Some OE parts seem in short supply at present, and many that are available seem to be taking longer to arrive. Peter looks at why, and some possible answers.
Once upon a time, if you needed ‘genuine’ manufacturers parts, you went to the local main dealer, found the stores/ parts department, where a parts-man would ask you what you wanted and then assuming what you wanted wasn’t massively unusual, (or just massive), he would disappear into a labyrinth of shelves behind the counter and emerge a minute or two later with the part(s) you wanted. And if they didn’t have it in stock? Well, something that was preventing a vehicle from being used – called a VOR or Vehicle Off Road part – would generally be ordered for next-day delivery.
That, though, stopped long ago; these days main dealers rarely keep more than a few very fast-moving parts in stock. In fact, something being available over the counter is often an indication that the item in question is a weak-spot! Almost everything has to be ordered in, for (allegedly…) next-day delivery. Par ts staff, too, have become an endangered species; parts departments are often merged with service as more and more parts departments become more about meeting the needs of the service department than catering for outside customers.
In recent weeks and months however a further issue has emerged – increasing numbers of parts have been unavailable due to being on back-order or stuck in failing distribution chains. Historically, a lot of parts supply chains have been Europe -wide rather than UK only, but now that trade across the UK border is no longer friction-free, different arrangements are needed. Some of which seem to work better than others.
Stellantis shortages?
But why should difficulty with getting stuff over the border affect distribution within the UK? Because although the UK does still make a surprising number of cars, far more are made abroad and imported, and so, therefore are the parts. Among the current ‘shortages’ are AdBlue tanks for Citroën Dispatch vans which besides being a potential VOR item are also a known weak ness. Yet we’ve heard of an independent garage who, at the time of writing, have been waiting over three months for one and cannot even get an estimated date. Another garage tells me that a clutch cable for a Citroën C1 which they ordered in Februar y 2022 finally arrived in January 2023.
But it’s not just trade with Europe that’s affected; there also seem to be problems within the UK. Vauxhall parts are especially problematic at present it seems. Since at least the 1960s, parts for the UK have come from the Par ts Centre near Toddington in Bedfordshire. This is a massive edifice which many travellers up and down the M1 have regarded as something of a landmark that sort-of symbolised GM/ Vauxhall’s importance to the local economy. That, though, is now being closed
