Chester T. Dean 
Ontario driver says he had to pay rental car fees after bringing his SUV in for repairs in November and being told parts wouldn’t be available until February due to chain issues supply.
“They just can’t find the parts,” Don Lewis of Mississauga told CTV News Toronto. Lewis has had his SUV in a repair shop since November.
Lewis said another driver rammed his Volvo in late November and it was taken to a repair shop but was told it would not be repaired until early or mid-February 2022.
He says he was relieved to have cover for a rental through his car insurance and was given a rental car, but after 16 days was told he had to return it.
“They will pay for a vehicle while my car is being repaired [up to] $900 – whichever comes first,” Lewis said.
Now Lewis says he has to pay for the rental vehicle himself while his SUV sits in a body shop waiting for parts.
“It’s costing me money and it’s definitely money I don’t want to spend,” he said.
Lewis is insured with Allstate Canada and the company told CTV News “as you may be aware, the global economy is currently experiencing supply chain issues that are impacting the availability of auto parts across the the world, including car owners in Canada”.
“Regarding this customer’s insurance claim, please be aware that our customer has been provided with a rental vehicle for the full term of his auto insurance policy and his claim will be paid in accordance with his coverage for the at-fault collision in question,” a said a spokesperson. for the added company.
CTV News has also contacted Volvo Canada. A company spokesperson said, “Unfulfilled parts orders preventing a vehicle from returning to service are handled with high priority, and Volvo retailers can flag orders as critical for faster prioritization; up including air freight where permitted, to reduce delays.
“This parts order was processed by Volvo’s central parts distribution center in Gothenburg, Sweden shortly after submission and is currently in transit to Canada for local distribution,” the company confirmed.
“We will continue to work diligently to ensure spare parts are brought together with our customers in a timely and efficient manner. The transport of parts through specialist providers and assistance to rental cars for repairs not carried out by the Volvo dealer network are matters over which we have no influence.
After CTV News contacted Volvo, Lewis said the company contacted him and told him that his parts had been sent to the repair shop and that he would have to pick up his vehicle tomorrow, which would allow him to save thousands of dollars in car rental costs.
“I heard from them the next day after our conversation that they found the parts somehow,” Lewis said. “I saved about $3,000 in rental costs by having them fix my SUV sooner.”
Meanwhile, it’s not just wrecked cars waiting for parts – some items like filters, brake pads and engine components are also hard to come by and, due to shortages, some garages say also that the price of parts increases.
