In 2024, the auto industry in the United States sold approximately 15.9 million light vehicle units. This figure includes retail sales of about three million passenger cars and just under 12.9 million light trucks. Lower fuel consumption There are many kinds of light vehicles available in the United States. Light-duty vehicles are popular for their utility and improved fuel economy, making them an ideal choice for savvy consumers. As of Model Year 2023, the light vehicle manufacturer with the best overall miles per gallon was Kia, with one gallon of gas allowing for 30.4 miles on the road. Higher brand satisfaction When asked about light vehicle satisfaction, consumers in the United States were most satisfied with Toyota, Subaru, Tesla, and Mercedes-Benz models. Another survey conducted in 2018 and quizzing respondents on their stance regarding the leading car brands indicated that Lexus was among the most dependable brands based on the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles.

At around 948,000 unit sales, light trucks remained the largest U.S. auto market segment in September 2024, down from around 1.2 unit sales in October 2024 and decreasing by approximately 11.2 percent year-on-year. Global chip shortage affects supply The second quarter of 2020 saw a significant drop in automotive sales volume compared to the year before. Most of the disruption was seen in May, before restrictions to curtail the coronavirus pandemic were lifted. Sales showed signs of recovery in the following months, before dropping again in 2021. The industry's inventory-to-sales ratio nosedived in May 2020, and has not fully recovered since. Supply issues were not felt as strongly across the automotive sector, while car demand was low due to national lockdowns brought on by the pandemic. However, as consumers' purchasing intentions picked up, vehicle stocks could not meet the new demand due to chip shortages, which led to production halts and cuts. U.S. vehicle sales gain momentum thanks to light truck sales As the year 2020 came to an end, motor vehicle sales in the United States finished on a high note. Following the Covid-19 disruption, the U.S. auto sector began to recover in the third quarter. However, the semiconductor shortage and global inflation further impacted sales in 2021 and 2022. In contrast, 2023 was an encouraging year. U.S. motor vehicle sales grew to over 15.5 million that year, which was the highest it had been since the onset of the pandemic. This jump in sales was partly due to light truck retail sales, which exceeded their pre-pandemic level in 2023.

The U.S. auto industry sold nearly three million cars in 2024. That year, total car and light truck sales were approximately 15.9 million in the United States. U.S. vehicle sales peaked in 2016 at roughly 17.5 million units. Pandemic impact The COVID-19 pandemic deeply impacted the U.S. automotive market, accelerating the global automotive semiconductor shortage and leading to a drop in demand during the first months of 2020. However, as demand rebounded, new vehicle supply could not keep up with the market. U.S. inventory-to-sales ratio dropped to its lowest point in February 2022, as Russia's war on Ukraine lead to gasoline price hikes. During that same period, inflation also impacted new and used car prices, pricing many U.S. consumers out of a market with increasingly lower car stocks. Focus on fuel economy The U.S. auto industry had one of its worst years in 1982 when customers were beginning to feel the effects of the 1973 oil crisis and the energy crisis of 1979. Since light trucks would often be considered less fuel-efficient, cars accounted for about 77 percent of light vehicle sales back then. Thanks to improved fuel economy for light trucks and cheaper gas prices, this picture had completely changed in 2020. That year, prices for Brent oil dropped to just over 40 U.S. dollars per barrel. The decline occurred in tandem with lower gasoline prices, which came to about 2.17 U.S. dollars per gallon in 2020 - and cars only accounted for less than one-fourth of light vehicle sales that year. Four years on, prices are dropping again, after being the highest on record since 1990 in 2022.

Key information about United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Passenger Cars

• United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Passenger Cars was reported at 3,116,647.000 Unit in Dec 2023.
• This records an increase from the previous number of 2,858,575.000 Unit for Dec 2022.
• US Motor Vehicle Sales: Passenger Cars data is updated yearly, averaging 6,089,403.000 Unit from Dec 2005 to 2023, with 19 observations.
• The data reached an all-time high of 7,761,592.000 Unit in 2006 and a record low of 2,858,575.000 Unit in 2022.
• US Motor Vehicle Sales: Passenger Cars data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers.
• The data is categorized under World Trend Plus’s Association: Automobile Sector – Table RA.OICA.MVS: Motor Vehicle Sales: by Country and Type: Passenger Car (PC).

