Picture a car built entirely in America—every screw, chip, and battery born on U.S. soil. It’s the kind of idea that gets people fired up, but figuring out what that car would cost is like untangling a knot of global trade, labor costs, and new tariffs. Best guesses put the price $10,000 to $20,000 higher than the average U.S.-assembled car, which already runs about $53,000. The catch? Making a truly all-American vehicle is a logistical nightmare, and the bill for it would hit your wallet hard.

Right now, no car in the U.S. is 100% American-made. Even the most “domestic” rides, like a Ford F-150 or Tesla Model Y, pull parts from places like Mexico, China, or Canada. A recent Ford Authority report says going fully domestic could tack on $10,000 to $20,000 per car, since stuff like microchips or battery minerals isn’t made here in big enough quantities. Throw in the Trump administration’s new 25% tariffs on auto parts, which kicked in April 3, 2025, and companies like GM or Ford are already staring at an extra $5,000 per vehicle just to keep building the way they do now.

Why does it get so expensive? For one, labor. In China, workers might earn $3 an hour; in the U.S., unionized auto workers pull in $30 to $40. Making things like dashboard plastics or wire harnesses here means higher wages and probably new factories, which aren’t cheap. Then there’s the supply chain mess. The U.S. doesn’t have the setup to churn out battery materials like lithium or cobalt, so we lean on foreign suppliers. Setting up shop to mine or process that stuff domestically would cost billions and take years—guess who’d foot that bill? You, the buyer.

Folks in the industry are blunt about it. “A fully American car? Doesn’t exist,” said John Bozzella, head of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. “Tariffs are going to make everything pricier, and customers will notice.” Analyst Daniel Ives from Wedbush figures prices could jump $5,000 to $10,000 right off the bat, with all-American sourcing pushing it even higher. On social media, people are skeptical too—one user put it plainly: “Most ‘American’ cars are barely half U.S.-made. Good luck.”

This all ties back to the push for “Made in the USA,” fueled by trade policies like the new tariffs. The goal is to bring jobs home, but critics say it’s more likely to jack up prices and snarl supply chains. Cars.com ranks Tesla as the most American automaker, assembling all its U.S.-sold cars here, but even they grab parts from overseas. The average new car already costs $48,000, per Kelley Blue Book, with U.S.-built ones averaging $53,000—more than cars from China ($51,000) or Japan ($46,000).

People are split. Some, pumped by the “Buy American” vibe, say they’d shell out extra. “I’d pay more to keep jobs here,” one social media post read. Others aren’t buying it: “$10,000 extra for the same truck? Pass,” another user shot back. Dealerships are sweating it, with Bank of America’s John Murphy predicting price hikes of $4,000 to $12,500 depending on the car. The National Automobile Dealers Association says those costs could scare off buyers, especially folks on a budget.

The fallout’s already starting. Higher prices might mean fewer sales, which could hurt automakers and even lead to job cuts—ironic, given the tariffs’ aim. Electric cars, which need those imported minerals, could hit $70,000 or more if fully American-made, putting them out of reach for many. And building new supply chains? “It’s not like you snap your fingers,” said Kristin Dziczek from the Center for Automotive Research. “We’re talking a decade, minimum.”

So, what happens now? Carmakers are hustling to find more U.S. parts, but a 100% American car is still a pipe dream. Tariffs will likely bump prices 5-10% by December, and buyers might start eyeing used cars or holding off altogether. Manufacturers are weighing whether to sink money into new U.S. plants, but that’s a long game. For now, that all-American car sounds great—until you see the price tag and realize just how tangled the global auto world really is.