'How that can take 26 years to manufacture': Sask. man shocked after Toyota parts delivery dated 2050

A Saskatoon vehicle owner was in shock when he was told he would face a delivery date of 2050 for replacement auto parts, and it’s highlighting the fragility of the supply chain.

Keith Cassidy was excited to finally have his 2023 Toyota Corolla after waiting 15 months to get it. But two months later, he was involved in not one, but two collisions.

Most of the parts were available to fix his car, but he was surprised to find out the delivery date for two parts. One was for the year 2049, and the other for 2050. 

“Essentially what my understanding is that we’re waiting on a plastic bumper cover and then another piece of plastic that is a skirt around the rear wheel on the driver’s side of the car,” said Cassidy. “Which is beyond me how that can take 26 years to manufacture and ship out.”

In an email to CTV News, Toyota Canada said the 2050 date is populated by default in its system when a part is unavailable.

“The 2050 date is solely to indicate that there is not yet a set date for a backorder part delivery and should be communicated to customers as such. Once we receive a delivery date from the supplier, then this field is updated,” reads the statement from Toyota Canada.

While it couldn’t comment on this specific case, Toyota Canada said global supply chain challenges continue to affect the entire auto industry.

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Mechanics at the Consumer Reports Test Centre in Connecticut said the supply chain issues for auto parts still haven’t been resolved after the pandemic. But body parts tend to have more delays than mechanical parts.

“Things like bumper covers and things like that, they just seem to be on this crazy backorder,” said Michael Crossen, assistant project leader at the Consumer Reports Test Centre.

“They can take weeks or months. I was an automotive tech in the field, and we used to call that intergalactic backorder because you didn’t know. They would never have a date for you.”

Crossen said companies that supply parts to auto dealers may be waiting for parts from other companies themselves. Small delays can lead to much larger delays further down the line toward the end customer.

“What we think of as one part is actually a bunch of parts,” said Crossen. “So somewhere in that chain, and it might be compounding, if everybody’s a little bit slow in their step, that ends up being a big delay on the customer.”

Meanwhile, the ordeal has left Cassidy frustrated, who just wants to have that new car feeling back.

“I love the car,” said Cassidy. “I really have no issues with the vehicle itself. I have issues with the state that it’s in. The ultimate resolution for me right now is just to have it repaired, go back to the first two months that I had it when I felt good about driving around in a new vehicle. That’s all I’m looking for.”