gmc74 - you are probably correct about the hail damage causing the shortage. In thinking about it, production began in January, and the cars were released to the dealers in March. The hailstorm was in early May, and the shortage comes in early July.

The shortage is now critical in the Atlanta area. My dealer had been keeping around ten on hand, but has had nothing but two manual xmission cars for ten days.

Most of the other dozen dealers in the metro area have well under half the number they were carrying a month ago. The dealers with the 'award of excellence' seem to be doing s little better than the others, but that is entirely a subjective observation. As I move my checking out between fifty and a hundred miles from Atlanta, the situation does not seem as bad. But that is probably because those are mostly small towns with slower sales.

The most worrisome facet of this is that many dealers determine what they will 'take' for a car by what stock they have available and how well sales are going. This has suddenly become a 'seller's market' in Atlanta. Not a time to be buying . . .

 

You are right on with this one. Definately the time to wait, they will try to use what we know is a temporary shortage against you. They will raise the price because the shortage means that they are in demand. Hold tight and wait it out, you will save thousands.

 

Well... I stopped at a light in N. Dallas this morning next to another silver 04. Before the light turned green a black 04 pulled along side in the right lane. We were all three lined up like ducks in a row.

 

Quack quack!

Well, every week around here (Chicago area), I am seeing more and more '04 Maxima's driving around.

 

see one 6th gen once in a while ...4's and 5's are flooding the streets around here ,then 3's

 

The serial numbers are approaching 35,000 (built), and the supply is getting shorter on the dealer lots. Good reviews in almost all publications. All this in a recession. I'm not worried about the '04.