Potentially thousands of car repair firms ‘face collapse’ after no-deal Brexit

Around 1,000 companies in the UK car-accident repair industry ‘could be on the brink’ of collapse within two weeks of a Brexit no-deal, business leaders have warned  It could mean the cost of getting your car repaired goes up – as parts become more difficult to come by. Many other companies could be forced to close within a month, an industry meeting of 17 firms heard.

Body shops that repair cars in accidents face a very uncertain future, business leaders warn

Body spraying a panel in a body shop – the Government has been accused of doing very little to help the industry which depends on speed at the border

New border checks risk slowing down business dramatically for an industry which relies on getting car parts in quickly from abroad, including Europe.

The Government is facing calls to take a ‘no-deal’ Brexit off the table from the car industry

According to car industry experts, the car repair industry had been ‘severely underinvested in for many, many years’ and therefore didn’t have the reserves to step up to the difficulties of a no deal – if the supply chain was hit with delays. Meanwhile Kate Goodwin, who fronts the repair programme and supply chain at The Innovation Group, an organisation which supports industry, added: ‘Repairers don’t get paid until a repair is completed, margins are tight.

According to the government the priority is  to deliver a deal that will protect UK jobs and prosperity and provide certainty for businesses as we leave the EU. The Government is preparing to ensure the country is ready for every eventuality.