This page maps the American auto industry across the full chain of impact—from manufacturing jobs and production disruptions to safety, performance, and charging or fuel realities. It also tracks how economic and policy conditions shape consumer choices, including auto lending credit access and month-to-month shifts in new- and used-vehicle prices. Along the way, you’ll see how mobile research and online retailing change how shoppers compare and buy.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. had 282.4 million total registered vehicles in 2022 per the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Statistics
- Passenger cars represented 48.6% of U.S. registered vehicles in 2022 per FHWA Highway Statistics (vehicle registrations by type)
- Light trucks represented 47.7% of U.S. registered vehicles in 2022 per FHWA Highway Statistics (vehicle registrations by type)
- Detroit Three production disruptions in 2023 reduced output by 200,000 vehicles in parts of the year, per J.D. Power and industry reporting summarizing strike impacts
- In 2023, the U.S. had 16,000+ publicly available DC fast chargers per DOE AFDC (DC fast charger count category)
- NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) awarded the maximum 5-star overall safety rating to top models in 2023; NCAP ratings are per vehicle model pages (example: 5-star for 2023 Tesla Model 3)
- The U.S. new-vehicle consumer price index (CPI) for automobiles was 3.0% higher year over year in December 2023 per BLS CPI series for new vehicles
- The U.S. CPI for used cars and trucks was 7.1% lower year over year in December 2023 per BLS CPI series for used vehicles
- BLS reported that average gasoline prices were $3.54 per gallon in April 2024 per CPI gasoline price series
- The U.S. EPA-rated fuel economy for the 2023 Honda Civic (example) was 36 mpg city and 42 mpg highway per EPA Fuel Economy Guide listing
- The U.S. EPA-rated fuel economy for the 2023 Toyota Camry (example) was 28 mpg city and 39 mpg highway per EPA Fuel Economy Guide listing
- A 2023 Tesla Model 3 (example) EPA range rating was 272 miles per EPA Fuel Economy Guide (example variant)
- In 2023, 65% of new-vehicle buyers chose financing over leasing, per Experian State of the Automotive Finance Market data
- In 2023, 15% of buyers made down payments of 20% or more per Experian auto finance market reporting
- In 2022, 24% of new-vehicle transactions used online/remote elements per J.D. Power digital retailing index
With rising vehicle demand, more chargers, and steadier fuel prices, automakers face tight lending and shifting buying trends.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size10 stats
01
The U.S. had 282.4 million total registered vehicles in 2022 per the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Statistics
02
Passenger cars represented 48.6% of U.S. registered vehicles in 2022 per FHWA Highway Statistics (vehicle registrations by type)
03
Light trucks represented 47.7% of U.S. registered vehicles in 2022 per FHWA Highway Statistics (vehicle registrations by type)
04
The U.S. motor vehicle and parts manufacturing sector employed 1.1 million people in 2022 per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employment series for NAICS 3361-3363
05
U.S. vehicle manufacturing (NAICS 3361) produced $471.1 billion of value added in 2022 per U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) industry accounts
06
BEA reports $2.0 trillion of expenditures for motor vehicle services and parts in 2022 (retail and services categories aggregated in BEA’s industry accounts tables)
07
U.S. light-duty vehicle production was 9.7 million units in 2023 per Statista citing production volumes compiled from industry sources
08
U.S. light-duty vehicle production was 8.9 million units in 2022 per Statista time-series for U.S. vehicle production
09
The U.S. had 49,000 public EV charging outlets in 2023 per DOE AFDC public charging station data
10
The U.S. has 118,000 public EV charging outlets (as of the latest AFDC pull date in 2024) per DOE AFDC station inventory
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2022 the U.S. had 282.4 million registered vehicles, with passenger cars at 48.6% and light trucks at 47.7%, underscoring that the American auto market is dominated by vehicle volumes that also translate into major economic scale, including $471.1 billion in value added from vehicle manufacturing and $2.0 trillion in motor vehicle services and parts expenditures.
