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My car is entirely unusable for months due to a part stock shortage. What can I do?
I have a 2015 BMW 7 Series. My garage has diagnosed a faulty column control module and there are no stocks in the UK or Germany. I've been advised that it may be several months until one becomes available. The unit controls indicators and wipers so the wipers are permanently on and the indicators don't work — rendering the vehicle unusable. I've complained to BMW UK, which state that it's pandemic related and I assume refers to the worldwide chip shortage. It seems crazy to me that there are no stocks kept by the manufacturer and that a car with a list price of £83,000 is effectively unusable for the foreseeable future. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. My inclination is to get rid of it as soon as it's eventually repaired, particularly if BMW parts are so scarce.
Asked on 9 June 2021 by Tristan Renfree
Answered by
Andrew Brady
It sounds like it'll be down to the semiconductor shortage. Unfortunately, there's not a great deal you can do – it's not just BMW being affected, we're hearing of similar issues with all brands. Most carmakers operate a 'just in time' approach to manufacturing, without large stockpiles of parts. The only thing we can recommend is shopping around – you might find a dealer with the part in stock.
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