U.S. auto inventories remain at 1.13 million in May

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. new vehicle inventories in May were nearly flat from the previous month as supply disruptions and continued strong demand made it difficult to replenish, data compiled by Automotive News Research & Data Center and Cox Automotive showed.

Cox said automakers and dealers had vehicle inventories of 1.13 million vehicles nationwide in May and could maintain supply for 35 days, about the same number of days since January.Cox also said the inventory was up 20,000 units from the previous month, but was still 30% lower than the year-ago level.

Image credit: Ford

Among automakers that continued to report monthly U.S. sales and inventory data, Ford, Hyundai-Kia and Subaru maintained their supply days last month, while Honda, Toyota, Mazda and Volvo Cars saw their inventories drop in May.

Cox said in its analysis that of the 30 best-selling models in the U.S. market, full-size trucks have the highest inventory levels, almost back to traditional inventory levels, with RAM at 70 days, and Chevrolet and Ford full-size. Pickups are available for about 50 days.Cox noted that the Ford Explorer and Hyundai Santa Fe crossovers are also relatively well stocked.

By segment, Cox said the tightest inventory is the more fuel-efficient models, including compacts, hybrids, small crossovers, subcompacts and subcompacts.