Experts: Car shortage caused by pandemic could last years

General Manager of Cary Leith Porsche, Jason Jones, said the car dealership has a wait list nearly a year out for people wanting to buy a car.

Experts said the shortage stemmed from the coronavirus pandemic, which caused outbreaks and company shutdowns.

The Texas power grid crisis in February, which created major power outages, also caused companies to shut down, causing a delay in materials and supplies.

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"The shortages that we're seeing among cars right now is the function of, not just the semi-conductor chips, which are playing a big part, but there's also a shortage of other things -- like rubber component steel stampings," said North Carolina State University supply chain management professor Rob Handfield.

Leith’s in North Raleigh is also feeling the shortage. Their lot that normally holds 200 cars now has about 20 cars.

Handfield said many companies are having a hard time catching up and there’s one thing that keeps interfering.

“As long as we continue to have this pandemic and these outbreaks, we’re going to have factories shutting down and that’s going to cause shortages,” he said.

“You have folks that, a year ago, they were getting a certain value. They could be getting the exact same value a year later, even with more mileage and in rougher condition,” Jones said.

Jones added that the shortage could last a couple more years, and the best thing people can do right now is to get vaccinated.