We track new car inventory monthly, and it’s been encouraging to see automakers like Ford and Toyota having more cars shipped to dealers. Still, automakers are selling every car they can make. With that said, more drivers are placing factory orders for vehicle builds that might not arrive until well into next year, or worse. Here’s how long car buyers are waiting for the vehicle they want.
Kia and Hyundai Wait Times
Hyundai Motors owns 51% of Kia, and the two Korean automakers have grown increasingly close over the past decade. Today, many of their vehicles share components, and therefore have been similarly impacted by supply chain constraints. For Kia Telluride, Sportage and Sorento, wait times are up to eight months. That puts delivery for a factory-ordered Kia SUV in the spring of 2023.
For plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options, the wait will be at least this long. The Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe PHEVs are few and far between, and could leave you waiting for 8 months to one year for delivery. The situation is similar, if not worse, for the Hyundai IONIQ 5. Hyundai’s semiconductor chip supplier canceled a few month’s worth of chips that were slated for the IONIQ 5. Right now, factory orders may take between eight months and one year for delivery.
In September, Hyundai had a 6 day supply of new cars, and Kia had a 9 day supply.
Subaru Wait Times
Right now, buyers placing orders for a Subaru are regularly being told that the wait time for delivery will be between three and five months, and in some cases longer. In September, there was a four-day supply of Subarus in the United States. Subaru has been hit hard by the chip shortage, and has yet to pull out of the slump.
Toyota Factory Order Wait Times
How long you should expect to wait depends on the Toyota model and spec that you’ve ordered. For Toyota hybrids and plug-in hybrids, wait times are commonly around one year. For the Toyota RAV4 Prime and Prius Prime, wait times are now 18 months to close to two years. Keep this in mind if you’re in the market for a Toyota plug-in hybrid.
In September, Toyota had a 15 day supply of new cars, but Toyota hybrids are in shorter supply.
Honda Wait Times
On average, Honda factory orders placed today can expect a four month wait before delivery. For the popular, newly redesigned Civic, the wait is more likely to be six months. Honda has been hit particularly hard by the chip shortage and pandemic-related disruptions. Japanese automakers were even dealt a blow from an earthquake earlier this year.
Honda sedans and the popular CR-V have the tightest inventory right now. The Accord, Civic and Insight are all hard to find on a dealer lot. The Japanese automaker recently announced the cancellation of the Insight hybrid, which has a combined city/highway fuel economy of 52 miles per gallon.
If you’re willing to consider lot inventory, Honda had a 17 day supply of new cars in September.
In late 2023, the Honda Prologue electric crossover will arrive. Pre-orders are expected to open soon, so keep an eye out for that if you want to be first on the list for this GM-built Honda EV. It will qualify for at least half of the new EV tax credit.
See which new electric vehicles qualify for the new EV tax credit
Ram and Jeep Wait Times
For Jeep and Ram factory orders, right now we’re seeing wait times of 10 to 30 weeks. Stellantis owns Ram and Jeep, and they’ve been one of the only automakers to continue to offer at least some manufacturer incentives. Waiting three to four months for a Ram 1500 or Jeep Grand Cherokee is a lot easier to swallow if you’re getting a better deal with incentives.
One of our CarEdge members was quoted a wait time of 15 to 30 weeks for a Ram 1500 factory order.
Ford Factory Orders Faring Slightly Better
Ford’s combustion-powered vehicles are seeing wait times of ‘just’ four to six months for factory orders. That’s great news for those ordering an F-150, Explorer or Escape. If you’re set on going electric, the news isn’t so good. Wait times for the Ford Mustang Mach-E are currently between six and eight months. One ‘lucky’ CarEdge member was quoted a Mustang Mach-E wait time of four to six months in August.
Some Ford specialty ICE models are bucking the trend and experiencing huge delays. Orders for the Ford Raptor and Maverick Hybrid may be delayed over one year. In some cases, buyers won’t see their car until 2024.
F-150 Lightning production is just now ramping up, and Ford has committed to allocating one out of every five Lightnings produced for fleet customers. Ford will be working through its 200,000 pre-orders for quite a while, a figure that apparently does NOT include fleet orders. An F-150 Lightning factory order placed today should expect at least one year of waiting before delivery. You may have a better chance pursuing a canceled order at a dealership, but dealer markups are a real possibility.
