If you’ve recently driven past a Phil Gilbert Toyota showroom, you might have noticed some more empty spaces than usual. You might have even been advised to place an order for a Toyota car for sale with plenty of time to spare - with demand at a surge and supply currently limited, the waiting list for Australian drivers to get behind the wheel of certain cars is longer.
Around three quarters of all cars sold in Australia come from Japan, Thailand and South Korea. Changes in automobile production in these three countries in particular have had a knock-on effect on availability down under, with COVID switching up the automobile industry as we know it.
How has COVID impacted car supply?
Car supply issues are not necessarily new - many customers had to wait months for the new RAV4 Hybrid when it launched in May 2019, for example - but COVID has made many vehicles much less accessible than they once were.
Supply of vehicles began to notably tighten in mid-2020. This could be due to a number of different reasons, for example:
- Manufacturing plants are not operating at full capacity. COVID restrictions and casualties mean that many overseas manufacturing plants are unable to work with their full staff, impacting production capacity.
- More Australians are spending money on personal vehicles. Border closures have dramatically reduced the money that Australians spend on overseas travel (which sat at $26 billion in 2019). Instead, many are choosing to take road trips in their own backyard and are investing in new vehicles instead of spending on plane tickets. Demand is rising as supply tightens.
- Some car factories have shut down completely. Many car factories around the world have shut down, while others are adapting their production lines to contribute to the production of medical products.
- Some manufacturers can’t access car parts from their own suppliers. The car manufacturing supply chain is famously complex, and some suppliers are suffering from shortages in car parts from their suppliers due to COVID.
What does this mean for you?
At Phil Gilbert Toyota, we’re responding to COVID and making sure our guests’ health and safety is a priority. We’ve introduced more cleaning and hygiene measures, and are continuing to provide Toyota service and car sales in Sydney.
If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, we recommend placing your order ahead of time and keep in mind that, although we still have stock coming in, much of it is selling quickly - often before it hits our showroom.
The tight supply means this is a great time to trade in your current car, as you might receive a slightly better trade-in value, particularly if your current car is a ute or an SUV.
Call Phil Gilbert Toyota for assistance
If you’re thinking about buying a new or used Toyota from our dealership, we recommend giving us a call to check availability. Call our Croydon showroom on 02 9715 9888 or our Lidcombe team on 02 9735 8400.
