Toyota Overtakes GM as Bestselling Auto Maker in U.S.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: The Wall Street Journal.

BUSINESS * AUTOS & TRANSPORTATION * AUTOS INDUSTRY

Toyota Overtakes GM as Bestselling Auto Maker in U.S.

Tesla and Hyundai gained U.S. market share last year, as computer-chip shortage affected vehicle manufacturers differently

By Mike Colias and Christina Rogers
https://twitter.com/MikeColias
[e-mail]
https://twitter.com/cvrogers
https://www.facebook.com/christina.rogers.1257
[e-mail]
Updated Jan. 4, 2022 6:50 pm ET

Toyota Motor Corp. TM 6.92% has for the first time overtaken General Motors Co. GM 7.47% as the U.S.’s top-selling car company by annual sales, a change prompted largely by a global computer-chip shortage that dealt an uneven blow to the car business.

The Japanese auto maker, which for decades has worked to expand its presence in the U.S., outsold GM by roughly 114,000 vehicles in 2021. Toyota’s total U.S. sales of 2.3 million rose about 10% compared with 2020, the company said Tuesday.

By contrast, GM reported a nearly 13% slide in results for a total of 2.2 million vehicles sold in 2021, as the semiconductor shortage took a bigger toll on the company’s manufacturing operations and left dealers with fewer vehicles to sell. GM had been the No. 1 auto seller in the U.S. since 1931, according to trade publication Automotive News.

Toyota has largely benefited from its decision to stockpile computer chips, which are used in an array of vehicle electronics. It bet earlier than most other auto makers on a recovering U.S. car market and cut parts and production orders less sharply than rivals, making it better prepared for an eventual surge in consumer demand.

{snip}

—Ben Foldy
contributed to this article.

Write to Mike Colias at [e-mail] and Christina Rogers at [e-mail]

Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/detroit-seen-losing-ground-in-auto-sales-race-11641297653

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Heard on the Street: Toyota outsold GM last year due to a superior supply chain. The lesson that supply matters will likely apply to electric vehicles next.

Link to tweet

EVs Could Revive Detroit’s Supply-Chain Woes
Toyota outsold GM last year due to a superior supply chain. The lesson that supply matters will likely apply to electric vehicles next.

[Evolve Dammit]

1. It's a better product. For the last 30 years. People tend to buy better products. Honda too

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Superior supply chain. They stockpiled chips. They had cars for sale when buyers went to the dealer.

[Evolve Dammit]

4. sounds like they're smarter as well

[nattyice]

2. Isn't Toyota the one that keeps donating to Republicans who were involved in the coup?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. I don't know if they are "the" one, but they are "a" one.

https://www.google.com/search?q=toyota+contribute&sitesearch=democraticunderground.com

[leftyladyfrommo]

6. I love my Toyota Yaris.

135,000 miles and I have had to replace 2 headlights and one tail light and a battery. Gets 32 to the mile.

[Rebl2]

7. We bought

a Toyota 4 yrs ago and no problems yet. Before that we had two Bonneville's and several problems with them over the years. I think the first one we bought, within the first month the window motor on the drivers side quit working. Over the years we had issues with both. We decided after the second one no more GM cars and decided to try a Toyota. My sister and her husband had a couple and never had problems with them, so decided to give them a try.

[LizBeth]

8. Toyota, worst customer service with any dealership in my 4 decades

buying new cars. Hands down, out of park, bad bad bad customer service. I would not buy another toyota because of it. Further, I want to trade my toyota in for a Mazda just cause they piss me off so. Two years and every interaction, oh except when I bought the car.

[DavidDvorkin]

9. Was this with one specific dealership?

If so, the problem is with the dealership. I've had only good experiences with Toyota service.

[LizBeth]

10. Eugene mostly, and Portland.