HONDA: Supply challenges, lean stockpiles put another dent in sales

American Honda's sales were down for September, marking 14 straight months of declines. The Japanese automaker's sales also dropped for the third quarter, making it the fifth consecutive down quarter.

Honda has been among the worst affected by supply and shipping issues, as it operates a robust supply chain out of China, which has been impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns.

For September, combined sales of the Honda and Acura brands fell 17 percent to 79,354 vehicles compared with the same period last year. In the third quarter, American Honda sales dropped 36 percent to 222,050.

"While the auto industry seems to be hit by one challenge after another with transportation issues and parts shortages, the efforts of our dealers helped achieve strong turn rates that maximize the available inventory for our customers," Mamadou Diallo, vice president of auto sales for American Honda Motor Co., said in a statement.

Despite the declines, light trucks continue to be a bright spot for Honda. The CR-V compact crossover and Ridgeline midsize pickup posted the only gains in September. The HR-V subcompact crossover and three-row Pilot both notched over 8,000 sales. In the coming months, Honda's redesigned 2023 Pilot will go on sale, and a redesigned Accord should debut by year end.

"The pipeline is getting stronger," Diallo said. Increased production in the fourth quarter will support the CR-V and CR-V Hybrid launch as well as the Pilot, he said.

Acura posted its best monthly sales since April, driven primarily by the three-row MDX crossover and the Integra. Improved MDX supply helped boost the kid hauler to over 4,000 sales.

Brands: For the third quarter, Honda, down 35% to 200,258; Acura, down 43% to 21,792; For September, Honda, down 18%to 71,172; Acura, down 13% to 8,182

Notable nameplates: Honda Accord, down 8.6% in September; Civic, down 40%; HR-V, down 31%; CR-V, up 27%; Ridgeline, up 53%; Acura TLX, down 71%; MDX, up 94%; RDX, down 60%

Incentives: $898 per vehicle in September, down 55%, and $819 per vehicle in the third quarter, down 60% from a year earlier, TrueCar says.

Average transaction price: $38,246 in September, up 9.4%, and $38,593 in the third quarter, up 14% from a year earlier, according to TrueCar.