So you want to save money and fix your old car instead of buying a new one? Heads up: Hawthorne Chevrolet manager Chuck Serra says that, with spare parts from overseas backlogged for months, hundreds of cars and trucks are sitting idle, unfixed. Thieves have stolen catalytic converters from trucks parked on his lot. It’s the same crisis at body shops and service bays across New Jersey and the nation.
Because of a microchip shortage, vehicle parts from China can spend 90 days “on the water” before even getting to the U.S. Even then, you may not get the one you ordered. Jim Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers, said, “From the auto maker’s perspective this is a little bit of a delicate situation. Because if they’ve got a limited access to parts, are they going build a new car that they can make money on? Or are they going to send that part to a dealer to perform a warranty repair that cost them money?”