In the fourth quarter of 2022, approximately 3.59 million light vehicles were sold to customers in the United States. This was a slight increase of around 9.8 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2021, and a growth of roughly 0.20 million vehicles between the third and fourth quarter of 2022.

Autos include all passenger cars, including station wagons. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis releases auto and truck sales data, which are used in the preparation of estimates of personal consumption expenditures.

United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Average Price data was reported at 13,105.000 USD in 2010. This records an increase from the previous number of 12,518.000 USD for 2009. United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Average Price data is updated yearly, averaging 12,098.000 USD from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2010, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13,451.000 USD in 2007 and a record low of 8,691.000 USD in 1990. United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Average Price data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.RA004: Motor Vehicle Sales: Average Price.

Graph and download economic data for Motor Vehicle Retail Sales: Domestic Autos (DAUTOSA) from Jan 1967 to Feb 2025 about headline figure, vehicles, retail trade, domestic, new, sales, retail, and USA.

United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Average Price: Used Vehicle data was reported at 8,786.000 USD in 2010. This records an increase from the previous number of 8,483.000 USD for 2009. United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Average Price: Used Vehicle data is updated yearly, averaging 8,130.000 USD from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2010, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8,786.000 USD in 2010 and a record low of 5,857.000 USD in 1990. United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Average Price: Used Vehicle data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.RA004: Motor Vehicle Sales: Average Price.

United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Quantity: Light Vehicle: Light Trucks data was reported at 1,060.944 Unit th in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,073.878 Unit th for May 2018. United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Quantity: Light Vehicle: Light Trucks data is updated monthly, averaging 505.773 Unit th from Jan 1976 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 510 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,110.044 Unit th in Mar 2018 and a record low of 133.600 Unit th in Dec 1981. United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Quantity: Light Vehicle: Light Trucks data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.H017: Motor Vehicles Sale: Bureau of Economic Analysis.

In terms of monthly light vehicle sales in the United States, Toyota was the top brand in December 2023 with Ford and Chevrolet in second and third place. Customers in the U.S. bought nearly 182,500 Toyota-badged vehicles in December 2023. What was the effect of the pandemic on sales? U.S. vehicle sales tanked in March 2020 but bounced back soon thereafter. Due to the global chip shortage, sales fell again through 2021 and 2022. U.S. auto dealers sold around 1.27 million light vehicles in December 2022, an increase of 5.39 percent year-on-year. These figures can be seen as a consequence of the dwindling supply while automakers halted manufacturing due to a lack of semiconductors for vehicle production. Raw material price inflation and the cost of living crisis recorded in 2022 had also impacted the supply and demand for new vehicles. Pre-crisis plateau Slightly under 14.5 million light vehicles were sold to U.S. auto dealers in 2020. Retail sales are estimated to have slowly recovered in 2021, falling short of the 15 million mark. New sales of light vehicles remained relatively flat between 2017 and 2019 albeit on a high level. 2019 car and light truck retail sales of just under 17 million units put the industry’s new light retail sales figures 1.4 percent lower in 2019 than in 2018. It was particularly passenger cars that did not move off the shelves easily, as light truck sales reached a peak in 2019. Passenger cars now only represented less than one-third of all light vehicle sales in the U.S. While the market recovered through 2023, passenger cars remained the less popular alternative to the larger light trucks for U.S. consumers.

