Parts shortage will keep auto prices sky-high

I am very sure they would drive also without any or with some less chips like they have for all the many many years in the past. lol

You cannot substitute lower capability chips into existing designs. The electronics of each affected model would have to be redesigned to use less capable chips, and that means lower performance fewer features for the customer. Maybe no Bluetooth capability, maybe no satellite radio, maybe no GPS map display, maybe less power from the engine if the engine management relies on advanced chips to control combustion and not bust pollution limits. Maybe you can't have variable valve timing or advanced fuel injection schemes that use multiple injections per combustion cycle. Auto makers are not using advanced chips for the sake of using advanced chips. They use them because they are necessary to provide the performance and features their customers expect.

In the factory where I work we make parts mainly for Mazda, but also Mitsubishi and Nissan.

Mazda has also stopped, all the lines are in halt with very little production.

Mitsubishi and Nissan parts are also in low demand.

I am lucky to be able to work at least 4 days a week, there are people who are only working 2 days a week now.

So then what’s the excuse for the same sky high prices when there was no parts shortage? Just the typical “because” answer I suppose. It’s almost cheaper or the same price to buy the same car in the US and then have it shipped all the way here when comparing a car made here in Japan.

Paying the price for over-reliance on foreign made components. One risk of globalized manufacturing.

My car is 20 years old and it has chips and computers.

You'll have to go way back to find cars without chips.

I cannot afford a new car. My car feels like a new car and drives like a new car.

Well maintained.

Give me simple non-chipped car anytime. Price it 10,000-20,000 USD and I'd buy it and be happy. Just give me air conditioning.

Hopefully it's a lesson to manufacturers everywhere to stop trying to manufacture things in the lowest cost locations but to keep manufacturing local. If there was a local chip making industry then they would be less exposed

The average price of a new vehicle sold in the U.S. in August hit a record of just above $41,000

41k USD, 4.5 million yen average on a new car. Wow, so much money. A very quick Google say 85% are bought with financing, some kind of loan or lease. That's going to be a good chunk of money, likely to be 70,000 yen plus every month, just for one car. Stop paying and it gets repo'd.

I am very sure they would drive also without any or with some less chips like they have for all the many many years in the past. lol