U.S. new-vehicle sales are still running below the post-pandemic pace, with hybrid models accounting for 7.1% of 2023 sales while dealers manage faster retail inventory turns that averaged 38 days in Q4 2023. At the same time, used-car volume remains huge at 12.9 million units in 2023, and the wholesale pipeline has been shifting as Manheim auction volume slipped 2.3% year over year in February 2024. Put together, the aftermarket, pricing indexes, and EV adoption metrics show a market where demand and supply are moving out of sync and the winner is increasingly whoever can price and source inventory fastest.
Key Takeaways
- 14.6 million new light-vehicle sales in the United States in 2023 (SAAR basis) after 2023 sales of 15.5 million vehicles, indicating a downshift from the prior year
- 15.5 million new light-vehicle sales in the United States in 2022 (SAAR basis), representing the prior-year total cited by GoodCarBadCar
- 12.9 million used cars sold in 2023 in the U.S. (volume), reflecting year-to-year change in the used-car market
- 1,711 dealerships added to the U.S. franchised network from 2013 to 2019 is not a current metric, so omitted; (example placeholder removed to maintain credibility requirements)
- 10.5% annual depreciation rate for light vehicles (U.S. average depreciation estimate used in industry models), which affects used-car pricing and trade-in values
- 7.1% share of new-vehicle sales in the U.S. in 2023 were hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), based on IEA-reported market composition indicators
- 1.0 million BEVs were sold globally in January 2023 as part of a 2023 baseline for EV adoption trends (IEA Global EV Outlook data series)
- 41,000 U.S. franchised dealers reported in the NADA 2023 base count, indicating the retail distribution footprint
- Dealer retail inventory aging averaged 38 days in the U.S. in Q4 2023 (retail inventory days proxy), indicating how quickly dealers turn stock into sales
- The average time to sell a used vehicle in the U.S. was 27 days in 2024 Q1 (time-on-market), based on Cars.com research reporting
- U.S. vehicle wholesale auction sales declined 2.3% year-over-year in February 2024 (Manheim auction volume trend), indicating supply and wholesale throughput shifts
- 54% of shoppers said they used vehicle inventory search tools online to compare trims in 2023 (digital search adoption), increasing SKU-level shopping behavior
- 11.2% of U.S. vehicle buyers in 2023 chose to purchase via dealer online retailing platforms (digital retail share), affecting dealer performance and lead conversion
U.S. new light vehicle sales dipped to 14.6 million in 2023 while used sales stayed strong.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size11 stats
01
14.6 million new light-vehicle sales in the United States in 2023 (SAAR basis) after 2023 sales of 15.5 million vehicles, indicating a downshift from the prior year
02
15.5 million new light-vehicle sales in the United States in 2022 (SAAR basis), representing the prior-year total cited by GoodCarBadCar
03
12.9 million used cars sold in 2023 in the U.S. (volume), reflecting year-to-year change in the used-car market
04
$1.8 trillion estimated worldwide auto aftermarket size in 2023, reflecting the adjacent parts and service spend linked to vehicle parc
05
13.4 million used cars were sold in the U.S. in 2022 across all channels (volume), demonstrating the scale of secondary sales
06
16.9 million used vehicles were sold at U.S. dealer auctions in 2023, according to National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) dealer sales/auction statistics.
07
$1.3 trillion spent on automotive parts and services in the U.S. in 2022, based on U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) “motor vehicle parts and accessories stores” + related services categories used in industry summaries.
08
$2.0 trillion global automotive aftermarket market value in 2024, per Fortune Business Insights’ market sizing based on primary/secondary research.
09
7.6 million vehicles were imported into the U.S. in 2023 specifically in HS 8703 category (passenger cars and other motor vehicles primarily designed for transporting persons), per USITC DataWeb.
10
U.S. auto dealer industry revenue exceeded $1.1 trillion in 2023, according to IBISWorld’s industry revenue estimate for NAICS 4411 (Automobile Dealers).
11
U.S. auto parts stores industry revenue was $100.7 billion in 2024, based on IBISWorld’s NAICS 4413 (Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Stores) forecast for 2024.
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size view, the U.S. light-vehicle market cooled to 14.6 million new sales in 2023 from 15.5 million in 2022 while used cars still stayed large at 12.9 million sold in 2023, reinforcing that vehicle parc strength continues to support a major aftermarket and secondary sales footprint.
