October 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 October.

New car market wait time

Optimistic signs from September have been put on ice, with the average wait time for a new car in Australia increasing fractionally last month. 

After September’s decrease, which was the first in almost two years, delays increased by an average of one day, which means new car buyers are contending with a waiting period of 152 days. 

That is still lower than the results we saw across June, July, and August, so as yet, there is no real indication that we’re about to see delays soar once again. In fact, anecdotal evidence still supports a gradual improvement across auto-makers’ supply chains. Nonetheless, it is a disappointing reversal, no matter how small.

On the positive side, the preliminary September result was confirmed following the latest batch of data, which is reassuring because there was always a risk that this figure could have been revised upwards.

By way of comparison, the corresponding result this time last year was an average waiting period of 105 days, and the year before that, just 55 days, so the industry remains a long way from where we’d like to be.

Makes and models with the longest wait times

With September’s limited data from Land Rover illustrating the brand’s challenges as far as component accessibility, we currently have the British auto-maker as the company with the longest wait times for Australian new car buyers. Based on the carry-over data, prospective Land Rover buyers face a 376-day wait for a new car, which is almost nine months more than this time last year.

It is a better picture for the pair of brands under the Toyota Group, where production levels have started to increase, and new car wait times are now trending lower. Wait times for a Toyota decreased for the second straight month, down another three days in October, while Lexus achieved a similar feat, albeit its delays have now been slashed dramatically thanks to another 32-day improvement. Lexus’ improvement was enough to see it drop down to fourth spot, and if the current trend is maintained, it could be out of the top five by next month.

On the other hand, Mini’s delays worsened during October, with the global extent of its supply chain bottlenecks resulting in new car buyers facing a lengthier wait. The average wait time for a Mini is now 232 days, up 10 days versus a month ago, and around five months more than last October.

The list is rounded out with Isuzu, which despite showing improvement over recent months, encountered a slip-up that led to a minor increase in wait times. Nonetheless, Isuzu deliveries are taking approximately three months longer than they were at this time in 2021.

Outside of the Volkswagen names, where there are no changes as the company makes adjustments to its model line-up down under, it is Toyota that features prominently among the individual car models with the longest wait times.

The average wait time for a C-HR increased by five days last month, and while that may not seem like much in itself, it pushes the car closer towards a 300-day wait time. That is over six months greater than what new car buyers had to contend with 12 months ago.

Elsewhere, the Yaris is back among the list of the hardest-hit names, courtesy of a 16-day blowout in delivery times. On average, a new car buyer now must wait 281 days before taking delivery of a new Yaris, which is up 132 days versus the prior corresponding period.

And lastly, the Landcruiser ends the month in fifth spot, despite posting its second consecutive improvement. Wait times dropped by an average of 16 days in October, after falling 10 days the month before. The Landcruiser has long been one of the most affected cars in terms of delays, and a year ago, it already had a wait time exceeding 200 days.

Among brands that felt the heat in October, Renault’s wait times ballooned out by 59%, albeit from a low base, while the likes of Hyundai, Suzuki, and Nissan all saw average wait times for their cars increase by double-digit percentages.

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