An ongoing United Auto Workers strike is impacting the availability of a multitude of car parts - everything from brakes to oil filters.

Local repair shops are feeling the effects, and are going through extra hurdles - and going that extra mile - to obtain parts for their customers.

At Wentz Automotive in Lehighton, Mike Frable said employees have driven for hours to get particular parts.

“When we go to order parts, they are just saying ‘not available’ anymore,” said Frable, an appraiser adjuster. “So dealers do what they call a ‘locate.’”

Frable said they will check with nearby dealers, and if they have no luck, they’ll search farther away.

About two weeks ago, he said, a needed part was found in Scranton. And more recently, Wentz Automotive sent an employee to South Pittsburgh for a part.

Jesse Snyder, owner of Snyder Tire Co. in Lehighton, is also finding that parts are harder to come by.

“It’s something that is across the board,” he explained.

Snyder said the business, an auto repair and tire shop, is seeing a lag in getting original equipment parts.

“Aftermarket stuff hasn’t been a problem - yet. But OE (original equipment) parts like oil filters or anything coming directly from the dealership is,” he said.

Dealerships, he surmised, are having a problem getting parts from their usual purchase points, and so they’re trying secondary warehouses.

“Rather than getting normal deliveries, they’re getting UPS and FedEx so it’s taking longer to get them,” Snyder said.

The delays have been going on for at least two weeks, he noted. The strike involving the union and Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Stellantis began Sept. 15.

At Snyders, customers can typically get the parts they need on the day - or the day after - they contact the shop.

“Now I’ve had to tell people five to seven days,” he said.

Snyder is seeing delays with Chrysler, GM and Ford - and even Honda parts.

“It’s just that people have to be patient,” he said. “Even things like oil filters. It’s going to trickle down. The dealers can’t get the filters, so they’re going to start buying them from the parts stores, and the parts stores are going to get low on filters.”

Snyder said a similar situation happened about three years ago, although it wasn’t due to a workers strike.

He’s expecting the issues to be around for at least several months.

“It’s not going to just go away. Things are going to get backed up and it’s going to take months for things to get back to normal again,” he said.

At Rentschler Chevrolet in Slatington, employees are also finding that parts are harder to come by.

“There is definitely some, and I’ll use the word ‘inconvenience’ that is being caused by the strike,” explained Greg Williams, dealer principal. “But so far we have been very successful in working our way around it. There are things we can do to get parts from other sources.”

For the most part, he said, getting a part will take about “a day or two.”

The business tries to prioritize the most dire work, such as repairs on vehicles that aren’t working.

The Rentschler dealership is seeing a slight push back on delivery dates of some vehicles. Among them, Williams said, are the Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck and the Chevrolet Traverse sport utility vehicle.

“It’s taking longer to get the vehicles since the plants are closed down. There is not an immediate impact” but folks in the market for them might have to wait a little longer, he said.

At Blockers Collision Center in Lehighton, vehicles come in for body repairs or restorations.

“It’s too early to say,” whether the strike will impact Blockers, Tiffany Hunsicker said.

The business gets its auto body parts from a dealership, and they’re providing what Blockers needs.

“But check back in two weeks,” she said, “that’s when we will really know.”