YOUNGSTOWN — Auto dealers in the Mahoning Valley continue to struggle to gain traction with consumers, whose demand for vehicles is outpacing supply with the result being sales in April off 23 percent from one year ago.

The most recent data from the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association, which tracks sales data from more than 250 member dealers across 21 northern Ohio counties, shows in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties 4,544 new and used vehicles were sold last month, down 1,402 from the prior year.

For the year, the picture isn’t much prettier. Through April, there have been 17,186 new and used vehicles sold in the region, down nearly 17 percent compared with the same four months in 2021.

New vehicle sales fell nearly 32 percent, from 3,207 in April 2021 to 2,181 last month, and for the year the segment is down nearly 28 percent, from 11,331 to 8,187, according to the association.

There were 2,319 used vehicles sold last month, down 12.4 percent from 2,647 in April 2021. For the four months, there were 8,643 used vehicles sold, down 3 percent from 8,919.

Dealerships in Mahoning County with the most sales to local buyers in April were Fred Martin Ford, the No. 1 seller in the Valley, 268; Sweeney Chevrolet, 255; and Sweeney Buick GMC, 201.

The top new vehicle sellers were Fred Martin Ford, 143; Sweeney Chevrolet, 138; and Boardman Subaru, 117. Topping the used vehicle list were Stadium Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac, 132; Fred Martin Ford, 125; and Sweeney Chevrolet, 117.

Across the association’s members sales were down 34 percent for the month with 16,938 new vehicles sold. For the year, sales are down 22.6 percent.

Sales leaders

Top-selling vehicle brands in April in northern Ohio:

Ford – 2,432

Chevrolet – 2,306

Kia – 1,516

Honda – 1,325

Jeep – 1,214

SOURCE: Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association