Arkansas Driver Met With Long Repair Times Over Automotive Parts Shortages

As issues persist in the supply chain for automotive parts, one driver in Arkansas is feeling the impact it’s having on repair times, reports THV 11.

78-year-old Monty Vickers has been waiting for over 140 days for his 2018 Ram pickup to come out of the shop. It first experienced brake issues in the last week of July. Though he briefly got it back from the dealership last month, it broke down on his way home.

The Little Rock, Arkansas dealership said the part they received from the manufacturer wasn’t working, and that they hope to get a replacement in the next 30–45 days.

Coleman and Son Automotive, an independent shop in Little Rock, has had similar experiences with struggling to obtain necessary parts.

“Ever since COVID-19 hit, we've just experienced a shortage in parts and delivery time, all the way around the board in the automotive industry,” said a technician at the shop, Deryan Coleman.

While it’s improved since then, it’s still behind where it was prior to the pandemic, and is further exacerbated by a simultaneous labor shortage, added Coleman.

“They said it was a supply and demand issue,” said Coleman. “They had more cars sold during that time [and] we're trying to catch back up.”