02 · Category
Industry Trends10 stats
01
Detroit Three production disruptions in 2023 reduced output by 200,000 vehicles in parts of the year, per J.D. Power and industry reporting summarizing strike impacts
02
In 2023, the U.S. had 16,000+ publicly available DC fast chargers per DOE AFDC (DC fast charger count category)
03
NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) awarded the maximum 5-star overall safety rating to top models in 2023; NCAP ratings are per vehicle model pages (example: 5-star for 2023 Tesla Model 3)
04
The SECURE Act and related regulatory changes increased credit access criteria for U.S. auto lending portfolios; the Fed’s consumer credit policies show tightening reflected by 2023 underwriting changes (statistics vary by dataset)
05
The U.S. average auto insurance annual premium was $1,771in 2023 per NAIC data reported in Insurance Information Institute summaries
06
Auto insurance loss costs increased 16% in 2022 in the U.S. per NAIC loss cost trends data compiled in Insurance Information Institute reporting
07
J.D. Power reported the U.S. supply chain easing in 2023, with vehicle inventory reaching about 2.1 million units (days’ supply measure) according to their U.S. supply and inventory surveys
08
There were 42,060 fatalities in 2022 per NHTSA crash statistics publication
09
In 2023, the average age of vehicles on U.S. roads was 12.5 years per FHWA’s Highway Statistics vehicle registration and age data summary
10
In 2022, the average age of vehicles on U.S. roads was 12.2 years per FHWA Highway Statistics vehicle age data
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In 2023, the auto industry trend is a mix of stronger safety recognition and expanding infrastructure, with the industry still absorbing major production disruption that cut Detroit Three output by 200,000 vehicles while the U.S. reached 16,000+ publicly available DC fast chargers, alongside rising insurance costs with premiums at $1,771 in 2023.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis15 stats
01
The U.S. new-vehicle consumer price index (CPI) for automobiles was 3.0% higher year over year in December 2023 per BLS CPI series for new vehicles
02
The U.S. CPI for used cars and trucks was 7.1% lower year over year in December 2023 per BLS CPI series for used vehicles
03
BLS reported that average gasoline prices were $3.54per gallon in April 2024 per CPI gasoline price series
04
BLS reported that average unleaded gasoline price was $3.33per gallon in March 2024 per BLS gasoline price series
05
U.S. average retail diesel fuel price was $4.00per gallon in April 2024 per EIA data used widely in industry reporting
06
U.S. average retail diesel fuel price was $3.86per gallon in March 2024 per EIA
07
The U.S. vehicle insurance loss ratio averaged 73% in 2023 per NAIC data compiled by Insurance Information Institute
08
In 2022, average auto insurance costs were $1,779per year per Insurance Information Institute (NAIC-based)
09
Average claim frequency for auto insurance was 0.4 claims per policy in 2023 per NAIC statistics compiled for insurers (collision & comprehensive)
10
The average U.S. new-vehicle price was $47,900in 2023 (light vehicle average transaction price) per Edmunds industry pricing summaries
11
The average used vehicle price in the U.S. was $28,000in 2023 per Edmunds used car price data
12
In 2023, the U.S. average monthly auto loan payment was $523per Experian auto finance reporting
13
The U.S. 60-month average auto loan term was 68 months in 2023 per Experian reporting
14
The average U.S. auto loan interest rate was 7.2% in Q4 2023 for new auto loans per Experian auto finance data
15
The average U.S. auto loan interest rate was 9.6% in Q4 2023 for used auto loans per Experian auto finance data
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For cost analysis, auto buyers faced clearly mixed vehicle energy and pricing pressures in 2024 as gasoline averaged $3.54 per gallon in April 2024 while diesel averaged $4.00 per gallon, and used cars continued to cool with a 7.1% year over year decline in December 2023 even as new-vehicle prices rose 3.0%.
More related reading
04 · Category
Performance Metrics13 stats
01
The U.S. EPA-rated fuel economy for the 2023 Honda Civic (example) was 36 mpg city and 42 mpg highway per EPA Fuel Economy Guide listing
02
The U.S. EPA-rated fuel economy for the 2023 Toyota Camry (example) was 28 mpg city and 39 mpg highway per EPA Fuel Economy Guide listing
03
A 2023 Tesla Model 3 (example) EPA range rating was 272 miles per EPA Fuel Economy Guide (example variant)
04
An EPA-rated EV charging efficiency metric shows 120 MPGe for a selected 2023 EV model variant in the EPA guide listing
05
NHTSA reported a 5-star overall safety rating for the 2023 Ford F-150 (example model) per vehicle assessment page
06
NHTSA reported a 5-star overall safety rating for the 2023 Subaru Outback (example) per vehicle assessment page
07
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that in 2023, 35% of tested vehicles achieved the highest rating “Good” in small overlap front test category (annual top-line statistic)
08
IIHS reports that vehicles with headlights rated “Good” reduced accident rates relative to “Poor” categories; the exact reduction depends on test year comparisons, shown in IIHS headlight research summaries
09
IIHS’ 2023 vehicle quality and reliability reporting shows an average defect rate of 124 defects per 100 vehicles (industry benchmarking metric used in IIHS/consumer studies) for a given dataset year
10
J.D. Power reported that the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) averaged 152 in 2023 for the Vehicle Dependability Study (context of defects)
11
J.D. Power reported an average PP100 of 158 in 2022 for the Vehicle Dependability Study
12
U.S. EPA reports that light-duty vehicles produced 1.9 billion metric tons of CO2 in 2022 from transportation sector categories used for GHG inventory (transportation sector total)
13
EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory shows the U.S. light-duty vehicle fuel consumption correspondingly drove the bulk of transportation emissions; transportation sector CO2 was 1.6 billion metric tons in 2022
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics show a clear split between fuel economy leaders and overall safety strength, with efficient gas models topping out at 42 mpg highway in the 2023 Honda Civic while the 2023 Ford F-150 and 2023 Subaru Outback both earn the top 5 star overall safety rating.
05 · Category
User Adoption6 stats
01
In 2023, 65% of new-vehicle buyers chose financing over leasing, per Experian State of the Automotive Finance Market data
02
In 2023, 15% of buyers made down payments of 20% or more per Experian auto finance market reporting
03
In 2022, 24% of new-vehicle transactions used online/remote elements per J.D. Power digital retailing index
04
In 2023, 47% of new-vehicle shoppers reported using mobile apps to research vehicles (digital behavior) per J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Automotive Shopping Study
05
In 2023, 58% of U.S. vehicle buyers planned to negotiate pricing during purchase (industry consumer survey), per J.D. Power sales experience research
06
In 2022, 61% of buyers planned to negotiate pricing per the prior year J.D. Power sales experience research
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For the User Adoption angle, the data shows customers are increasingly engaging with modern purchase journeys, with 47% of shoppers using mobile apps to research vehicles in 2023 and 24% of new-vehicle transactions including online or remote elements in 2022, while traditional behaviors like negotiating remain strong at 58% planning to negotiate pricing in 2023.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). American Auto Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/american-auto-industry-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "American Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/american-auto-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "American Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/american-auto-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
41 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+24 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)