SAN DIEGO — Economic headwinds combined with lingering supply chain constraints have resulted in a sales dip of 16.1 percent in new car and trucks sales in California through the first three quarters of this year compared to the same period in 2021.
The California New Car Dealers Association estimates by the end of the year, sales will be off 9.7 compared to last year, lowering its projections to 1.68 million registrations for all of 2022. That's within shouting distance of the 1.64 million registrations recorded in 2020 with COVID-19 lockdowns sideswiped the auto industry in California and across the nation.
Pre-pandemic, the Golden State's new vehicle market was roaring, posting more than 2 million cars and trucks sold each year from 2015 through 2019.
