Industry trade associations have expressed concern over the growing number of complaints from their bodyshop members about parts availability.

The Motor Vehicle Repairers Association claimed it was receiving up to 55 calls a week from repairers who had been told they would have to wait six-15 weeks for delivery of parts.

Mike Monaghan, MVRA managing director, said: “If a customer's car is waiting for parts, it sits in the repair shop taking up valuable space. In the meantime the customer has use of the repairer's courtesy car.”

He blamed a “minority” of manufacturers for the problem, but said “action needs to be taken”.

The Vehicle Body Repairers Association has reported similar difficulties, particularly with niche marques. Development director Alan Bird said: “Most of the complaints concern Japanese and Korean makes and especially grey import vehicles, but some Volkswagen parts have also been difficult to obtain lately.”

A Volkswagen spokesman said that the implementation of a new IT system across Europe had caused a recent parts distribution problem in the UK, but this was a temporary situation.