Carmakers have so far avoided passing on much of the cost of tariffs to consumers. They built as many cars as they could before tariffs took effect, and have absorbed some of the cost. Ford expects that retail prices for its vehicles will rise only 1 percent this year, Ms. House said.

Ford Motor said on Wednesday that U.S. tariffs on imported vehicles, as well as on steel and aluminum, will likely cost more than expected for the year, and the automaker's shares slid about 3% in after-market trading.