Chip shortage holding up your auto repair? You’re not alone

GRAND RAPIDS — I was on my way to vacation in Petoskey last June when a warning message ashed across my Ford Focus dashboard and the car came to a halt on northbound U.S. 131. I haven’t driven it since.

My husband and I had the car towed to Keller Ford in Walker, thinking we’d get it back in a couple weeks. ey told us it would be at least a month, which seemed crazy at the time.

Six months later, we’re still waiting.

My Focus is one of a slew of 2014 models that Ford recalled for a faulty transmission control module. I’m sure I got a notice myself — likely mistaken as junk mail and tossed.

It turned out the x was a semiconductor chip, which are still in drastically short supply for automakers and repair shops globally. It didn’t help that the Focus was one of the most popular vehicles of its day — especially in Ford’s home state.

From there, our car troubles snowballed. Our second vehicle was at home on the fritz, and the dealership was fresh out of loaners for us to drive — another upshot of the chip shortage. eir onsite Enterprise Rent-A-Car was also tapped.

DEALS & DETAILS

 MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

 Salute Mission Critical, Clinton Township, a data center services provider, acquired Iconicx Critical Solutions LLC, Amsterdam, N.Y., a provider of commissioning, testing and consulting services for data centers. Websites: salutemissioncritical.com, iconicxllc.com

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 Luxit Group, Farmington HIlls, an automotive lighting supplier and afliate of New Water Capital Partners I LP, acquired a manufacturing facility in Pulaski, Tenn., from Proper Group International LLC. Website: LUXITGroup.com

 Dawn Foods, Jackson, bakery manufacturer and distributor, sold its frozen bakery manufacturing business in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Paci c, to Europastry, Barcelona, Spain, a baked goods producer. e sale includes Dawn’s frozen bakery manufacturing plant in e Netherlands and R&D facilities in the United Kingdom. Dawn Foods will continue to manufacture and distribute bakery ingredients across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Paci c, North America and Latin America. Website: dawnfoods.com

We nally called a few more rental companies, holding out hope for an alternate route to paradise. Several were booked a week ahead. We eventually found a Honda Odyssey at the Gerald R. Ford Airport. We rode the dealership’s free shuttle home, took a cab to the airport to get our rental, and were nally back en route to Petoskey.

In the time since, we’ve gotten our second car xed, had it break down again and gotten it xed again. e dealer where our Focus was waiting was even acquired by LaFontaine

 Altair, Troy, a software company, invested $10 million in Xscape Photonics, New York, N.Y., a start-up that developed patented technology for photonic chips for ultrahigh-bandwidth connections. Website: altair. com

Polk & Associates, Bingham Farms, an accounting, audit, tax and consulting services rm, merged with Holder & Jacobs CPA PC, South eld, an accounting rm. Website: polkcpa.com

 NEW SERVICES

 White Glove, Birmingham, a marketing company specializing in client acquisition and engagement services, launched a simpli ed pricing structure. Website: whiteglove. com

 Lawrence Technological University, South eld, has formed the College of Health Sciences, its fth college within the university, re ecting the university’s addition of several health care education programs over the past six years. LTU introduced a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in 2017, in partnership with the health care group Ascension Michigan. e university added a Master of Science in Healthcare Management degree in 2019 and Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies and Master of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion programs in the Fall 2022 semester. Website: ltu.edu

Automotive.

We’ve borrowed my in-laws’ truck, carpooled, rideshared and stayed home more than we ever thought possible. en, last week, we nally got a loaner.

Max Muncey, senior manager of corporate communications for LaFontaine Automotive, said his service director describes the wait for Ford’s TCM part as an “intergalactic back order.”

“We empathize,” Muncey said. “If we could build the component, we would have by now.”

Dave Wright, of Shaheen Chevrolet in Lansing, said customers at his service department have learned how to live without their vehicles the same way we have. Teenagers aren’t getting their own cars, more commuters are taking the bus, people are going out less and those with an in-person job get dibs on the household car.

“Priorities have got to shift a little bit, as opposed to being so accustomed to the land of plenty,” he said. “As you know, we Americans are always spoiled by that.”

My spouse and I are lucky to have jobs that can be done remotely. But in Grand Rapids, where public transit doesn’t even service every suburb, I often wonder how line workers, servers, teachers and families with kids are getting by.

I doubt they’d see having a working car as a luxury.

At any rate, I’m looking forward to being spoiled again someday soon. Whenever that is.

Contact: rachel.watson@crain.com

(989) 533-9685; @RachelWatson86

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