NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — With the holidays fast approaching, more cars will be on the road. There is a warning to drivers to be extra careful behind the wheel because car repairs may take longer than normal.
Car parts are in short supply and shipments are delayed. COVID-19 caused labor and material shortages, manufacturing and shipping delays.
"At this point, we are booked, and we're booked beyond measures, but we are keeping up with those things and we are scheduling them out. And we're trying to order parts before a person is getting here," said James McEwen, co-owner of Music City Dent and Scratch. "So, we know that subliminally we can also like to be attentive to those vehicles."
He’s been in business going on 11 years and this has been the first where he says there’s been such a huge delay on getting car parts in.
Besides the shipping delays, there are also backlogs as ships sit off the California coast, waiting to be unloaded. Among the cargo — auto parts.
McEwen says his shop was prepared for tough times like this by storing parts from years before.
"Therefore, we didn't salvage the parts and or sell the parts back, we stored parts. Not really knowing per se but just being mindful of how things could or could not have gone," he said.
McEwen says never did he think this would be happening, but he says he always prepares his team for the worst-case scenario.
"Three, four weeks, back parts have been really hard to get by or come by, if you will," McEwen said. "So, therefore, us personally, we'll go out and get our vehicles and we'll travel, call in multiple shops from South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida even so to speak."
This on top of the holiday, travel season and deer dangers, repair shops could be looking at more and more claims and an increase in orders for parts.
