2020 Challenges for Car Makers Amidst COVID

2020 is a strange year and an especially challenging year for car makers, but not for obvious reasons. 

A plague of locusts? Not quite, but for roughly 2,600 potential buyers of the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon; the mayfly is wreaking havoc on vehicle paint, chrome trim, and windows while the new vehicles are awaiting distribution to dealers.

The mayfly ‘residue’ has affected these high demand vehicles that were built in GM’s Arlington, TX plant. This has caused GM to delay shipment, as the company rushes to find a solution and clean cars that have been affected. The damage can be so severe, that one Oklahoma Chevrolet dealer opted to repaint the hood because of the damage caused. It couldn’t come at a worse time with dealer inventory tight after the COVID shut down and consumer demand high.

Another of the top car makers, Hyundai, is having their own unique struggles—with the new car smell we always expect. Who doesn’t like the smell of a new car? Well, apparently new Hyundai Palisade owners have a new car smell that is less than appealing. Hyundai is dealing with an unexpected issue with their newly launched flagship SUV. Owners are complaining about an interior smell that has been described as truly foul. Owners report a smell resembling gym socks, rotting cabbage, or old garlic. Initially, Hyundai thought the floor mats were to blame, but removing them did not dissipate the odor. Fortunately, not all Palisades stink. Hyundai is on the scent and found it may only be present in upmarket Limited models equipped with a light-colored interior and Nappa leather upholstery. The smell seems to come from either the headrests or from inside the seats themselves. The Palisade’s sister vehicle, the Kia Telluride doesn’t appear to have the same issue.

So, as all car makers are dealing with the impact of the COVID pandemic on manufacturing and sales, two car makers are finding that the year 2020 has dealt them some unique challenges.