YOUNGSTOWN — Auto dealers in the Mahoning Valley remain ahead of the sales pace they set last year despite another month in October of falling numbers, due to light inventory brought on by the national supply shortage.

The latest data from the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association show sales of new and used vehicles last month were off 26 percent from October 2020 with 4,012 deliveries.

For the year, sales remain 6 percent above 2020 with 50,043 vehicles sold, however, that number has started to dwindle. Through October, dealers were 10.4 percent above 2020.

The new and used vehicle segments were down for the month, but still remain ahead of 2020.

There were 1,769 new vehicles sold in October, down 42.7 from last year. New vehicle sales remain up 2.1 percent for the year with 25,481.

Used vehicle sales were down 2.5 percent to 2,173 for the month. They remain up 10.6 percent through October with 23,307 vehicles sold.

Dealerships in Mahoning County with the most sales for the month were Boardman Subaru, the top-selling dealer in the region, 180; Taylor Kia of Boardman, 179; and Fairway Ford, 161.

The top new vehicle sellers were Kufleitner Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Boardman, 105; Taylor Kia of Boardman, 97; and Boardman Subaru, 82. The top used vehicle sellers were Greenwood Chevrolet, 113; Sweeney Buick GMC, 101; and Boardman Subaru, 98.

Across the association’s 21-county reach, dealers are struggling to keep up with demand because of low inventory. Dealers sold 15,510 new vehicles in October, down 31.4 percent from 22,639 in October 2020.

“The semiconductor shortage’s impact on sales numbers is unquestionable, as vehicle supply remains scarce. Consumers have taken advantage of the ability to pre-order their ideal vehicle, so much of the inventory is pre-sold,” said Louis A. Vitantonio, association president. “We anticipate inventories slowly improving through the end of the year.”

Used vehicle sazles remain steady in the market, with dealers reporting 19,006 sales in October, an increase of 0.15 percent, and 206,010 used sales for the year to date, an increase of 10.79 percent.

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