Lots are mostly empty of new vehicles!

[robinja]

Stopped by my local dealership to pick up a part and was surprised that the lot was 2/3 empty. The folks at the dealership said new car inventory was thin and incoming was spotty. They also mentioned the used car market is just as challenging. Drove out of the way to pass by another couple of dealerships and same situation, nearly empty lots. Is it really that rough for the new car market or is it just the central Florida area?

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[Green_Gladiator]

New Smyrna CJDR was empty .. a few of each model. No date for a full come back of inventory either. .. That was 6 weeks ago sounds like it's only getting worse...

 

[jimbom]

I understand that it is more of a supply issue. I have read that there is a chip shortage that is holding up auto production for all manufacturers. Also, to financially survive, rental companies sold off their inventory during the pandemic and now that the demand as resurged, the auto companies are unable to meet that demand to replenish their fleet. I understand that used car values are pretty much at their historical peak.

edit:
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a36519857/chip-shortage-aut-production-cuts/

 

[93civej1]

I dont really noticed much of a shortage around me for Gladiators anyway.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Been that way since late last summer. Karl Chevrolet normally has ACRES of trucks. Now you can look at them all in 10 minutes.
Dealers that normally have 30 Grand Cherokees now have between 1 and 3 (I've talked to dealers about it.
You think it's bad now - wait.
I wish I had taken pictures from last fall - about August to September - lots were EMPTY, I mean the view from the air must have been something - all concrete instead of car roofs.

I did a search to try to find a WK2 on a lot in Iowa for my wife - she was ready to trade. I plugged in the criteria (almost everything on a Grand Cherokee that she wants is standard so it's not hard to find one with the stuff she wants other than COLOR) and guess what - not a single one in Iowa matched what she wanted. NONE. When we went to pick up her new one when it arrived - I think there was one on the dealer lot. Hers.

I'm surprised in a way this has just come up as we've noticed this for almost a year. Even dealers talk about it.
Last summer if you wanted certain vehicles, you could not find them on a lot - you had to order them.

Glad I wasn't looking for a NEW Chevy or Ford truck - there weren't any around here to choose from.

Do a search "car dealerships empty lots" and you'll get hundreds of hits. But honestly, this was already the case last summer and fall.

 

[centra28]

I can get more money for my vehicle now than what I paid for it 2 years ago, that is with 34k additional miles

 

[wchevron]

It's the microchip issue. Saw a news article where Ford had filled a race track and adjoining parking lots in Kentucky with finished F150's waiting for the chip. Said there were several sites around Kentucky like this. We were trying to order some Ford vans for work, 7 month lead time. My father was trying to order a new Explorer. 11 weeks after placing the order, he still didn't have a build date so cancelled. My Gladiator, which came in Monday, took 14 weeks to get.

 

[93civej1]

I can get more money for my vehicle now than what I paid for it 2 years ago, that is with 34k additional miles

Yes but in most instances, you are going to pay more for the one you are going to buy.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

I understand that it is more of a supply issue. I have read that there is a chip shortage that is holding up auto production for all manufacturers. Also, to financially survive, rental companies sold off their inventory during the pandemic and now that the demand as resurged, the auto companies are unable to meet that demand to replenish their fleet. I understand that used car values are pretty much at their historical peak.

edit:
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a36519857/chip-shortage-aut-production-cuts/

My friend juts bought an F150. He said it's incredibly hard to find certain options now based on the chip shortages.

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

Pretty sad state of affairs for the country honestly. We should learn a hard lesson from it all if we make it to the other side.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It's sad that the I want it all and I want it now and even little Jimmy (who is 6 years old) should have his own TV, computer, cell phone, tablet and motorscooter. We've demanded so much stuff and want it so cheap - guess what..... we're getting exactly what we've asked for for decades.
So to get all of the fun toys and electronic gadgets so a 5 or 6 year old can have their own xbox and other stuff, we've driven chip production down to a handful of makers.
We sit on our asses and talk to a piece of furniture to order dinner and have it delivered and wave our phones around to pay for stuff.
It all comes at a cost that keeps getting pushed further out into the future and growing like a cancer.
We keep listening to companies they TELL US what we want instead of deciding for ourselves.

 

[MNWillys]

Another reason to have chip and other electronic manufacturing in the USA.

 

[jimbom]

Another reason to have chip and other electronic manufacturing in the USA.

According to Wiki, Intel is the largest microchip manufacturer. They cannot meet demand, but are investing hugely in new facilities.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

According to Wiki, Intel is the largest microchip manufacturer. They cannot meet demand, but are investing hugely in new facilities.

We should not be talking Intel as they aren't the supplier for automotive chips - yet. They may be made in USA for the most part - but still it's not Intel who makes the automotive chips in question.
Most auto chips are made in Taiwan. It's actually cell phones that use most of the chips made around the world.
Odd that no one saw this coming and prepared for it. Why not? What REALLY happened?
Chips used in most cars are made - not in the USA and not by Intel.

 

[Ted Striker]

The automotive industry got caught with their pants down on the semiconductor shortage. Cell phone, tablet and computer manufacturers snatched up all the chips before the auto industry even realized what was going on.

Used car market is crazy right now. Just sold my 2020 Gladiator for almost as much as I paid for it 2 years ago. Just picked up a 2021 Gladiator at a dealership that had maybe 40 cars total used/new on the lot.

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