There was a surge in demand for new and used cars during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It's no surprise, many of Australia's car dealerships are struggling to gauge their stock levels because most car brands use franchise dealers, and stock varies from showroom to showroom.

At first, it was the effect of the slowdown of car assembly factory closures overseas from COVID-19.  Then the semiconductor shortage caused massive interruptions. Automotive industry leaders have warned about the severe lack of new cars to continue into 2022 – rather than recover in the second half of this year as initially forecast.

Top 3 Lead Times

Some examples of current lead times for new cars!

Kia Sorrento- Minimum 12 months. Factories not even taking orders to build. Realistic arrival time late 2022 or early 2023

Ford Transit Custom Van- Only getting built to order, realistic delivery time if ordered this week is April/May 2022

Toyota Landcruiser 79 series - If ordered this week, minimum 12 months before arrival!

Isuzu D-Max - Delivery April/May 2022

And as demand for new vehicles outstrips supply, used car prices have also soared, with experts warning buyers may have to wait until next year for a return to normality.

As quoted in the Australian Financial Review, “Second-hand car prices have jumped 34 per cent on average in Australia since a year ago and are up 10 per cent since the start of January. Moody’s Analytics senior economist Michael Brisson said on Thursday that even when supply of new cars built up again after a semiconductor shortage, high used car prices would persist well into calendar 2022 even though the rate of growth is now slowing”.

So, if you're in the market for a used SUV, ute, car or, any used vehicle of any type for that matter, then the situation is graver than you may have feared.

Does that have to be bad news for Australians wanting to buy a new car or upgrade a second vehicle in their household? No, it does not! Why not use Lenny at My Car Guy if you want a new or used car! The Used car process can be a daunting one and there is definitely a process to follow to ensure you can get the right vehicle.

We always recommend a mechanical inspection and there is many companies out there now offering pre purchase inspections. While they may cost around $300 that is far cheaper than what may arise if not checked out prior to purchase and money well spent in our opinion.

A client recently said My Car Guy services making the car buying easy:

Dave from "My Car Guy" was excellent, found the ute I wanted very quickly despite shortages due to covid, negotiated the price and delivered on time. I highly recommend Dave and My Car Guy! Gerard Ryan

In trying (COVID) times I was able to trade in my current car and have my new car delivered directly to me. Too easy. Dave was excellent to deal with, answered all my questions and kept me updated with the progress as we went along. A seamless transaction and a happy customer. Rhys Brinck

Don't wait for your next vehicle with your local dealership! Give Dave, or Lenny as he is affectionately known, a call today 1300 510 144 and brief him on what you need. He makes car buying for new or used cars easy.