Backorder of car parts causes delay in repairs

AKRON, Ohio — We all know the hassle of getting a car repaired, but some repairs are taking a lot longer than others.

Domnick Epps brought in his 2006 Chrysler 300 to get serviced last year.

“As soon as you fill up with gas, you drive off down the street, the car shuts off,” said Domnick Epps, a customer at Arlington Street Muffler. “You have to wait about 20 minutes, and then it’ll start up again and about half an hour later of driving, it’ll shut itself off again.”

The car has been sitting at Arlington Street Muffler for nearly two months. Epps said there is a problem with his gas tank.

“They’re just waiting on parts,” said Epps. “It usually doesn’t take this long. I actually called the dealer myself, and they told me it was a six-week backorder.”

Epps is just one of several customers waiting on car parts. The owner Ronald Shuler said cars are staying on his lot a longer than they have in the past.

“Foreign parts can be terrible some time to get I mean, we’ve had some we’ve had some Hondas, some Toyotas and a couple of Mercedes in here that the parts have taken almost five months to get here,” said Ronald Shuler, the owner of Arlington Street Muffler.

Shuler works with nearly a dozen parts distributors, and he said they all tell him they are waiting on parts. Case Western Reserve University professor Jonathan Ernest said the problem started during the pandemic.

“We had a lot of stopping of you know, a lot of our industrial production in the U.S. for facilities that just couldn’t get the workers in to work, couldn’t get shipments in from abroad,” said Jonathan Ernest, a Professor of Economics at the Weatherhead School of Management.

Ernest teaches economics at the Weatherhead School of Management. He said if manufacturers don’t have the car parts available, building them takes time, but once they are ready to ship, getting them from their country to Ohio is another obstacle.

“Take a couple more weeks for that to be processed at the port, to actually be brought in, and then to have it driven across the country and eventually arrive at your repair shop,” said Ernest.

Getting the parts is half the battle. Costs for repairs are another obstacle customers are running into.

According to the consumer price index, the average cost of auto repairs increased 15% last year and is up more than 30% since 2021.

Tariffs are just one factor. Financial news site empower.com says more advanced technology, labor costs and people holding onto their cars longer are also driving up repair costs.

“Everything to do with the auto industry has become a challenge as far as trying to keep fair pricing,” said Shuler. “You got to buy quality parts to have a quality part. Of course, we understand that, but those parts are getting more and more expensive.

Shuler said the delay in car parts affects his customers, but there is nothing he can do. All he can do is ask his customers to be patient.

“They’re expecting their car back in a timely fashion,” said Shuler.

After waiting several weeks for his car, Epps’ patience may have paid off.

“That’s what they told me the part was in motion, and they should be in contact with the shop, with Ron or Arlington Street Muffler within the next two weeks,” said Epps.

Car parts come from various locations across the globe, including China, Mexico and Japan.

The percentage of American-made parts various by make, model and company. According to U.S. News & World Reports, there is no 100% American-made car, but Hyundai, Dodge, Tesla and Honda top the lists for having models with the most American-made parts.