Auto part shortage leaves driver stranded for months

Trade group says the complexity of newer vehicles makes the supply chain for their parts particularly vulnerable

One of the pandemic's lingering side effects is a shortage of auto parts. One driver tells us his vehicle was in the shop for months. He said he was making lease payments on a vehicle he couldn't use while paying for a rental car.

NO PART, NO FIX

When the NBC 5 Responds team first met John Carr, it was 2021. He needed help correcting a vehicle history report. In 2024, he connected again, this time to highlight a problem he thought was left behind in the pandemic.

“I felt like I was getting the runaround. That’s why I called you,” said Carr.

Carr, who moved from McKinney to the East Coast, got into a fender bender in March. The New Jersey State Police accident report showed Carr’s 2023 Nissan Rogue was drivable and didn’t need a tow. Carr took the vehicle to the repair shop and learned they couldn’t find one last part in stock. Weeks, then months, passed with no part.

“I can understand if it was a 1963-whatever and we can't get parts, but a brand-new car? I'm sure they're continuing to make these cars on a daily basis,” Carr told NBC 5 Responds.

We asked Nissan North America about Carr’s question. In an email, a spokesperson confirmed the part is on backorder and expected to arrive in July. It's working with a parts coordinator to try to move up the timeline and send weekly status updates to the customer.

Nissan also said, “In certain circumstances with specific parts, there can potentially be a delay due to a number of different factors within the supply chain, however Nissan is committed to assisting our customers as quickly as possible.”

SPOTTY SNAGS

NBC 5 wanted to know more about the current state of the auto part supply chain. We reached out to Paul McCarthy, president of the Aftermarket Suppliers group for MEMA, a trade group with more than a thousand members in the vehicle supplier industry.

“It's improved dramatically. It has largely been fixed, but there continues to be spot problems,” said McCarthy.

McCarthy said Carr’s experience isn’t typical, but shipping backups, worker shortages, and raw material shortages continue to challenge the auto parts supply chain.

“Before we said it was Whack-a-Mole,” said McCarthy, referring to the pandemic. “All these things popping up, you never know. Now, it’s going smooth and there's just a huge pothole that I did not expect,” McCarthy explained.

McCarthy also said the complexity of newer vehicles, or “smartphones on wheels,” makes the supply chain for their parts particularly vulnerable.

“It has this huge ripple effect because of the complexity of cars. There's 40,000 parts in a car,” said McCarthy.

What can consumers do? Stay on top of maintenance to avoid breakdowns and long repairs. If it’s unavoidable or you’ve been in a crash, McCarthy said don't give up if a part is out of stock. In certain cases, a different shop or mechanic may be able to find the part.

“Shop around, see whether somebody else has it,” said McCarthy. “It is an amazingly long, complex supply chain. So, something that isn't available in North Texas may be available somewhere else in the country.”

‘LONG PROCESS’

After more than four months without his vehicle, Carr said the part arrived from Japan and he was able to pick up his car on Aug. 13.

“It’s been a pretty long process,” said Carr.

Consumers may want to take another look at their car insurance coverage before a crash and consider if they need to extend coverage. If you have the optional rental car reimbursement, coverage limits can vary. Some insurance companies would allow reimbursement for ride share or taxi services.

NBC 5 Responds is committed to researching your concerns and recovering your money. Our goal is to get you answers and, if possible, solutions and a resolution. Call us at 844-5RESPND (844-573-7763) or fill out our customer complaint form.

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