Purchasing a car from a dealer can feel like a gamble. Customers ask for estimated delivery times and discover they can stretch into months, or even longer, with no clear date in sight. This is the reality unfolding across national networks and regional franchises. In many cases, the brand doesn’t seem to matter—the core issue is the same: delivery times are growing longer, a trend that started months ago and has now intensified. But what is driving this shift?
The root cause starts with the producers themselves. A component crisis has unsettled the supply chain, leaving fewer essential parts—semiconductors and others—available to manufacture vehicles. When fewer cars are produced, fewer units reach the market, and the wait time to deliver to dealerships stretches. This year’s production slowdowns at factories like Seat’s Martorell plant and Ford’s Almussafes facility, along with extended factory shutdowns, show that productivity gaps persist and shipments to dealers lag as a result. (citation: industry reports)
Dealers report real disruptions in getting cars from manufacturers’ fields or from the ports themselves because inventories are lean. A spokesperson for the dealers-employers association notes the scarcity and the resulting chaos in production and delivery. As a consequence, even when production resumes, the arrival process can feel disorganized and unpredictable. A deeper strain is the shortage of carriers to manage the logistics of bringing vehicles to showrooms. (citation: Faconauto)
In short, the journey from assembly to showroom is a bumpy road. The challenge isn’t just assembling the necessary components; the lack of vehicle transporters frequently keeps finished units piled up before they can be dispatched to dealers. The recent shutdown at a major Stellantis plant in Figueruelas, cited by regional outlets, serves as a telling example of how delicate the supply chain has become.
Fewer drivers and trucks
The mobility sector confirms the same trend. Industry leaders explain that both the pool of drivers and the number of available trucks have diminished. A president of a transport association notes a drop of about 25 percent in drivers since 2019, with the workforce shrinking from roughly 3,400 to about 2,600, and many carriers shifting to other modes of transport. This contraction started during the pandemic and has continued, leaving fewer vehicles on the road to move cars from plants to ports and then to dealers. This reduces overall throughput and stretches lead times for buyers.
When some factories manage to secure additional components, the result is often an expanded storage footprint rather than quicker turns to dealers. Spare tools, more inventory, and longer hold times translate into fewer cars arriving at the showroom floor.
A Volvo Auto Sweden executive confirms the toll of limited transport on delivery estimates, noting customers often face delays of fifteen to thirty days. In other cases, the delays extend to six weeks or more. Executives at other brands report similar patterns, with deliveries drifting into a month and a half beyond initial promises. Senior representatives from a Valencia-area dealer group also acknowledge the trend, recognizing that delayed maturities have become a daily reality.
Solutions to avoid worsening the situation
To prevent the situation from deteriorating, executives and brand representatives mention exploring alternative transport options. Yet, there is little sign of a near-term turnaround. A Valencia-based dealer group president notes that predicting how long a car will take is increasingly difficult, with some orders stretching to six months. Looking ahead, manufacturers forecast ongoing challenges into the first half of the next year, signaling that the delivery gaps may persist for a while longer. (citation: industry forecasts)
What is clear is that the horizon for delivery is extending. Industry leaders suggest that vehicles could stay six to eight months away in more complex cases, and the longer the supply chain stays strained, the more pronounced the delays will be. This is the new reality for many buyers and dealers alike, requiring patience and a flexible approach from all involved.