April U.S. auto sales: Toyota, Hyundai and Kia volume drops double digits again as chip issues bite

United States Sales at Toyota Motor Corp., hyundai and KIA fell double digits in April from a year earlier when industry volume soared as shortages of key parts and stalled supply lines continue to undermine production and shipments of Light vehicles.

Toyota Motor, struggling with some of the lowest inventory levels in the industry, said April volume slipped 23%, with deliveries down 23% in the Toyota division and 18% at Lexus. Sales at Toyota enginethe top-selling automaker in the United States last year and in the first quarter, have now fallen for nine consecutive months.

Toyota’s top-selling brands all posted double-digit declines last month: Camry, down 12%; RAV4, down 18%; Highlander, down 29%; Corolla, down 22% and Tacoma, down 27%.

Toyota Motor said it closed April with a 20-day supply of vehicles; 137,067 cars and light trucks, only 13,831 in stock at dealerships and 123,236 in ports or in transit.

Deliveries fell 20% at Hyundai and 16% at Kia last month, mainly due to lower car sales. It was the second consecutive month of double-digit declines for the two Korean brands.

With an expanded crossover lineup, its first pickup and the new Ioniq 5 electric vehicle, Hyundai has focused on retail sales, which reached 61,668 last month. The company reported no fleet deliveries in April for the fourth month.

At Genesis, April volume rose 53% to 5,039, a monthly record and the brand’s 17th consecutive increase. The brand’s two crossovers, the GV70 and GV80, each exceeded the combined deliveries of the brand’s three sedans.

New-vehicle sales in the United States are expected to fall about 20% in April, analysts say, as automakers struggle to replenish depleted dealer inventories amid chronic microchip shortages and other impediments to the supply chain.

Honda Motor Co., Mazda and Subaru are expected to release their April sales later Tuesday. Ford Motor Co. and Volvo will release their results on Wednesday.

Overall retail sales could fall 24% to 1.1 million vehicles in April from a year earlier, LMC and JD Power estimate.