Supply-chain problems have rocked the new car industry all year. Now, they’re hobbling the system that keeps existing cars on the road. In some cases, drivers are waiting weeks for repairs that used to take hours.
Bloomberg reports, “The challenge of finding spare parts as mundane as oil filters or carpeting has forced repair shops to hoard inventory, find workarounds, and plead with customers for patience until a shipment comes in.”
It Started with a Microchip Shortage
A shortage of microchips triggered a spiral of events that have led to record-high car prices. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to shut down travel, automakers trimmed their orders of the crucial chips, which are used by the dozen in new cars.
But chip builders didn’t see demand fall. Millions of people worldwide, now working and studying from home, went on buying sprees seeking new laptops, cameras, and other electronics to help them cope with travel restrictions.
When vaccines became available and Americans returned to car shopping, chip builders couldn’t accommodate new demand from automakers. That has left car factories idle and pushed prices to record highs.
Supply Crunch is Hitting Other Car Parts
But it’s not just microchips now. Shortages of truck drivers, shipping containers, and port space have made many car parts hard to come by or slow to move.
On a recent earnings call, William Rhodes, CEO of the auto parts chain AutoZone, told investors, “This is the most difficult supply-chain environment that I have ever seen.” Rhodes’ stores have “the lowest level of in-stock that I can ever remember,” he says.
Related: Get Repair Pricing Estimates
Keeping Our Old Cars Running Longer
Millions of Americans are now delaying a new car purchase, seeking to wait out high prices. In an effort to keep their old cars running, they’re making more repairs than usual.
Jim O’Brien, owner of Center Automotive in Needham, Massachusetts, told ABC News that he “has never been as busy as he is now over the 40 years” he has run the shop.
Bruce Ihloff, owner of nearby JMH Automotive in Natick, has “been working 12 hours per day for months and that the COVID-19-related shortages and repairs are like nothing he’s ever seen.”
Mike Ehrhart, co-owner of Enginuity auto repair shop, told the Cape Cod Times, “Stuff that was normally next-day, second-day (delivery) is now three to four days, ten days, two weeks. Whenever you are going to get it, you are going to get it.”
No End in Sight
Paul McCarthy, chief executive of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association, told Bloomberg the parts industry “is bracing for shortages possibly into next year.”
Keeping to your car’s recommended maintenance schedule is always a good idea for your budget. In this environment, it’s crucial to your ability to get where you need to go. Maintenance prevents breakdowns. And repairs could take longer than you can accommodate. Our easy tool will help you keep track of needed services.
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October 25, 2021 at 11:06PM
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Car Repairs Stretching for Weeks Due to Supply Problems - Kelley Blue Book
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