Ute wait times blow out to six months for some models in Australia

Australian tradies are being forced to wait months for their new rides as our new vehicle supply shortage bites hard. SEE THE FULL LIST.

Aussie tradies and businesses are being hit hard by a critical shortage of new cars.

A global supply crunch of semiconductors has driven up wait times to almost six months for some of the nation’s most popular utes.

Semiconductors are a vital component in new cars that are used in a broad range of applications from safety systems to engine mapping.

Some of the most popular utes in the country have wait lists of up to six months. Taken by Thomas Wielecki

Data compiled by vehicle sales website PriceMyCar shows the average wait time for a new ute ordered in January is 124 days, meaning buyers won’t receive their new ute until May – with many waiting much longer.

Tony Weber, head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, said despite the long wait time customer interest is still high.

“This is an issue impacting markets all over the globe. Despite this, consumer interest, inquiry, and the fundamental demand for new cars in Australia remains strong,” said Mr Weber

“Manufacturers are continuing to work hard to address supply chain and production issues. We are also experiencing bottlenecks in having vehicles processed from some Australian ports. We will continue to work with all parties involved to resolve the issue.”

Isuzu’s D-Max has the longest wait times. Photo by Thomas Wielecki.

Isuzu’s D-Max ute has a wait time of 176 days, which is the longest of any ute and means potential owners won’t get their new ride until August if they order today.

Toyota’s best selling HiLux ute isn’t faring much better with a wait time of 155 days according to the data.

Customers keen on a Volkswagen’s Amarok will have to wait 159 days, while those keen on a Mitsubishi Triton won’t get one for 98 days.

Customers will have to wait up to 155 days for a new HiLux.

The ultra popular Ford Ranger has the shortest wait list with customers receiving the keys to their new ute in 74 days. But a new version is due to arrive in the coming months, which could be driving down demand.

Nissan’s Navara wasn’t far behind with an 81 day waiting list.

Despite all this, utes were some of the strongest selling vehicles in the country in January as makers try and fill back orders.

The Toyota HiLux was again number 1 with 3591 sales, followed by the Ford Ranger (3245) in second spot and the Mitsubishi Triton (2876) and Isuzu D-Max in fourth and sixth spots respectively.

A new Ford Ranger is due in a few months.

PriceMyCar found David Lye said the data suggests wait times may be improving.

“There are suggestions this may have peaked with a slight improvement in January partly driven by better availability in big volume brands including Toyota and Mazda,” Mr Lye said.

James Voortman, the head of the Australian Automotive Dealer Association, said the situation is entirely beyond dealers’ control and it is a very challenging time for the industry.

“Supply is very tight and a lot of customers are still facing lengthy waiting periods. Most customers are understanding, as there is an acceptance that there are delays for many products, not just cars,” said Mr Voortman.

The difficult operating environment is made worse by the fact dealers aren’t sure when the supply shortage may ease.

“We keep getting the optimistic version of events, where the situation will start getting better in six months, but we believe the end of the year is more likely the best case scenario,” said Voortman.