Ford has THOUSANDS of unfinished vehicles sitting in lots waiting for parts. When Ford announced their third quarter sales, executives said that supply chain shortages were hurting them again.
Hybrids, Plug-In Hybrids and EVs Have the Longest Wait Times
We’re seeing wait times for popular hybrid vehicles extending up to one year for several automakers. It’s easy to forget that gas prices were over $5.00/gallon nationally just a few months ago, and that caused a massive spike in orders for more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Not only is demand higher, but OEMs are rationing their supplies of semiconductor chips and in some cases, even batteries.
In a silver lining to the confusing new EV tax credit, America will soon have its first used EV tax credit. When this begins in January 2023, used EVs under $25,000 will qualify (if sold by a dealer, and the buyer meets income restrictions.) Learn more about the used EV tax credit and eligibility here.
Tesla Wait Times
Tesla regularly updates wait times for the Model Y, Model 3, Model S and Model X. As of 8/29/2022, here are Tesla wait times as shared on Tesla.com. Note that there are many possible configurations that affect estimated delivery dates, so check Tesla’s configurator for the most accurate estimate.
- Model 3 RWD with Aero wheels: Oct 2022 – Dec 2022
- Model 3 RWD with Sport wheels: Oct – Dec 2022
- Model 3 Long Range AWD with Sport wheels: Unavailable to order. “Available in 2023”
- Model Y Long Range with Gemini wheels: Dec 2022 – Apr 2023
- Model Y Long Range with Induction wheels: Dec 2022 – Apr 2023
- Model S Dual-Motor with Arachnid wheels: Nov 2022 – Feb 2023
- Model X Dual-Motor with Cyberstream wheels: Jul 2023 – Oct 2023
Taking Delivery After a Long Wait? Beware of the Infamous Dirt Mountain
Although Ford has somewhat improved factory order wait times in recent months, customers are still taking delivery of Broncos that had spent months waiting around at the so-called Dirt Mountain in Michigan. How could that impact those taking delivery of their beloved Ford Bronco? Field mice.
Anytime vehicles sit idly for months at a time, there’s the risk of rodents making the car their home. Before taking delivery, have all wires under the hood checked for signs of gnawing rodents. Ford even admitted in their Q2 2022 earnings report that their number one challenge right now is quality control, and the infamous Dirt Mountain issues are certainly part of that. Of course these new vehicles are under warranty, but you’d hate to be left stranded with power failure shortly after driving your new car home.
What do you forecast in regard to used PHEV vehicles as we reach January 1 and rebates become available for the Ford Fusion Energi and the Chevy Volt? Will this increase or decrease their sale price?
Hello! Based on current market conditions and trends (which may be quite different in January as used car prices begin to fall), I expect PHEV and full BEV prices to remain elevated while used ICE vehicles fall. With a price cap of $25k built into the used EV and PHEV tax credit, expect to see a lot of used, older PHEVs and EVs for $24,900.
I ordered a Ford Expedition in March, it’s still not even built. My friend ordered a Dodge Charger in August, it was built last week and is in transit for delivery. How can Ford be running 8 MONTHS slower than Dodge??? What the heck are they doing over there at Ford?
We just ordered a 2023 Ford Escape Platinum Hybrid FWD. The dealer quoted us a wait of just 8-10 weeks. We’ll see how it goes. I called the marketing department to see if they have any photos available, as the ordering process still shows the 2022 model. All I’ve seen so far is spy videos on YouTube. If you have any other ideas on how to find what it actually looks like, I’d be thankful.
Thanks for sharing! Not sure what it looks like, but I think it’s a good choice. Get the agreed price in writing from the sales manager!
Regarding Ford Wait Times: I’m not sure that 4-6 months is accurate. I ordered a Bronco on 22 December 2021 and my vehicle started production recently on 11 October 2022. With final assembly and then delivery to my dealer, I’m looking at about 11 months wait time in total. In my production week alone, 44 fellow Bronco have self-reported wait times from 200-400 days since they ordered their Bronco’s. While Ford does seem to be working hard to complete Manufacturing Year (MY) 22 builds, we are far from 4-6 weeks away f wait time.
Thanks for sharing! Our estimate is for new factory orders placed today. It will vary from model to model, but this is our estimate from the information we’ve gathered from recent buyers placing orders.