MURRAY, KY – From days to weeks, auto repair shops are now taking longer to get vehicles back in working order for several reasons. Like many other industries, the auto repair industry is experiencing supply chain issues and labor shortages. Both have a direct impact on how quickly you can repair your car.
Eastside Collision owner Kevin Hopkins says it takes them between a week and four months to get parts. Before the supply chain issues started, parts would arrive the day after they were ordered.
Supply chain setbacks and a lack of workers are just a few of the reasons Hopkins’ shop has nearly 10 cars in the batch awaiting repair.
“It’s a dying art, I think. Kids don’t care about it,” Hopkins says.
He’s struggling to hire more help or mechanics, and the cars in front of his store are costing him money.
“You can easily recoup $30,000 on parts waiting for them to come here. You could be waiting for a $15 part that’s $6,000 work,” Hopkins says.
It’s a waiting game, and it’s not one Hopkins wants to play.
“It’s a slow process. It slows almost everything down to a stop,” says Hopkins.
In some cases, this reverses its usual process of repairing cars.
“We’ll order the parts and let them drive. When all the parts come in, they’ll drop them off. Basically it’s reversing what we used to do. We used to go forward and to get the car in. and take it apart to see the parts we need. Now we’re kind of guessing,” Hopkins says.
