HONDA/ACURA: Supply challenges continue

Supply challenges hampered Honda's U.S. sales in September and the third quarter, though some models were bright spots for the company in a difficult period.

American Honda said the Honda HR-V subcompact crossover had its best-ever September and third-quarter sales, while the Acura TLX midsize sedan and RDX compact crossover had their best September since 2018.

Overall, American Honda's U.S. sales slipped 25 percent in September and 11 percent in the third quarter. Average transaction prices rose, while incentives fell, according to TrueCar.

Brands: Honda, down 24% to 86,303 in September, and down 12% to 307,359 in the third quarter; Acura, down 27% to 9,413 in September, and down 2.8% to 38,555 in the third quarter

Notable nameplates in Sept: Honda Civic, down 30%; Accord, down 40%; CR-V, down 48%; HR-V, up 63%; Pilot, up 15%; Acura ILX, down 69%; TLX, up 5.6%; RDX, up 5.4%; MDX, down 57%

Incentives: $2,013 per vehicle in the third quarter, down 22%, TrueCar says.

Average transaction price: $31,624 in the third quarter, up 4.9%, according to TrueCar.

Quote: "The enduring nature of the microchip shortage and port congestion issues continue to constrain the entire industry, but we are encouraged by the record sales of Honda models where we have adequate inventory," said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of national operations at American Honda.

Did you know? Sales of the Honda Civic compact sedan are up 7.8% year to date through September, though monthly sales fell 30% in September. American Honda says Civic sales are "limited only by single-digit days supply."