Total Vehicle Sales in the United States decreased to 16.10 Million in August from 16.40 Million in July of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Total Vehicle Sales - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

At around 1.2 million unit sales, light trucks remained the largest U.S. auto market segment in August 2025, up from around 1.1 million unit sales in August 2024. 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, 2024 was an encouraging year. U.S. motor vehicle sales grew to over 15.8 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 2024.

View monthly updates and historical trends for US Total Vehicle Sales. from United States. Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis. Track economic data with Y…

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 ******* 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 **** million light vehicles in December 2022, an increase of **** 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 **** 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 ** 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 ** million units put the industry’s new light retail sales figures *** 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.

View monthly updates and historical trends for US Total Vehicle Sales YoY. from United States. Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis. Track economic data wi…

Graph and download economic data for Light Weight Vehicle Sales: Autos and Light Trucks (ALTSALES) from Jan 1976 to Aug 2025 about light weight, trucks, vehicles, new, sales, and USA.

Key information about United States Motor Vehicles Sales Growth

• United States Motor Vehicles Sales dropped 1.0 % in Feb 2025, compared with a growth of 2.8 % in the previous month.
• US Motor Vehicles Sales Growth rate is updated monthly, available from Jan 1977 to Feb 2025, with an average growth rate of 1.8 %.
• The data reached an all-time high of 109.5 % in Apr 2021 and a record low of -45.9 % in Apr 2020.
• Car Sales of US recorded 1,253,157.0 units in Feb 2025.

Just over *********** used vehicles were sold between private parties in the United States in July 2022. This was a month-over-month decrease of some five percent compared to the June 2022 sales volume. Overall U.S. used vehicle sales had also been decreasing month-over-month in July 2022.

The U.S. auto industry sold nearly ************* cars in 2024. That year, total car and light truck sales were approximately ************ in the United States. U.S. vehicle sales peaked in 2016 at roughly ************ 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 ** 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 ** U.S. dollars per barrel. The decline occurred in tandem with lower gasoline prices, which came to about **** 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.

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

Graph and download economic data for Retail Sales: Used Car Dealers (MRTSSM44112USN) from Jan 1992 to Jul 2025 about used, dealers, vehicles, retail trade, sales, retail, and USA.

View monthly updates and historical trends for US Auto and Other Motor Vehicle Sales. from United States. Source: Census Bureau. Track economic data with …

Nearly *** million used vehicles were sold at car dealerships and by private parties in the United States in March 2023. This was a month-over-month increase of some **** percent compared to the February 2023 sales volume.

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.

Key information about United States Motor Vehicles Sales

• United States Motor Vehicles Sales recorded 1,253,157 units in Feb 2025, compared with 1,138,523 units in the previous month.
• US Motor Vehicles Sales is updated monthly, available from Jan 1976 to Feb 2025, with an averaged number of 1,270,900 units.
• The data reached an all-time high of 1,845,713 units in Jul 2005 and a record low of 670,466 units in Jan 2009.
• In the latest reports, Retail Sales of US grew 1 % YoY in May 2023.

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.

View monthly updates and historical trends for US Total Light Vehicle Sales. from United States. Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis. Track economic data …

The distribution of used vehicle sales in the United States by sales channel remained constant from September 2022 to September 2023. Retail sales at car dealerships held over **** of the used car sales market during that time. Used vehicle sales were the leading type of light vehicle sales in the U.S. in 2023, amounting to over **** million units sold.

Nearly *********** used vehicles were sold at car dealerships in the United States in March 2023. This represented a share of just under ** percent of the total used car sales volume that month—a share which remained constant throughout 2022 and the beginning of 2023, with minimal variations.

Worldwide car sales grew to around ** million automobiles in 2024, up from around **** million units in 2023. Throughout 2020 and 2021, the sector experienced a downward trend on the back of a slowing global economy, while COVID-19 and the Russian war on Ukraine contributed to shortages in the automotive semiconductor industry and further supply chain disruptions in 2022. Despite these challenges, 2023 and 2024 sales surpassed pre-pandemic levels and are forecast to keep rising through 2025 and 2026. Covid-19 hits car demand It had been estimated pre-pandemic that international car sales were on track to reach ** million. While 2023 sales are still far away from that goal, this was the first year were car sales exceeded pre-pandemic values. The automotive market faced various challenges in 2023, including supply shortages, automotive layoffs, and strikes in North America. However, despite these hurdles, the North American market was among the fastest-growing regions in 2024, along with Eastern Europe and Asia, as auto sales in these regions increased year-on-year. Chinese market recovers After years of double-digit growth, China's economy began to lose steam in 2022, and recovery has been slow through 2023. China was the largest automobile market based on sales with around **** million units in 2023. However, monthly car sales in China were in free-fall in April 2022 partly due to shortages, fears over a looming recession, and the country grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. By June of that same year, monthly sales in China were closer to those recorded in 2021.