United States - Light Weight Vehicle Sales: Autos and Light Trucks was 15.99900 Mil. of Units in February of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Light Weight Vehicle Sales: Autos and Light Trucks reached a record high of 21.70900 in October of 2001 and a record low of 8.59400 in April of 2020. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Light Weight Vehicle Sales: Autos and Light Trucks - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Motor vehicle sales grew by some 11.9 percent worldwide between 2022 and 2023. Passenger vehicles increased by around11.3 percent compared to the previous year when some 58.6 million cars were sold worldwide. The current state of the market In 2023, motor vehicle sales reached over 92.7 million units worldwide. China was the largest automobile market worldwide, making up close to 25.8 million of the new car registrations that same year. The United States and Europe ranked second and third, with light vehicle sales reaching approximately 15.5 million units in the U.S. market. The German-based Volkswagen Group and Japanese Toyota Motor were the global leading automakers, with revenues reaching around 348.6 and 311.9 billion U.S. dollars respectively as of May 2024. The path to recovery The automotive chip shortage led to around 11.3 million vehicles being cut from worldwide production in 2021, and forecasts estimate that these disruptions in the automotive supply chain will contribute to the removal of another seven million units from production in 2022. However, despite these challenges, the demand for passenger cars increased in 2021 and 2022, as car sales slowly started to increase. This is partly due to consumers' interest in electric vehicles. Autonomous,electrified, and battery electric vehicles are also forecast to gain popularity in the next decades. Electrified vehicles are projected to make up close to a quarter of car sales worldwide by 2025. By 2040, China is forecast to be one of the largest market for autonomous vehicle sales.

United States EIA Projection: New Car Sales data was reported at 5,050.119 Unit th in 2050. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,014.356 Unit th for 2049. United States EIA Projection: New Car Sales data is updated yearly, averaging 4,982.327 Unit th from Dec 2022 (Median) to 2050, with 29 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,286.619 Unit th in 2024 and a record low of 4,859.555 Unit th in 2033. United States EIA Projection: New Car Sales data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Energy Information Administration. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.RA010: New Vehicle Sales: Projection.

In 2018, about 511,500 cars were sold in Florida, making it the second best performing state in terms of car sales. Car sales are losing popularity in the United States with more motorists preferring other segments such as small trucks, SUVs, and minivans. Overall, some 1.3 million light vehicles were sold to customers in Florida in 2018. California dominates traditional and electric car sales California is not only the largest market for cars but also for plug-in electric vehicles. The state is known for progressive state legislation that promotes the manufacturing and sale of electric vehicles. It is also the home to the Tesla headquarters. The company is behind much of the growth of electric vehicles in the United States. Over 4.7 percent of California’s new vehicle sales in 2018 were electric vehicles. The Californian electric vehicle fleet is expected to surpass three million vehicles by 2030. With so many electric vehicles on the road, heavy investments must be made into electric vehicle infrastructure. An extensive network of charging stations has been set up along highways between Mexico and Canada. The ‘West Coast Green Highway’ consists of hundreds of fast chargers in California, Oregon, and Washington. Pacific Coast states accounted for over half of all U.S. electric vehicle sales in 2018.

Graph and download economic data for Monthly State Retail Sales: Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers in New York (MSRSNY441) from Jan 2019 to Nov 2024 about dealers, parts, vehicles, retail trade, NY, sales, retail, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Advance Retail Sales: Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (RSMVPD) from Jan 1992 to Feb 2025 about dealers, parts, vehicles, retail trade, sales, retail, and USA.

In 2022, U.S. auto shoppers bought approximately 2.86 million autos. Meanwhile, light trucks accounted for more than 79 percent of light vehicles sold to individual customers and corporate fleets in the United States.

United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Quantity: sa: Autos: Foreign data was reported at 103.453 Unit th in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 106.099 Unit th for May 2018. United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Quantity: sa: Autos: Foreign data is updated monthly, averaging 165.622 Unit th from Jan 1967 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 618 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 308.100 Unit th in Dec 1986 and a record low of 52.400 Unit th in Jan 1967. United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Quantity: sa: Autos: Foreign data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.H017: Motor Vehicles Sale: Bureau of Economic Analysis.

United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Quantity: sa: Heavy Trucks data was reported at 39.594 Unit th in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 37.713 Unit th for May 2018. United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Quantity: sa: Heavy Trucks data is updated monthly, averaging 28.600 Unit th from Jan 1967 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 618 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 46.700 Unit th in Mar 1973 and a record low of 13.200 Unit th in Oct 1982. United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Quantity: sa: Heavy Trucks data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.H017: Motor Vehicles Sale: Bureau of Economic Analysis.