Harper Ford, of Vienna, Illinois, is grappling with major issues brought on by the semiconductor computer chip shortage.
Harper Ford general manager Kelly Harper stated that his inventory is significantly lower than before the shortage, and he has to look for other ways to make up for the demand.
"We still have a few and we're getting some in, but a lot of our deliveries have really slowed up now," Harper told WSILTV.com. “It has really devastated the franchises. With Ford, we lost 100,000 units in a month. And in the same month, of all franchise manufacturers, the number is like 1.5 million units. So that's devastating.”
Harper will have to continue to deal with the current situation, as experts project that the automotive business won't recover until sometime between August and October, meaning vehicle inventory won’t get back to the usual level until past the peak of car shopping season.
Computer microchips, which are now in shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, help every car to function. In fact, one vehicle contains several of them.
The shortage of this important car part has hobbled the business: upending the manufacturing and lowering the dealership’s opportunity to sell more cars. However, no panic buying has been felt in the automotive industry, according to WCHS, compared to the recent gas shortage in which many gas stations in the Southeast U.S. saw car owners rushing to fill their tanks.
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