CDK Outage Warped Days’ Supply
Cox data crunching shows near-record inventory total.

Though the supply is up 110% year-over-year, obviously abnormal for any time of year, it should normalize in the next couple of months.
Pexels/Kelly
The CDK Global dealership software outage dramatically inflated days’ supply last month, along with affecting sales, new data show.
The disruption, which impacted thousands of dealerships across the country that conducted business without dealer-management system access and other tech tools, clearly put the brakes on sales, according to Cox Automotive figures.
New-vehicle days’ supply started July, just before CDK brought most of its dealer customers back online, to 116 days. Cox says that’s one of the highest days’ supply ever, lower only than that of April 2020, just after pandemic lockdowns began. June opened at 81 days’ supply.
That’s up 110% year-over-year and obviously abnormal for any time of year, Cox pointed out, but it said the metric should normalize as CDK fully restores its various software systems.
In addition to the shutdown, Cox said extreme summer weather events and power outages in some areas may also have dampened sales, including in Houston, which it said is one of the biggest U.S. automotive markets.
Total U.S. inventory ended June at 2.9 million, up 52% year-over-year, Cox said.
More Industry

Automaker Advances Safety for All
A new report by Volvo Cars Safety Centre analyzed the impact of 50 years' worth of research in automotive safety development
Read More →
Kentucky Store Leaves Family
An auto group stretched across three states picked up the Lexington-area Ford fixture as its second store for the brand in the state.
Read More →
U.S. Auto Brands Falling Behind
Asian auto brands are outpacing U.S. brands in stateside new-vehicle sales. Learn more in this week's Dealer Debrief with Lauren!
Read More →
U.S. EV Market Update | Dealer Debrief
The U.S. electric vehicle market is slowly recovering from the loss of the federal EV tax credit last fall. Learn more in this week's Dealer Debrief!
Read More →
Auto Finance Numbers Set Records
Third-quarter data show how consumers are adapting to ongoing affordability challenges facing the new- and-used-vehicle markets.
Read More →
Auto Dealerships Can’t Afford to Ignore the 50+ Consumer
Younger generations may be all the buzz today when it comes to product marketing targets, but their older cohorts command a sizable share of purchasing power.
Read More →
Savings Seekers Boost U.S. Automakers’ Rivals
As consumers here look for ways to curb inflation’s affect on their budgets, brands offering plenty of alternative powertrains are closing in on home-grown OEMs.
Read More →
The Slow Electric Ascent
Second-quarter data show that the electric-vehicle market in the U.S. is inching up, the majority of states seeing a month-over-month increase.
Read More →
Safer Rides & Cyberattacks
Vehicle crash testing is getting a virtual boost, but auto dealerships are facing increased cyberattacks. Learn more in this week's Dealer Debrief!
Read More →
Affordability Angst | Dealer Debrief
August saw little relief for car buyers, whether they were shopping new or used. Take a look at the month's breakdown in this week's Dealer Debrief!
Read More →