Ford reports smaller sales decline in April while chip shortage weighs on supply

DETROIT – Ford Motor on Wednesday reported a 10.5% decline in April sales compared to a year ago, notably narrowing its losses compared to recent months.

Ford and the broader auto industry continue to battle through supply chain problems such as a semiconductor chip shortage that has been affecting production for more than a year now. Ford’s monthly sales in February and March were down by more than 20% due to the problem.

“While industry semiconductor chip shortages persist, improved inventory flow in April delivered a significant share gain of 1 percentage point over a year ago with Ford outperforming the industry,” Andrew Frick, Ford vice president of sales, distribution and trucks, said in a statement.

Ford has been attempting to prioritize chip supplies for in-demand products such as the electric Mustang Mach-E crossover, which nearly doubled in sales compared to April 2021.

Sales of Ford’s crucial full-size pickup trucks, including the F-150, continue to struggle due to supply problems. Sales were down 22% last month, pushing sales for the year to be down by nearly 30%.