When your car is in the shop for a few days, that’s a pain. But, some drivers right now are stuck with no car for months, because those parts are on backorder for months!
Ted Knippenberg is one of the thousands of frustrated drivers waiting for a transmission module right now.
“You start it, and you go to give it some gas, and it will only go a couple of miles an hour,” Knippenberg said.
He has been waiting since last fall but says no local dealer can get the part.
“We don’t know what the status is, besides them saying we don’t know when we can get it fixed,” Knippenberg said.
A few months back, someone else said they had to drive his SUV without a catalytic converter after a thief stole it and the dealer couldn’t find a new one.
Chris Venyture has been running an auto repair shop for more than 25 years, but he has never seen a parts shortage as bad as this.
“Day by day it gets frustrating and more frustrating because even your basic brake job can take major time to find the product,” Ventura said.
In the past, many drivers would buy a used part, perhaps a module that had been remanufactured. But Chris said the problem now is that with so many new parts unavailable it getting tougher than ever to find a reconditioned part.
Venture suggests the following
- Visit an independent shop, which has more flexibility than dealers, that usually have to use official replacement parts
- Don’t be afraid of used parts if they come with a warranty.
If your dealer does not have a part for you right now, check other repair shops and local parts suppliers so you don’t waste your money.
