Need a repair on your car, but the part still needs to come in?
Car repairs are delayed more than usual in North Dakota right now, and over the last two years, it’s been taking longer and longer to complete the repairs.
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted a lot of things, but an issue still relevant now is its effect on cars.
There was a shortage of cars, computer chips and even auto parts. And at Outback Autobody in Minot, ND, it’s no different.
“It actually was OK during COVID because there wasn’t a lot of people driving and having accidents, but afterward is when it caught up to them, cause nobody was making the parts and they ran out of the inventory that they had,” said Byron Norsby, president of Outback Autobody, Inc.
Car repairs are stalled as there continues to be a delay in shipping car parts. While it’s easier to get domestic-made car parts over foreign parts, there is still a problem with inventory.
“My personal vehicle was involved in a hit and run in November," said KX News reporter Lauren Davis. "And as you can see, it still hasn’t been fixed. It took me until December to get it in for a car repair estimate and I’m still waiting on all the parts to come in before it can be fixed. Another issue I’m facing is figuring out when to get a car rental, since my insurance only covers up to 30 days.”
And this story isn’t unique. Nearly everyone is seeing delays in their car repairs.
“We had one vehicle that we waited for a dash pad for and it took a year and a half to get that dash pad in. So then there’s a major deal. The person traded the vehicle off and figured she needed a car,” said Norsby.
Norsby said sometimes when they begin to repair a car, they find more damage, which will lead to an even longer repair time while the shop waits for the new parts to arrive.
“It’s gonna depend a lot on the parts that we have to order. And that varies a lot on the make and model. A lot of the foreign stuff, if they have lost inventory here in the States, it has to come from overseas. Now we’re talking months,” said Norsby.
Norsby said before the pandemic, the auto body shop was able to receive parts within a week or two of ordering. He said while the delays in repairs is because of car parts, he is still looking for hired help.
