Backlog Of Work At Body Shops Made Worse By Recent Winter Weather

Drivers whose vehicles need bodywork are waiting up to several months due to supply chain issues and a long list of appointments. Some auto repair shops in the metro said the recent winter storms are bringing in more vehicles, making the delay even worse. Countless cars damaged from another round of winter storms will end up at repair shops like A1 Auto Body in Broken Arrow.

Co-owner Jason Tessier said tow trucks have dropped off several cars from the March 11 snowstorm.

"People crash their cars, and they need their vehicles to get to work and get to school, and it's just doubling down on the problem that we have with getting things fixed in a normal schedule," said Tessier.

Rick White picked up his fixed car from A1 Auto Body after someone hit it two months ago.

"Yeah, it was a pain,” said White. “It was, I knew, and it was delayed. But once they got to it, they got it done quick."

Supply chain issues and a backlog of appointments are constant challenges for the shops. At Mastercraft Collision Repair in Tulsa, general manager Bill Smith said his shop is booked until June.

"I have a couple of vehicles here that I've been waiting on parts for four to five months minimum,” explained Smith. “They're non-drivable, so they have to sit here. There's not a lot I can do."

Derrick Reynolds said he is excited to have his car fixed at Mastercraft Collision Repair after someone hit it three months ago.

"This was all caved in,” explained Reynolds. “You couldn't even open this side door because this was pushed back so far."

Reynolds said someone also damaged his wife's car.

"That happened two months ago, so we've been waiting,” said Reynolds. “It's not going to be able to be seen until next month because everything was so far out, so we've been waiting three months on that too."

While these shops do not know when they will be able to catch up, they ask for patience.

Experts said with cars now costing more, insurance companies are more likely to pay to fix cars than total them.