It was around nine months ago when Nelson Ponte began noticing supply issues in the auto sector. The inability to track down certain parts for his customers has been a source of frustration, putting the brakes on repair work.
Ponte, who owns and operates Certified Auto Repair in Etobicoke, Ont., has been in the industry for years and right now he and his team are absorbed with the task at hand: Responding to overwhelming demand for tire swaps.
“We’ll be doing 44, so our boys will be working real hard today,” he said.
Ponte told Global News he sympathizes enormously with customers. Many parts are on back order, some are simply unavailable for the time being, and that’s meant longer wait times for repairs. In some cases, that could include anywhere from six weeks to three months.
When it comes to how extensive the parts shortage is, CARSTAR chief operating officer Jeff Labanovich says it’s fairly widespread.
Get breaking National news
“Whether it be glass, whether it be tires, plastic components, whether it be metal — I don’t think anything’s off the table,” he said.
CARSTAR Collision and Glass Service, which operates across North America, has seen some gradual improvements.
According to Labanovich, 45 per cent of critical components were on back order in 2021. He says that number has since improved to 30 per cent.
Comments