PITTSBURGH — Purchasing or leasing the new car of your dreams might prove challenging in the months ahead, as dealers face unprecedented supply issues.
“It’s something we just never would have even foreseen,” said Mike Engle, general manager of Jim Shorkey Auto Group.
It’s a problem impacting dealerships nationwide, and it’s caused by a global microchip shortage.
“They run everything from the infotainment system to blind spot monitoring, back up cameras, everything that we want in our vehicles now, are all the result of these microchips,” Engle said.
Engle said certain manufacturers have been impacted more than others.
For some, new car availability is down 70%, while others are down 40 or 50%. Several manufacturers have cut back on incentives, meaning you could pay more for a new car than anticipated.“
Overall, it’s a tight supply,” said Mark Smail, one of the owners of Smail Auto Group in Greensburg.
Smail said some manufacturers are simply ordering the retail units that customers want. “They’re prioritizing those instead of for stock units, so it’s maybe a shift in how we’re going to retail cars too going forward,” he said.
Source: New cars in Pittsburgh in short supply as microchip shortage persists – WPXI