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July 2022 New Car Wait Times: Part 1

Following the launch of our new car delivery date estimator, you can now stay informed regarding all the delays and wait times affecting the Australian new car market. 

Whether you are in the market for a specific model, or keeping your options open, our handy tool will provide you with a comprehensive snapshot of wait times by brand, model, state, and even vehicle body type.

In addition, we are delighted to bring to you this monthly piece that wraps up all the latest movements across the market, helping you improve your new car buying experience by responding to the latest developments. After all, not everyone has the patience to wait more than 200 days for a new car!

On that note, here are the key developments from July.

New car market wait time

There doesn’t appear to be a peak in sight for the average wait time of new cars across Australia, with more delays last month. July saw wait times hit a fresh high of 157 days, up 2 days from the figure at the end of June, and up 10 days from the end of May.

A year ago the average wait time for a new car in Australia was 95 days, which in itself was a record at the time, and threefold higher than the pre-pandemic average we would typically expect.

Unsurprisingly, it is the same issues that are causing chaos across the new car industry yet again. These include parts and component shortages, supply chain issues, and in some cases manufacturers having to spread limited stock across various global markets. 

Since the middle of 2020 all but one instance has seen the average wait time for a new car increase, which suggests the problem has been snowballing from that moment onwards without any real fix or solution. Geopolitical tension at the start of August between China and August threatens to further derail global supply chains as the Taiwan Strait is one of the most frequently used shipping passages in the world. 

Makes and models with the longest wait times

Following some changes to the data we use, we’re now focusing on the core brands, which sees Land Rover shifted out of the dataset, and in its place, Isuzu is now regarded as the brand with the longest average wait time for new stock.

Although wait times for Isuzu, which consists of its two vehicles in the MU-X and D-Max, are broadly in line with the result from the month prior, a look at the year-over-year growth is rather telling. A year ago, prospective Isuzu buyers faced a wait time of 96 days, which even then was considered lengthy. 

A big setback for Lexus means that it is suddenly the brand with the second-longest wait time across the Australian new car market. The reason for this can be tied in with its parent company Toyota, which last month unveiled an additional cutback in production at a global level. 

While the two brands may be set up as different auto-makers, Lexus models are produced in Toyota factories, which means Toyota’s bottleneck has ramifications for its luxury marque offshoot.  As a result, wait times hit 266 days for Lexus and 251 days for Toyota, up 79 days and up 16 days respectively. 

Volkswagen and Ford are the other two major names with an average wait time circling 200 days, and while there is some optimism Volkswagen’s delivery delays may have peaked, the numbers for Ford have skyrocketed from an average wait time of just 84 days at the end of March.

Brand

Wait time

Change (1 month)

Change (12 months)

Isuzu

286 days

Unchanged

+190 days

Lexus

266 days

+79 days

+226 days

Toyota

251 days

+16 days

+120 days

Volkswagen

196 days

-9 days

+78 days

Ford

194 days

+25 days

+99 days

Toyota’s difficulties are more evident when you look at the individual models with the longest average wait times. The brand features among three of the five models with the biggest delays, and five out of the top eight models.

Of the names where Toyota is struggling to keep up with demand, the RAV4 features the longest average wait time at 339 days, up around 40 days in the space of just one month. Meanwhile, the Landcruiser, Fortuner, Corolla, and Yaris are all in the midst of an uptrend given the aforementioned impact on the company’s production output in Japan.

The other high-profile names where lead times remain at elevated levels are the Isuzu MU-X, 308 days versus just 78 days this time last year, and the Volkswagen Passat, 296 days compared with an average wait time of just 63 days a year ago.

Model

Wait time

Change (1 month)

Change (12 months)

Toyota RAV4

339 days

+36 days

+183 days

Isuzu MU-X

308 days

+11 days

+230 days

Volkswagen Passat

296 days

+53 days

+233 days

Toyota Landcruiser

280 days

+28 days

+140 days

Toyota Fortuner

262 days

+19 days

N/A

In terms of the brands where momentum has swung against them, and delivery times continue to worsen, the list is headlined by Lexus, up 161%, followed by Ford (up 92%), LDV (up 51%), and the likes of Mitsubishi, Mazda, and Toyota all seeing delays blow out by 20% month-over-month.  

 

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