past issue.

We agree that dealerships will go through a radical transformation or disappear. The coming years will bring many changes.

Today, we’re discussing how automakers are begging for tariff relief and the consequences it could have on car prices. (It’s mostly just one, but the impact is massive). 

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In The Know

Ford’s Challenging Times: A Warning For Others?

Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, appeared on Fox News to reaffirm that the company is leading US automotive production, while rivals have profited from moving their operations offshore.

That is true, and Ford Mustang sales have surged, with some months seeing more than 50% year-over-year growth. It’s clear that the American driver wants a fun sports car (which is why GM is reviving the Camaro, and yes, it’s still a V8 sports car, as you can read here.)

However, we need to read between the lines to see what other realities hide behind the company’s sales reports. One of the most surprising aspects is that the Ford F-Series family of trucks, once the best-selling vehicle in the US for years, isn’t doing too well.

It’s not precisely because of sales. Although, as you can read here, F-Series sales have taken a massive hit of -16% year-to-year.

The potential problem for Ford is that F-Series trucks accounted for 37% of the company’s US sales in 2025, and such reliance could cost them dearly. If you don’t recall, the Ford F-150 uses a lot of aluminum, and at the same time, one of their main aluminum suppliers, Novelis, had suffered a catastrophic fire in October of last year. You can read more about that here.

One direct consequence was that Ford paused production of the F-150 Lightning EV truck. Then, it focused its remaining resources on the gasoline-powered version.

However, as you read above, people are buying fewer full-size trucks, and Ford suffers directly every time this happens. Plus, the Ford F-150 is going to get a lot more expensive.

Novelis produces aluminum, but it also imports it. As you might recall, this material is one of the most important targets for tariffs, with around 25% tariffs on all imported aluminum.

That’s why Ford has been desperately seeking tariff relief from the government. It had done so in November of last year, in light of the accident, and all the White House did was provide brief, momentary relief, as this article explains.

The pressure is still there for Ford. Tariffs haven’t subsided, and last week, the automaker was again asking for relief, but the White House rejected the request, as this article explains.

The most concerning aspect isn’t the lack of approval. Instead, it’s that the White House feels that automakers “have not requested tariff relief in a particularly pronounced way.”

Practically, no one knows what that means, but I’m sure requests are going to be much more pronounced soon. For the moment, all we know is that the F-150’s price is definitely going to increase.