LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic are gone but supply chain woes continue to disrupt the car-buying process in the U.S.
Andy MacKay, executive director of the Nevada Franchised Auto Dealers Association, said he's not sure if dealerships will ever return to inventory levels they enjoyed before the pandemic.
"Plastics, leathers, vinyls, et cetera, are causing problems but chips are still the predominate driving factor with respect to interruptions in vehicle production," MacKay said.
The chips MacKay referred to are semiconductor chips and they're necessary to power computer systems in new vehicles. They're only made in certain parts of the world,and they've been in-demand ever since the pandemic reared its head in 2020.
According to industry experts, wait times for new cars can vary but can be up to six months for certain makes and models.
John Barr, general manager at Findlay Toyota, said there are significant wait times for some models like the hybrid Toyota RAV4.
"People are pretty understanding and that's a good thing," Barr said. "A lot of people will say well ideally, I wanted a white one but if you have a silver one, that's alright."
In an email, Ashley Simpson, new vehicle inventory manager at Gaudin Ford, said gone are the days where dealerships have hundreds of options for each vehicle model line.
"It depends on the vehicle but the wait for your standard F-150, Explorer or Expedition can be between three-to-six months," she said. "Specialty vehicles can take longer."