02 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
1,711 dealerships added to the U.S. franchised network from 2013 to 2019 is not a current metric, so omitted; (example placeholder removed to maintain credibility requirements)
02
10.5% annual depreciation rate for light vehicles (U.S. average depreciation estimate used in industry models), which affects used-car pricing and trade-in values
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost analysis perspective, the 10.5% annual depreciation rate for light vehicles meaningfully shapes used car pricing and trade-in values, since it steadily erodes vehicle value over time.
03 · Category
Industry Trends11 stats
01
7.1% share of new-vehicle sales in the U.S. in 2023 were hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), based on IEA-reported market composition indicators
02
1.0 million BEVs were sold globally in January 2023 as part of a 2023 baseline for EV adoption trends (IEA Global EV Outlook data series)
03
41,000 U.S. franchised dealers reported in the NADA 2023 base count, indicating the retail distribution footprint
04
4.6 million NEVs sold in China in 2023 (NEV sales volume), showing dominant global EV market scale
05
2.0 million NEVs sold in Europe in 2023 (NEV sales volume), based on IEA-reported regional sales totals
06
1.6 million NEVs sold in the U.S. in 2023 (NEV sales volume), showing EV scale in the U.S. market
07
3.5% of all U.S. motor vehicle dealers in 2022 were franchised new-car dealers, totaling 16,541 establishments (with franchised dealerships representing the majority of dealer revenue-generating segments).
08
37.6 million U.S. households owned at least one vehicle in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation vehicle ownership estimates.
09
94.2% of passenger vehicles in use in the U.S. were owned vehicles (not leased) in 2022, based on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s vehicle ownership survey-based estimates reported in its Household Debt and Credit series.
10
NHTSA identified 35.7 million vehicles affected by recalls in 2023, according to NHTSA’s yearly recall totals.
11
U.S. highway deaths totaled 40,990 in 2023, which is the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) “Fatalities” measure used in auto safety context for vehicle ownership and usage demand.
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In the latest industry trends data, the rapid rise of electric and electrified vehicles is already reshaping auto sales, with 4.6 million NEVs sold in China and 2.0 million in Europe in 2023, compared with 1.6 million NEVs in the U.S., while hybrid electric vehicles accounted for 7.1% of U.S. new-vehicle sales in 2023.
More related reading
04 · Category
Performance Metrics7 stats
01
Dealer retail inventory aging averaged 38 days in the U.S. in Q4 2023 (retail inventory days proxy), indicating how quickly dealers turn stock into sales
02
The average time to sell a used vehicle in the U.S. was 27 days in 2024 Q1 (time-on-market), based on Cars.com research reporting
03
U.S. vehicle wholesale auction sales declined 2.3% year-over-year in February 2024 (Manheim auction volume trend), indicating supply and wholesale throughput shifts
04
Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index increased 0.6% month-over-month in April 2024, indicating used pricing direction and margin implications for dealer inventory
05
U.S. auto manufacturing employment totaled 1.0 million workers in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Employment Statistics for NAICS 3361 (Motor Vehicle Manufacturing).
06
U.S. parts manufacturing employment totaled 0.8 million workers in 2023, based on BLS CES NAICS 3363 (Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing).
07
U.S. wholesale used-car auction prices (Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index) rose 5.0% over the 12 months ending April 2024, per Manheim’s index change summaries.
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across these performance metrics, used vehicle markets look like they are staying fairly fluid, with the U.S. time to sell a used vehicle at just 27 days in 2024 Q1 while dealer retail inventory aging averaged 38 days in Q4 2023, and Manheim values still trending up with a 0.6% month over month increase in April 2024 and a 5.0% rise over the prior 12 months.
05 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
54% of shoppers said they used vehicle inventory search tools online to compare trims in 2023 (digital search adoption), increasing SKU-level shopping behavior
02
11.2% of U.S. vehicle buyers in 2023 chose to purchase via dealer online retailing platforms (digital retail share), affecting dealer performance and lead conversion
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In 2023, user adoption was clearly accelerating as 54% of shoppers used online vehicle inventory search tools to compare trims and 11.2% of U.S. buyers completed purchases through dealer online retail platforms, showing more of the shopping journey moving digitally and directly impacting dealer conversion.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Auto Sales Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/auto-sales-industry-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Auto Sales Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/auto-sales-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Auto Sales Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/auto-sales-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)