The past few years haven't been easy for Honda. While rival automakers have found a way to navigate the chip shortage and supply chain issues, the Japanese brand has been forced to cut production at several key factories. Similar challenges have seen Honda and Acura sales plummet; July sales declined by 47.4% compared to the same period last year.

Despite the circumstances and limited supply, Integra sales are strong. This trend continued into August when the sports sedan managed to outsell all its non-SUV Acura stablemates, with a total of 1,573 units heading out to customers. To put that into perspective, Acura sold just 387 more examples of the RDX.

But there's a good chance the Integra may have surpassed the RDX, were it not for the latest obstacle in Honda and Acura's path.

According to The Drive, Honda is struggling to ship Integra stock to dealerships across the USA, with the Southwest most affected. Company officials said problems with freight rail have thrown a spanner into the works. "It's not just the chip supply issues, it's the supply chains, it's the logistics of moving products," explained American Honda's Dave Gardner.

"One of [the frustrating things] is we just launched our new Integra. We can't get the product to the west coast dealers because of the fact there's an embargo with railheads out here because they're so clogged up." Gardner is referring to the BNSF Railway, which reportedly has a shipping embargo of vehicles destined for California.

This will undoubtedly hurt Honda's bottom line. The state remains the biggest consumer of new vehicles and accounts for nearly 12% of new car sales in the country.

Honda's Jessica Fini also told the publication that the company is looking at alternative ways to get Integra inventory to affected dealerships. "We are perusing other shipping methods by utilizing different railhead locations and adding in more trucks," she said. "Through these alternatives, while also working with our carrier partners, we are trying our best to keep up shipping with production."

But it's not just the Integra that's suffering. Fini notes that all Honda and Acura models are similarly affected, and that's clear to see when perusing the sales figures. In August 2021, 19,654 units of the Honda Civic were delivered to customers. This contrasts sharply with 2022's figures; last month, a mere 7,327 examples were sold. It's a similar story with the CR-V, although this decline can be attributed to the fact that a new generation is arriving shortly.

Hopefully, these problems will soon evaporate. As per Trains, BNSF is expected to end the California embargo this month. A statement released by the railroad company explains the permit embargo was implemented to reduce backlogs and improve efficiency. "As a result, we have seen decreased congestion and increased velocity as network conditions are improving," said BNSF.

If all goes according to plan, Honda can start delivering stock to key markets in the Southwest and make up for months of slowed sales. So, if you're one of many who have been waiting to get behind the wheel of an Integra, sit tight - by truck or train, Honda is trying to get inventory out to your local dealer. We certainly hope these issues don't affect other exciting future models, such as the new Civic Type R.