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Auto repair shops caution customers to get repairs done before the snow

Posted at 7:20 PM, Nov 20, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-20 20:20:55-05

VILLAGE OF BELLEVUE, Wis (NBC 26) -- If you have a major car repair on your radar, now might be the time to take care of it according to mechanics. Some car repair shops in northeast Wisconsin are saying that customers today, could be waiting weeks to take care of any major repairs, and if a weather event comes our way it could get even worse.

In the Village of Bellevue mechanics at Al Huss' Auto and Truck are trying to keep up with the onslaught of business.

"Demand for service right now has been overwhelming at some points," says Service Manager John Leclair.

Leclair admits it's a good problem to have, business-wise, but it's a pain for many of his customers.

"For our customers, it is tough for them to get in and get their cars back in a timely matter sometimes."

Of course, a scheduled appointment helps a lot, with the average scheduled customer at Al Huss' waiting about a week for a repair to be completed. But for those jobs that are unexpected and considered a major repair like a transmission being fixed, it could mean you're out of a vehicle for weeks.

"Some are planners and some just kind of wait till it wrecks. And then those are kind of the ones that will end up waiting, you know," says Laclair.

Leclair says part of the holdup, is getting parts in a timely matter right now. He says with many in the parts sector being impacted by COVID-19 there are time delays in getting parts delivered.

"There just seems to be a kink in the chain of communication with some companies just to get the job done."

And while a two-week window for a job to get done would be stressful enough, some mechanics warn that if winter comes early and everyone shows up to the auto repair shop at once, the delay for a repair could get worse.

"That's going to put the wait back. It could be a month sometimes and that's going to be hard for a lot of people to absorb that."

So, if you're having a lingering car problem now mechanics say getting a scheduled appointment today could prevent you from being without your car for weeks down the road.