This tough economy is greatly affecting the auto industry. Some of the major players in the industry reported significant declines in sales for this September compared to last year. Ford, Chrysler, and Toyota all posted losses above 30 percent.

Tighter credit requirements are making it more difficult for people to get automobile loans and gas prices and concerns about the overall economy are contributing to the loss.

It's a difficult time industry-wide, and local businesses are facing challenges too.

Vadim Yavny's family immigrated to the United States from Ukraine. They opened a small used-car business in Harrisonburg. Things were looking optimistic.

However, in just the last six months, Yavny says the business has seen a big drop off.

"It's been slow. It's been really slow," says Yavny. "People have been coming, looking. But, money's been tight. They've been keeping it in their pockets more.

He says, if they do buy, many are turning to the cheapest possible cars, ones they can afford to pay for in cash instead of resorting to high-interest loans.

At Harrisonburg Honda, general manager Bryan Horne says some of his customers are also facing a tough time getting bank loans.

"Some people may have overestimated what they could afford in the past," says Horne. "When you're looking at the big picture, it's not just the car payment that you're paying. You're paying also for your fuel consumption. You're paying for insurance."

The issue has been wide spread, starting with gas prices going up and now credit is tightening.

Horne says they have to be more direct with customers to ensure they can actually afford the car they want.

"They have the same money coming in. They have a little more going out. So, what they're trying to do is get something that's a little more economical, that fits within their budget," says Horne.

Until the economic situation improves, the Yavnys are simply trying to find ways to entice people and get their business back to where it was.

Yavny says a few customers have been coming by that look promising, but in some cases, once they call their banks, the interest rates on loans are simply too costly if they can even get a loan at all.

"It's the only job I got. It's the only job dad got," says Yavny. "And, it's the only thing that keeps bread on the table."