But there's good news for consumers in the gloomy numbers: Vehicle supplies on dealer lots are growing, albeit slowly, and automakers expect at least a small...
DETROIT — Shortages of computer chips and other parts continued to hobble the U.S. auto industry last year, contributing to vehicle sales dropping 8% from 2021 to their lowest level in more than a decade.
But there’s good news for consumers in the gloomy numbers: Vehicle supplies on dealer lots are growing, albeit slowly, and automakers expect at least a small easing in prices this year as inventories grow. With many models still in short supply, though, the average new vehicle price rose 2.5% in December to a record of just over $46,000, according to J.D Power.Toyota TM , for instance, finished the year with just under 24,000 vehicles on Toyota and Lexus brand dealer lots nationwide. That’s up from about 19,000 at the end of 2021, but still far short of the 300,000 during normal years before the pandemic.
“They’re coming in and saying, ‘Hey, can I get a deal here?'” Christ said. “I do think that on some vehicles, not just in our brand, and across the industry, there has become a little more of a buyer’s market where the customer can negotiate.” “There isn’t as much disposable income to be put into a vehicle,” she said. “We’ve seen prices high before, but we’ve never really seen higher prices with the interest rates.”
The computer chip shortage dates to the spring of 2020, when automakers were forced to shut down factories due to rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases. Chip makers shifted production to consumer electronics to feed a computer and gaming sales boom when people were stuck at home. When the auto plants restarted earlier than expected, chip makers weren’t making as many semiconductors for automobiles, which must be made to withstand vibration and huge temperature extremes.
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