Auto retailers flag a hit to systems on third day of CDK’s cyber outage

(Reuters) -U.S. auto retailers Sonic Automotive (NYSE:) and Penske Automotive flagged a hit to some of their operations on Friday after the ongoing CDK cyber outage impacted dealers across the country.

The announcements came as CDK’s outage entered its third consecutive day, and have impacted some automobile dealers’ management software tools.

CDK, which provides software to car dealerships, experienced another cyber incident on Wednesday and proactively shut down most of its systems.

Sonic said its dealerships were open, using workaround solutions to minimize the disruption caused by the outage.

The company also said it was unable to determine whether the outage would impact its financial condition, but it did have a “negative impact” on operations.

Penske said its Premier Truck Group business, which sells new and used commercial trucks, also utilizes CDK’s disrupted dealer management system.

“Premier Truck Group has implemented its business continuity response plans and continues to operate at all locations through manual or alternate processes,” Penske said.

Penske’s commercial truck dealership business has lower unit volumes than its automotive dealership business.

Separately, Kia America also told Reuters that it was working with affected dealers to reduce the impact and continue towards “business as usual.”

In its statement, CDK did not disclose how many dealerships were affected but, according to CDK’s website, it works with more than 15,000 retail locations across North America.