Is Your Patience Running Out on Parts Not Arriving On Time? You're Not Alone

Since 2020, we have seen a steady increase in the time it takes to have new inventory shipped to us resellers.  It started as a materials shortage that never fully recovered (during COVID), moved onto tariffs that delayed port entry and shipment offloading (2025); then onto crude oil availability for some countries that need the kind of fuel ships can use (2026).  This led to increased part prices across nearly every manufacturer; a volume reduction of parts manufactured at once (quantity/part availability); and a higher level of manufacturer discernment over part manufacturing priority.  Put all that together and you have less parts for more customers, which equal larger waitlists/wait times.

SHIPPING & MANUFACTURING TIME TABLES

According to ATS Logistics, one of the world's largest shipping companies, it's about 20-45 days by sea freight, which is how the large majority of parts arrive.  Then, tack on 1-2 weeks for import processing before it's shipped to the local manufacturers' warehouses for distribution (another 5-7 business days).  And that is just the shipping portion!  Tack on 2-6 months for manufacturing time, depending on materials availability and whether or not a manufacturer is importing a half-made product to be finished in the U.S. (another 1-2 months).  

Do all manufacturers have this issue? No.  Some only manufacture in the U.S. (like Axion), while some run like a well-oiled machine in terms of reordering parts to be made before they hit low inventory numbers (Rv6, PRL, Cobb Tuning, etc.).  

WHO HAS THE LONGEST WAIT TIMES?

Below are the manufacturers that tend to have the longest wait times (2+ months) for available inventory (especially for those who chose not to remain on a wait list):

• ACL (5-6 months)
• AFE/Takeda
• APR
• Blitz
• Borla
• CSF
• D2 Racing
• DBA (5-6 months)
• Deatschwerks
• Enkei
• Fujitsubo
• FunctionWerk
• Gram Lights
• HKS
• HPS
• Innovative Mounts
• Invidia
• Koyo
• Kraftwerks/Skunk2 (5-6+ months)
• KW
• MBRP
• Mishimoto
• NGK
• Remark
• Tanabe
• Tein
• TurboSmart
• Wiseco

NOTE that it is NOT to say that EVERY part from the list above is always on backorder.  The majority are actually not.  But, some of the more popular items, such as turbos, spark plugs, exhausts, etc. do run out rather fast as they just aren't making as much for the amount of customers purchasing.

CAN I JUST ORDER WHEN IT'S BACK IN STOCK?

The short answer is you can try however, it may prove unsuccessful for two reasons:

1. Depending on the part you want to order, we are seeing wait lists grow.  This is especially true for fuel injectors, downpipes, front pipes, exhausts, coilovers, manifolds, and turbos (depending on the manufacturer), which means all future inventory will most likely be spoken for by the time it's released to the distribution warehouse.
2. Manufacturers are increasing prices on in-demand parts every 4-6 months, which means if you wait to order, you will most likely be paying an average of 20% more than if you went ahead and pre-ordered.

HOW DO I KNOW IF SOMETHING IS SPECIAL ORDER?

We do not publish what is in and out of stock as inventory fluctuates quickly at our various warehouse locations.  Instead, we mark products that may have a wait time longer than 1 week with "THIS IS A SPECIAL ORDER ITEM" to let you know there may be a wait.  We encourage you to reach out to us, via the Chat app on the bottom right-hand of our site, and ask us the delivery timeframe of the part you want to order.  

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO ORDER?

Shipments tend to come in during the following months: January/February (for November/December orders), April (for winter/spring orders), July/August (for late spring/early summer orders), and September (for all other back orders).  Though, in our experience, the majority of the inventory is already spoken for by the time it comes in.

We know that you're eager to get your hands on your parts in a reasonable timeframe and we do everything we can in the industry to accommodate that.  However, with the above information at your disposal, we recommend not waiting to order, remaining on a waitlist if needed, and reaching out if you have any questions on timing.