Supply chain issues driving lack of inventory at local car dealerships

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - When Marjorie Kruvad walks by the car dealerships in her Hope Neighborhood she notices the cars or lack of cars in the lots.

"They're doing smoke and mirrors with all the cars in these lots, there's not nearly as many as there use to be. I would say a quarter or a fifth of what used to be and  now they strategically park them to take up more than one space to make it look like they are filling the lot,." said Kruvad. "It's a really first hand way of seeing what problems there are for Americans who are in the market for a new car or a used car and they can't wait for whatever reason."

Luis Acevedo said he drove several hours to get his wife a new Nissan Versa.

Carmakers are dealing with a shortage of semiconductor chips used in automotive electronic systems. Many canceled orders at the start of the pandemic when car sales dipped.

There are also supply chain issues at ports delaying the delivery of imports and car parts.

The lack of supply has made prices for new and used cars rise.

Customers are advised to be patient or pre-order cars or be flexible with the features in the cars available.