Bad and getting worse...

[mdsalemi]

So, back in July my car was hit by a deer. You read that right; I did not hit a deer, the deer hit me. Over $7,000 damage. The real problem was getting parts for my apparently rare and exotic car, a 2019 Ford Flex. It took a month to repair, a good deal of that time waiting on parts. After repeated delays, I finally gave up and told the dealer to source a junkyard mirror, as that was seemingly the only way to get the car done.

Shortly after that incident, my aunt was T-boned in her car. Her car was just released; most of the 90 days in the shop was waiting on parts, the last part--a hood--only coming after raising the issue with the dealer and Ford/Lincoln to customer crisis level. Also must have been a rare and exotic, a 2019 Lincoln MKZ.

Just a week ago Friday, we had our latest car delivered, a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. It was driven down here to NC from MI, about 550 miles, from our friendly dealer in Michigan. No issues in the drive. He delivered a beautiful and clean car, went over all the features with us, and after about an hour or so of introduction, left us. My wife drives to a store and doesn't make it but 5 miles before there is a transmission failure; it threw a code of transmission valve body. She managed to limp to the dealer and this hours-old car has been there for 10 days waiting on parts and a tech to work on it. Apparently it was three parts they are waiting on. Hoping they don't decide it needs more since apparently most parts are scarce.

What a mess the parts supply is in...it's easy to say it's Ford, but in the case of my aunt's car the dealer (Herb Chambers) sells about every marque and they tell me they are all that bad.

[Benz Dr.]

Funny that. Old car parts are a bit slower but not that slow. Many things I order take a few days and mostly because of shipping. Some things are over night. Odd that our old cars have parts more readily available than cars 50 years newer.

[teahead]

My daily driver G37 convertible has been at the dealer for six weeks waiting for a seat part.

[mdsalemi]

My daily driver G37 convertible has been at the dealer for six weeks waiting for a seat part.

Shameful.

[mdsalemi]

Funny that. Old car parts are a bit slower but not that slow. Many things I order take a few days and mostly because of shipping. Some things are over night. Odd that our old cars have parts more readily available than cars 50 years newer.

I reminded the dealer (for my Aunt's Lincoln) that I could get most body parts for this low volume car last produced 50 years ago...didn't help.

The mindset of today's corporations is "We don't care. We know what we are doing and you don't. We'll make parts when we want, and if you need them, too bad."

It's a good excuse to blame Covid, but it's not the case. Stamp out hoods and keep them in inventory.

[ejboyd5]

Are you better off today than you were 10 months ago?

[mdsalemi]

Are you better off today than you were 10 months ago?

Most definitely not in general. And absolutely not with cars. Just hoping I don't run into anything that needs parts on a daily driver.

Regarding my Aunt's Lincoln, this required big gyrations with the insurance company. At the time of the crash estimating in July, the list of parts was made, approved and ordered. However, when the parts came in to the dealer (piecemeal) they came in with higher prices than were originally approved. This required the insurance company to return to the dealer and basically re-do and re-approve everything so the car's total damage bill could be paid for. Added another couple of days to the process. As my Aunt is 92 years old, she relies on me for a number of things, so her problems are mine.

Insurance is all about the estimates and algorithms they use to come up with a rate (among other things). So, when the average crash repair is now exceeding what they were once estimating, rental car times must go up; a 30-rental may not cover it. Since rental cars are scarce, that only adds fuel to the fire. Insurance rates will rise because of poor inventory management.

There are more shortages now on things I use in my life (I'm not talking the toilet paper situation of 2020) than there were 10 months ago. As the headline says, bad and getting worse. No, I'm not better off than I was 10 months ago, but applaud you and yours, if your life IS better. Mine isn't.