As supply chain issues ease, Chicago area car dealers still face inventory hurdles
CHICAGO (CBS) – Car dealership double takes don't happen as much anymore.
You may remember during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when both new and used vehicles were hard to find, and the prices were hard to stomach.
CBS 2's Lauren Victory took a look at the auto industry today.
At Advantage Chevrolet in Bridgeview, the music is electric, but you won't find any vehicles that are. The EV versions of the Blazer and Equinox are still in production.
Owner Jason Roberts said when he'll be able stock all electric cars is still uncertain.
Victory: "In your dreams at night, your lot filled with the EVs in like six months or sooner?
Roberts: "Not gonna happen."
And anyone with specific taste in a particular hybrid or gas vehicle may need to reserve one online, then wait three to six months.
"Customers are starting their buying experience online and then when they come in, a lot of times, we won't have the exact model," Roberts said.
Flexibility is key for customers who need a car immediately. You may not get the color of features that you want, because it all depends on what's in stock.
Still, the inventory at Hennessy's River View Ford is significantly increased compared to what it looked like 16 months ago.
"There was chip shortages, other parts," said owner John Hennessy. "There were personnel shortages. You couldn't find people to work."
Hennessy at Ford first spoke with CBS 2 in 2021 when those pandemic challenges were mounting and he had only a handful of vehicles on his lot. Now, he's up to about 50 thanks to supply problems slowly easing up.
"So they get their deposit back and I get their vehicle," Hennessy said.
He's talking about another scenario that occasionally increases his inventory: pre-orders that get cancelled.
"Something in their life has changed," he said. "Something with their job, with their family."
One electric Ford F-150 Lightning was one of those reservations, given up and then snatched up by someone else. The all-electric truck is so hot that people wait months for one.
It's a good example that you'll never know what you'll find in the lot these days, for better or worse.
That Ford Lightning on the River View lot is getting lots of interest and will likely be gone any day. In the meantime, the Advantage Chevy website is updated every day to show that vehicles are on the lot.