Will the Car Shortage Change the Way People Buy Vehicles?
» Posted February 2, 2022 • Resources | Share This Post
The ongoing chip shortage has put a major crimp in auto manufacturers’ plans to bounce back from the pandemic by slowing vehicle production around the globe. It has also hit car buyers in the wallet, causing prices for new and used cars to surge during the shortage.
That has some experts predicting that the situation will forever change the way people shop for cars. Carmakers in the U.S. could shift to a sort of made-to-order approach to sales, according to a recent Axios report.
The catch is that American buyers will have to learn to wait for what they want, a situation that they are now being forced to deal with because of production slowdowns.
“Some companies say they plan to capitalize on the inventory crunch to permanently shift to an order-based system, starting with their new lineups of electric vehicles,” Joann Muller reports for Axios. “This is how Europeans have been buying cars since World War II when money and materials were in short supply and factories were struggling to recover.”
The upside for buyers is that pre-orders allow them to control factors like the car’s color and the various bells and whistles that come with it, rather than being stuck to choose from whatever is available on dealership lots.
Ford is already trying out the made-to-order approach for sales of its Mustang Mach-e. The company is looking to entice buyers with a $1,000 discount for anyone who preorders the cars online.
New Car Defects Pose Safety Threat
Although the way that cars are sold may be changing, Ford and other automakers have yet to figure out a way to ensure that the vehicles they sell are actually safe to drive.
Major auto manufacturers recall millions of vehicles around the globe each year, citing a variety of defects that put everyone on the road at risk.
Ford, for example, in January recalled some 185,000 F-150 pickup trucks. The company said those vehicles are equipped with malfunctioning insulators that could damage driveshafts, and cause drivers to lose control or driving power.
Fortunately, car owners across California do not have to wait for their vehicles to be recalled in order to get defects and other problems fixed. The state’s lemon law gives them some valuable rights and options.
The law forces carmakers to do a full range of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also requires them to buy back - or replace, in some cases - cars that the companies cannot or will not fix.
Speak with a Los Angeles Lemon Law Attorney
If you are a car owner who has been stuck with a lemon or is locked in a dispute with a manufacturer over repairs, an experienced Los Angeles lemon law attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.
Our offices are conveniently located in L.A., San Diego and San Francisco. Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a Los Angeles lemon law attorney.
